CALL FOR CHAPTER PROPOSALS
Proposal Submission Deadline: October 15, 2012
E-Learning 2.0 Technologies and Web Applications in Higher Education
A book edited by Dr. Jean-Eric PELET (KMCMS, University of Nantes, France)


To be published by IGI Global: http://bit.ly/PVdPuM
If you want to send a chapter, please start by fulfilling this sheet in order to facilitate our work: http://kmcms.net/Doc/Call/Elearning/

Introduction

E-learning can be a way to teach anywhere at any time to anybody. This is possible thanks to a relevant use of Internet technologies such as web 2.0 tools, skills, applications, websites, widgets, social networks systems and so on. E-learning has all the capacities to grow, and offers knowledge, lectures, and helpful advice for learning in good conditions and for free. A good Internet connection and a usable device such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a notepad can make a difference in efficient learning.
The Khan Academy is an organization on a mission, and is also an example of such possibilities. It is a not-for-profit organization with the goal of changing education for the better by providing free, world-class education for anyone anywhere. All of the site's resources are available to anyone here: http://www.khanacademy.org/. 182,005,339 lessons have been delivered in 2012. It doesn't matter if the visitor is a student, teacher, or a home-schooler, principal, or an adult returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien just trying to get a leg up in earthly biology. The Khan Academy's materials and resources are available, completely free of charge.
One can ask the question: is this model of open-source lectures expandable, considering the possibilities offered with access to the Internet? Are already-used techniques in various countries, for universities or private schools, reproducible with the aim to offer access to knowledge to anybody?

Rare are the works on the topic of e-learning in a ubiquitous context that also describe the full use of web 2.0 technologies. Ubiquitous refers to the ability we have to use multiple ways to access and use the Internet for learning or reading, or playing in the case of serious game, anywhere at any time. At same time, e- and m-learning and knowledge management systems grow, in various organizations such as companies, universities, or business schools. There is no literature on this aspect, in a handbook format, and for a practical usage, such as for higher graduate students. There are various uses of the Internet in different fields that could be applied in other situations, including web interface designs using accessibility guidelines. To our knowledge no book presents the results of such studies on new devices like mobile phones or tablets, and web design for these particular interfaces requires proper insight.

Literature in the area of e-learning points out that the quality of educational software is significantly related to its interface quality (e.g. Buzhardt et al., 2005; Cantoni et al., 2004; Chu and Chan, 1998; Hinostroza and Mellar, 2001). Regardless of the technical type of the platform, such as desktop software or internet website, the interface remains equally problematic when dealing with the behavior of the user. The interface quality of educational software or websites, moreover, has a serious impact on the learning outcome of the student (Gauss and Urbas, 2003; Jonassen and Wang, 1993). Crowther et al. (2004) argue that the impact of a poor interface design in education is more serious than in business. It impairs a student's overall motivation, as well as their learning performance, and has serious moral and ethical implications. In essence, interactivity between student and interface has been considered as the most important aspect in several studies on how to improve quality of education through e-learning (Cantoni et al., 2004; Chou, 2003; Ellis and Blashki, 2004; Gauss and Urbas, 2003). According to interface consistency theory, which deals with the interaction between the user and the interface, increasing the consistency levels of interface results in a significant decrease of error rates in computer and web-based tasks (Ozok and Salvendy, 2004).

Objective of the Book

This book will aim to provide relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in the area. It will be written for professionals and academics who want to improve their understanding of the strategic role of e-learning at different levels of the information and knowledge society, that is, e-learning at the level of the global economy, of networks and organizations, of teams and work groups, of information systems and, finally, e-learning at the level of individuals as actors in the networked environments.
The onset of e-m-learning and knowledge management technologies, on screens from desktops and laptops to devices such as smartphones, tablets, notebooks, watches, or glasses, combined with other web 2.0 technologies, have an impact on organizations and their relationships within/outside their boundaries. This impact plays in favour of social changes in our societies, progressively transforming human beings into ubiquitous human beings. This edited book intends to assess the impact of e-learning and knowledge management technologies on different organisations, such as higher education institutions, multinational corporations, health providers, and others. It will also integrate multiple theoretical perspectives where they are needed and make industry specific comparisons of e-m-learning and knowledge management technologies and their practices.

Target Audience

The target audience of this book will be composed of professionals and researchers working in the field of marketing, information systems, IT-enabled change, ergonomics, cognitive psychology and change management in various disciplines, including library, information and communication sciences, administrative sciences and management, education, adult education, sociology, computer science, and information technology. Moreover, the book will provide insights and support executives concerned with the management of expertise, knowledge, information and organizational development in different types of work communities and environments.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. U-E-Learning and web 2.0 technologies
2. Theory and Practice in Modern Ubiquitous Computing
3. U-E-Game and U-Entertainment Technologies for learning
4. Ubiquitous Web Based Communities and Social Media for learning
5. Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction for Ubiquitous Learners
6. Computer Graphics, Visualization, Computer Vision and Image Processing for ubiquitous devices
7. U-E-Knowledge Management

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or

before October 15, 2012, a 2-3 page chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter.

Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by November 31, 2012 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines.

Full chapters are expected to be submitted by January 31, 2013.

All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis.

Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the "Information Science Reference" (formerly Idea Group Reference), "Medical Information Science Reference," "Business Science Reference," and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2013.

Important Dates

October 15, 2012: Proposal Submission Deadline
November 31, 2012: Notification of Acceptance
January 31, 2013: Full Chapter Submission
March 15, 2013: Review Results Returned
June 15, 2013: Final Chapter Submission
July 1st, 2013: Final Deadline
Editorial Advisory Board Members:

Name
Affiliation
Country
Nola Stair
University of Greenwich
United Kingdom
Catherine Bruen
Trinity College Dublin
Ireland
Luiz Fernando de Barros Campos
Federal University of Minas Gerais
Mexico
Borka Jerman-Blažič
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics and Jožef Stefan Institute
Slovenia
W. Alan Eardley
Staffordshire University
United Kingdom
Stéphane Gauvin
Laval University
Canada
Mary J. Granger
George Washington University
United States
Again, if you want to send a chapter, please start by fulfilling this sheet in order to facilitate our work: http://kmcms.net/Doc/Call/Elearning/.

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) or by mail to:
Dr. Jean-Eric PELET (KMCMS, University of Nantes, France)
Department of Marketing and Information Systems
FR-75020 - 16 Rue Laurence Savart - KMCMS - Nantes University
Tel.: +33630536976
E-mail: je.pelet AT gmail.com