Call for papers: Toward Virtual Universities

Call for papers: Toward Virtual Universities

A special issue of International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations

Advances in communications technology, particularly with the new and emerging Web 2.0 and mobile technologies as a means of the global dissemination of information, have created opportunities for universities to move beyond traditional face-to-face and correspondence modes toward a virtual or online classroom. Virtual online education provides opportunities for innovative approaches to learning and teaching and allows the dissemination and sharing of knowledge to occur independent of the constraints of time and place.

University educators can now take advantage of a growing array of resources on the Internet to provide a rich technology-based learning environment that fosters flexibility, connectivity, collaboration and engages students by making learning fun. Moreover, ready access to multimedia at the desk-top and on hand-held devices has provided an opportunity for educators to develop engaging and interactive learning resources.

In this special edition, we seek to explore the field of virtual online education in the tertiary sector and identify effective practice. What are the current trends in virtual education in the tertiary sector? How effective is virtual online education in achieving key learning outcomes? What are the drivers of virtual education and what are the critical success factors? What new approaches and skills are required for educators? What are the barriers to effective virtual education and how might these be overcome? This special issue aims to provide a forum for addressing these questions.

Two types of papers are solicited:

• Theoretical papers that provide original work on the current trends and issues in virtual education in the tertiary sector.
• Applications and case studies that deal with the design, implementation and evaluation of virtual education in the tertiary sector.

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

• Current trends and effective practice in virtual education in the university sector
• Design, implementation and evaluation of virtual education in the university sector
• Drivers of virtual education in the university sector and critical success factors
• Barriers to the design, implementation and evaluation of virtual education in the university sector
• The changing environment of virtual education in the university sector
• Empirical and case studies
• Future trends

Important Dates

Extended abstract of no more than 3 pages due: 5 October, 2007
Preliminary acceptance/rejection notification: 2 November, 2007
Full paper due: 29 February, 2008
Final acceptance notification by: 2 May, 2008
Camera-ready paper due: 6 June, 2008