Call for papers: Innovative Use of Online Platforms for Learning Support and Management

A special issue of International Journal of Information Technology and Management

Conducting effective online learning often needs a platform to support and manage the learning process. The recent development of learning theories (e.g. social constructivist learning theory) and technologies (e.g. web 2.0, social networking sites) has had great impacts on the design and use of such online platforms for learning support and management.

These platforms should not only allow teachers to share materials with students and control the learning process, but also enable students to actively contribute ideas, interact with peers and construct knowledge collaboratively.

The main objective of this special issue is to share experiences on how to effectively use online platforms to promote and manage the learning process. These experiences may include innovative use of commercial systems such as Blackboard to support learning, or exploratory use of other (free or open source) online platforms such as Moodle, Edmodo, Wiki or Facebook to enhance collaborative learning and knowledge construction. The sharing and discussion in this special issue will have implications for teachers for effectively designing online learning environments by using existing learning management systems or online web 2.0 tools.

This issue welcomes empirical research papers and case studies about using learning support or management systems (such as Blackboard, Moodle, LAMS) or other web 2.0 tools (such as Edmodo, wiki, Facebook, Google +) to promote effective teaching and learning.

Suitable topics include but are not limited to:

• Using Blackboard to support teaching and learning
• Using Moodle or LAMS to enhance self-directed and/or collaborative learning
• Using other web 2.0 tools such as Edmodo, Wiki, weblog, Facebook Group, Google Apps to promote group collaboration
• Teachers' innovative use of online platforms to manage the teaching and learning process
• Students' collaborative use of online platforms to facilitate knowledge construction
• Strategies for effective design and use of online learning environments
• Concerns and implementation issues of using online learning platforms in practice
• Design and evaluation of effective learning environments
• Monitoring and management of collaborative learning processes

Important Dates
Submission of manuscripts: 30 November, 2012
Notification to authors:  31 January, 2013
Final versions due:  31 March, 2013