From: EDTECH Editor-Jones <[email protected]>
Date: March 24, 2009 10:02:36 PM EDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: Call for Chapters: Free and Open Source Software for E-
Learning
Reply-To: EDTECH - Educational Technology <[email protected]>
From: Betul C. Ozkan <[email protected]>
CALL FOR CHAPTERS
Proposals Submission Deadline: 3/31/2009
Full Chapters Due: 6/15/2009
“Free and Open Source Software for E-Learning: Issues,
Successes and Challenges”
A book edited by Dr. Betül C. Özkan, University of Arizona,
South, USA
Introduction
Open source software describes programs whose source code is
available under a copyright license so users can edit, change, and
improve the
software. Therefore, open source programs can be redistributed in
modified or
unmodified form. Free software is similar in concept to open source
and it
refers to the philosophy of freedoms users have on accessing and
modifying the
software. Today, these two terms are used together as Free and Open
Source or
FOSS. Some of the FOSS applications commonly used in education are,
but not
limited to, Elgg, Moodle, Sakai, Open Office, Flickr, YouTube, and
various blog
and Wiki programs.
Open source software develops in a community of individuals
or companies. Because of the importance of user participation and
contribution
to the development of the software, no discrimination against
individuals or
groups is allowed, and users are considered as co-developers. This
feature also
allows open source software to be fluid and progress continually.
Unlike
beta-testing, open source programs are not rolled out when
"perfected".
Use of FOSS in education has increased significantly as a
phenomenon in the last decade. Thompson (2007) thinks that part of
the reason
can be found in Net Generation's lives. "Most "social networking
sites such as MySpace and Facebook have had a particularly strong
influence in
the lives of millions of students" (Thompson, 2007). It is a fact
that most
"students today arrive at their universities as experienced multi-
taskers,
accustomed to using text messaging, telephones, and e-mail while
searching the
Internet and watching television" (Roberts, 2005 as cited in Thompson,
2007). Moreover, use of FOSS encourages students to be active
participants of
the learning and teaching process while giving them more control
over the
learning interface.
The implications of free and open software are even more
striking for E-Learning. While virtual learning spaces are more
prevalent in
E-Learning, individual students become the center of E-Instruction;
changing
the focus from institution to learner. Students adapt distance
technologies to
meet their needs, rather than the students adapting to the
technologies. A new
form of distance education promotes "loosely coupled social software
tools, mixed-and-matched and combined together to support online
learning communities"
(Ozkan & McKenzie, 2007). Thus, FOSS also asserts alternative
pedagogies
such as constructivism and connectivism which focus on learner-
centered online
communities rather than traditional forms of cumbersome and
expensive E-Learning
courses. Traditional E-learning courses structured around courses,
timetables, and
testing become networked-environments where learners join and
learnin a variety
of communities.
Although use of free and open source programs in education
has the potential to transform the learning and teaching
environment, there is
little research and understanding of them for meaningful
adaptations. While
technologies are out there for everybody to use freely, much
attention should
be devoted to the pedagogy of FOSS.
Objective of the Book
The objectives of this book are:
-- Review open and free software that are used in E-Learning
P-16
--Examine pedagogy behind FOSS and how that is applied to
E-Learning
--Discuss best practices for FOSS through examples/cases and
provide guidelines for instructors and E-Learning designers who like
to use
FOSS
--Discuss opportunities as well as challenges in the use of
FOSS
--Discuss and project future trends for FOSS
--Examine on-going FOSS E-learning projects
Target Audience
The audience of this book will be educators, trainers,
administrators, practitioners, instructional designers, librarians,
software
developers, and researchers working in the area of E-Learning in
various
disciplines; in short, those who are using free and open source
programs to
design, develop and manage educational and training programs. This
book can be
adopted to support instructional technology related subjects in
advanced graduate
degree programs.
Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
Some of the chapters will include but not limited to:
Part 1: Introduction
--History of Free and Open Source Software
--Understanding and conceptualizing FOSS
Part 2: Free and Open Source Software in E- Learning
--Open Source Operating Systems in E-Learning
--Open Source Course Management Systems
--Open Educational Resources (OER)
--Current Research on Educational Uses of FOSS
--Case Studies for FOSS projects
--Pedagogical Guidelines for FOSS (constructivism,
connectivism, chaos theory and other learning theories)
--Social FOSS, and social networking
Part 3: Opportunities, Issues, and Challenges
--Best Practices for Free and Open Source Software
--Barriers and Challenges to use Free and Open Source
E-Learning
--Management and Support Issues with Free and Open Source
Programs
--Digital Divide and Free and Open Software for Education
Part 4: Beyond Free and Open Source: Future Trends
--Pedagogy 3.0
--Future of E-Learning
Submission Procedure
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or
before March 31, 2009, 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 April 15, 2009 about the status of their
proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to
be
submitted by June 15, 2009. 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" and "IGI Publishing" imprints. For additional
information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-
global.com. This
publication is anticipated to be released in 2009.
Important Dates:
March 31, 2009: Proposal Submission Deadline
April 15, 2009: Notification of Acceptance
June 15, 2009: Full Chapter Submission
July 31, 2009: Review Result Returned
September 30, 2009: Final Chapter Submission
October 31, 2009: Final Deadline
Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically
(Word document) or by mail to:
Dr. Betül C. Özkan
The University of Arizona South, USA
9040 S. Rita Road Suite# 2211
Tucson, Arizona 85747
Tel: 520-626-9381
Fax: 520-626-1794
[email protected]
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