I’m happy to share the Call for Papers for another Young Researcher Special Issue in the International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning with you. This time we are searching for papers that review state-of-the-art topics and technologies in TEL. What is so very special about this Special Issue is the offering of a so-called ideas clinic in which authors can use group discussions to outline, discuss, and get feedback on their initial ideas. Furthermore, the clinic provides a platform for finding like-minded authors and potential co-authors. Potential authors are invited to a dedicated TELeurope group for the Special Issue.

IJTEL invites paper submissions for a special issue targeting young researchers in the community of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). This call encourages a review of the state-of-the-art in TEL topics, accompanied by a description of the current and future work carried out by the authors researching within these topics.

This special issue is directed at all young researchers such as post-graduate students, PhD students and post-docs working in topics related to TEL both in academia and industry, and from different disciplines of the community (technologists, educationists, psychologists, etc.).

The purpose of the issue is manifold: (a) to provide a better overview of TEL research lines; (b) to investigate and expand current TEL research themes; (c) to promote international and multidisciplinary collaboration and the exchange of ideas among young researchers; (d) to encourage young researchers to formalise their research questions, topics and methodologies.

Young researchers are invited to submit articles with reviews of state-of-the-art research in any TEL-related area. Each focal area covered in this issue shall provide an authoritative, timely, accessible and critical overview on recent developments that are pertinent for TEL. The reviews should not only summarize existing literature, but also analyze, synthesize and interpret the state-of-the-art in a novel framework for thought. For example this can be done:

• by identifying different theories and/or approaches;
• by classifying different research waves (see e.g. Lesk 1995);
• by elaborating different dimensions (see e.g. Sire et al. 2011);
• by developing a taxonomy;
• or by elaborating tensions, disagreements, etc. between the different works of the past.

It is furthermore expected that reviews are written from an interdisciplinary point of view. This means that every article is expected to provide references from at least three disciplines: education, psychology and technology. Furthermore, articles are required to include a section on research challenges that emerge from the state-of-the-art. These challenges must be substantiated by a concrete scenario. Articles that do not follow these basic guidelines will not be considered for publication.

References

Lesk, M. 1996. The seven ages of information retrieval. UDT Occasional Papers, 5.
Sire, S., Bogdanov, E., Gillet, D., Palmer, M., et al. 2011. Introducing qualitative dimensions to analyse the usefulness of Web 2.0 platforms as PLEs. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 3(1).

Subject Coverage

Suitable topics include but are not limited to:

• Effective learning strategies, models and methodologies
• Deployment of ICTs in educational practice
• Web 2.0 and TEL
• Semantic web and TEL
• Computer-supported collaborative learning
• TEL and knowledge management
• Emotional and motivational aspects of TEL
• Adaptive and personalised hypermedia for TEL
• Ubiquitous and pervasive technologies for TEL
• Intelligent tutoring systems and automated feedback
• TEL practices in different educational/learning contexts
• Policies for the promotion of TEL in education
• Educational games
• 3D virtual environments
• Augmented reality in TEL
• Connecting learners through TEL
• Orchestrating TEL
• Interoperability in TEL
• Learning analytics and educational data mining
• Formative assessment and feedback
• Ambient displays and wearable devices
• Visualisation techniques for learning
• Awareness and reflection in TEL

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper was not originally copyrighted and if it has been completely re-written).

All papers are refereed through a peer review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page.

Important Dates

Submission deadline for full paper: 28 February, 2012

Authors’ notification for full paper: 16 April, 2012

Final paper submission: 5 June, 2012

Editors and Notes

All articles submitted for this special issue will be subject to a one-stage review process. Authors should submit a full article which will be subjected to a double blind peer review before publication. Articles must not exceed 15 pages,and in alignment with common standards for literature reviews, they are expected to include 50 or more references.

Authors may also register on TELeurope, login, and join the group “IJTEL Young Researcher Special Issue”. This call, as well as the submission instructions, can then be found on the group’s page “Call for Papers YRSI 2012″. Additionally, authors can use the group’s discussion section to outline, discuss, and get feedback on their initial ideas. Furthermore, the clinic provides a platform for furthering cross-fertilisation among authors. Authors who would like to invite co-authors to submit a joint paper can indicate that fact when discussing their ideas. People who are interested in a collaboration can then express their interest and leave their contact information, so that the proposal’s responsible authors can contact them.

Tim O’Reilly just tweeted about an experiment that is so damn awesome, I’d like to share it with you (also see the post here).

A father and son from Brooklyn, New York sent an iPhone and a HD camera into space in order to record a video from the earth’s curvature. You may now think, what the hell… (basically that’s what I thought first). Then I watched the video and was really stunned. Not only because they spent months of planning and sent electronic equipment to space that was worth several hundreds of Dollar risking they’d never see the stuff again and not only about the fact that both camera and iPhone continued to work in space and until safe landing, but also because of such a stunning example of real technology-enhanced learning. I mean this kid has had the opportunity of seeing physics work, he saw a video that his camera captured that proves the earth is round. He was able to GPS-track his e-package on they down to earth (thx Google) and … I wish we had the possibilities of doing such cool things when I was that age (maybe I’d do some other stuff now, being at NASA for example…)

Boy, TEL is great. I’m really looking forward to more of these examples (I’m wondering what my boy will ask me to do some day – so stay tuned).

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

I wish you a happy new year 2010. If you have resolutions for this year I hope you will stay with them and get some things done. For me, I only want to proceed with my Ph.D. and the analysis of online activities of scientific groups with Artefact-Actor-Networks. I hope to cooperate with some cool people and to have fun with what we’re doing. Come on guys, let’s kick ass in the TEL research….