About this ebook
research field. It encompasses a wide variety of research topics, ranging from
the study of different pedagogical approaches and teaching/learning strategies
and techniques, to the application of advanced technologies in educational
settings such as the use of different kinds of mobile devices, sensors and
sensor networks to provide the technical foundation for context-aware,
ubiquitous learning. The TEL community has also been exploring the use of
artificial intelligence tools and techniques for the development of intelligent
learning environments capable of adapting to learners’ needs and preferences
and providing learners with personalized learning experience. Recognizing the
potential of online social networks, social media, and web-based social software
tools as learning platforms for online education, the TEL community has devoted
significant time and effort into researching how these popular technologies
could be combined with appropriate pedagogical approaches to make learning
experience more engaging, satisfying, and successful.
Among the most important results of these research endeavors
are personal learning environments that allow learners to create mash-ups of
diverse social software tools based on their own needs and preferences as well
as to create and maintain their online learning networks. Undeniably,
technological advancement is making education more accessible to an increasing
number of people worldwide. To fully exploit the huge benefit the technology is
offering, the TEL community is exploring effective approaches for adapting
learning resources to address language, generation, and cultural specificities.
Aiming to make learning accessible to all, the community has also focused on
the development of solutions for learners with special needs. Finally, it
should be noted that all the above mentioned research efforts of the TEL
community are finding their applications in different learning contexts and domains,
including formal education and informal learning, as well as workplace learning
in small, medium, and large organizations.
Since the scope of TEL research is constantly evolving, the
above given overview of the current research efforts does not aim to be
exhaustive by any means. Instead, its purpose is to give some insights into the
breadth of research topics and challenges that this edited book aims to cover.
The book comprises 14 chapters, which are topically organized into several
sections. However, this division of chapters into sections is not strictly
definitive as each of the chapters itself presents a comprehensive research
work that often spans across diverse TEL areas and thus could be categorized
into more than one section of the book.
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About the author
Jelena Jovanović is an associate professor in the Department of Software Engineering, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Serbia. She received her MSc and PhD degrees in Informatics and Software Engineering from the Department of Information Systems and Technologies, University of Belgrade in 2005 and 2007 respectively. She has been teaching courses in the areas of software engineering and applied artificial intelligence both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She is also an active researcher with a primary focus in the areas of knowledge representation, semantic technologies and linked (open) data, and their application in the domain of technology enhanced learning and knowledge management. She has actively participated in a number of national and international projects and co-authored over 90 refereed publications in the aforementioned research areas. She has served in the role of an Associate Editor for two respectable international journals on learning and knowledge management, as well as Guest Editors of three journal special issues. She has also co-organized a few workshops, all of them on advanced technologies in education. More details about the aforementioned and additional professional activities can be found on her homepage (http://jelenajovanovic.net). jeljov@gmail.com, jeljov@fon.rs
Raymond Chiong is a tenured academic staff member with the School of Design, Communication and Information Technology, Faculty of Science and Information Technology at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He obtained his PhD degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and his MSc degree from the University of Birmingham, UK. He has been teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the areas of computer science and information systems for many years. Besides teaching, he has been actively pursuing research in evolutionary game theory, learning and optimisation. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management, and an Editor of the journal Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence. He also served/is serving as Guest Editors for a number of reputable international journals such as the International Journal of Production Economics and IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine. He was the Vice Chair of the task force “Education” of IEEE Computational Intelligence Society’s Emergent Technology Technical Committee, and one of the Founding Chairs of the IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Production and Logistics Systems. To date, he has produced over 80 refereed publications. These include 6 books and several papers in top-tier journals.
