Call for articles for the forthcoming special issue on

e-learning in the disciplines of economics and business studies

Unreservedly accepted as a valid form of learning at present, e-learning has particular educational traits in terms of interaction with students, content design and transmission, multi-level communication, learning activities and assessment techniques, among other aspects (Moller et al., 2008, p. 67). The characteristics in question have resulted in a great deal of innovation and research activity geared to finding out more about those who study and teach online, and to identifying ways of enhancing the online teaching and learning process.

In general, the literature arising from that activity has been developed with only scant attention to the specific disciplines that constitute the object of learning. In the case of mobile and ubiquitous learning, for example, a review of publications from between 2001 and 2010 (Hwang & Tsai, 2011) found that most of them were not orientated towards any particular area of learning, and that the areas with the greatest presence were engineering (including IT engineering), language and the arts, and science. While there are numerous matters with regard to which valuable conclusions can be drawn on the basis of research that is not focused on a particular discipline, the practice of teaching would probably benefit from studies centred on specific disciplines and which might easily be applied to similar disciplines.

The forthcoming special issue will focus on disciplines related to economics and business studies, with a view to publishing results of research into e-learning which teachers and researchers with an interest in those fields will find useful. The disciplines in question are not defined in business schools or faculties of economics or business science, but rather on the basis of the content to be taught to students, regardless of the level of education and learning context involved. The focus of attention in e-learning is viewed in a similarly broad manner, encompassing content and technology-mediated learning processes alike.

A premise of research focused on specific disciplines is that there are aspects of education unique to any given discipline. If that is so, it prompts questions that the forthcoming special issue will seek to answer. What are the distinguishing aspects of the disciplines of economics and business studies, and how should they be reflected in e-learning practice? What are the most appropriate approaches and educational tools in the context in question? What is the best way to apply approaches and tools developed in other contexts to the specific disciplines under consideration?

By centring educational research on a discipline (economics and business studies) and an environment (e-learning), we hope to enable teachers to apply proposals, concepts and conclusions, thus maximizing the impact of such research and strengthening the necessary connection between research and practice.

REFERENCES:

Hwang, G.J., & Tsai, C.C. (2011). Research trends in mobile and ubiquitous learning: a review of publications in selected journals from 2001 to 2010. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42(4), E65-E70.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web. July/August. TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.

Subject areas

We are interested in receiving research articles on the topic covered by the special issue, corresponding to any sector of education and from anywhere in the world.

Specifically, the special issue's subject areas are as follows:
•The development of interpersonal and other generic competences
•Learning in quantitative subjects
•The use of synchronous communication
•Experience-based learning: placements and projects in companies, recognition of professional experience, etc.
•The use of simulators as a teaching tool
•The use of social networks
•Edutainment and educational applications of serious games
•Personalized e-feedback
•Teachers' profile, training and motivation
•Virtual teams for teaching
•Guaranteeing quality
•Tutor activity

Other subject areas that reflect the recent evolution of e-learning in the economics and business studies sphere will also be considered.



Guest editors

Àngels Fitó has been director of the Economics and Business Studies Department of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) since 2010. Previously, she combined her teaching activity in other Spanish universities with economic and financial consultancy work. Her research focuses on economic and financial information and on e-learning. She has published her research results in international indexed journals, and presented them at international conferences on accounting and financial matters and education alike.



Josep M. Batalla has been a senior lecturer at the UOC since 1998. He holds a degree in Economics and Business Science and a PhD in Economics, both from the University of Barcelona. Between 2000 and 2004, he directed the Business Science programme and the Business Administration and Management degree programme. He currently coordinates the “Management & e-Learning” (MeL) research group, which is associated with the eLearn Center (a UOC research centre focusing on higher education and lifelong learning). He is involved in various innovation and e-learning projects, and is a member of the Economics of Education Association (AEDE).



Eva Rimbau has been a lecturer at the UOC since 2004 and she holds a PhD in Business Administration and Management from the University of Barcelona. She has been academic director of the University's Labour Sciences degree programme, its Health and Safety master's degree programme, and its Economics and Business Studies Postgraduate Section. She has led or participated in the process of adapting a number of degrees to the European Higher Education Area, and is co-author of the first guide to assessing transferable skills in online economics and business studies degree programmes. She is a member of the “Management & eLearning” (MeL) research group, which is associated with the UOC's eLearn Center, and of the “Observatory of the New Economy” (ONE), which belongs to the UOC's Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) and is recognized by the Catalan government as a consolidated research group. Her interests in research into teaching revolve around e-learning management, the development and assessment of transferable skills online, and the recognition of informal learning.



Enric Serradell-López is a senior lecturer in the UOC's Economics and Business Studies Department. He holds a degree in Economics and Business Science and a PhD in Economics, both from the University of Barcelona. His main lines of research are related to the management and analysis of elements that provide companies with a competitive edge, a subject area within which he has produced a considerable volume of teaching and research materials. He is a member of the UOC's eLearn Center.



Alison Sheridan completed her undergraduate degree in agricultural economics at the University of Sydney. Prior to completing her PhD, she worked as an agricultural economist in Australia and the US. Since joining the University of New England (UNE) in 1988, she has taken on a number of roles, the most recent being head of the UNE Business School. Her research interests span gender and human resource management, management education, corporate governance and regional development, and she has published widely in the areas in question. She has led research projects funded by the Australian Research Council and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.



Donald E. Hanna is Professor Emeritus of educational communications at the University of Wisconsin-Extension in the USA. His main research lines are focused on organizational change, leadership and the impact of learning technologies on both student learning and university organization. He has written several nationally and internationally recognized books and articles, and is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences.



Submission deadline

Articles should be submitted by November 30th 2013.

Articles will be published in the first semester of 2014.



Author guidelines and submission procedure

Articles should be between 4,000 and 5,000 words and must contain the following:



- Title

- Abstract (200-300 words)

- Four to six keywords

- Article (divided into sections and subsections)

- References

- Figures can be included within the article, but please also attach them in a separate file



In order to ensure a blind review, please place authors’ personal details in a separate file. The personal details required are:



- Name and surname

- Position or academic affiliation

- Full professional postal address and e-mail address

- Short CV (100-200 words)

The articles selected by the editors will be peer reviewed by at least two members of RUSC’s Editorial Board or by renowned experts in the field, as indicated by the editor.

You need to register as an author on the journal’s website in order to submit an article. Once registered, enter the username and password you receive during the registration process to begin the submission procedure. In Step 1, select the Dossier section, and accept the submission and copyright terms and conditions. In Step 2, enter the metadata (title, abstract, keywords). In Step 3, attach the original article. You can skip Step 4 if there are no additional files, but you need to go on to Step 5 to complete the procedure.

We strongly recommend checking the journal’s author guidelines before submitting an article. Please, remember to specify that it is for the SPECIAL SECTION.