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Call for papers: Vol. 5 issue 4

Open Praxis welcomes contributions which demonstrate creative and innovative research, and which highlight challenges, lessons and achievements in the practice of distance and e-learning from all over the world.

An article may present research of recent work, describe original work, or discuss new technology and its possibilities, implications and/or other related issues.

Check Editorial policies and Submission guidelines

- Research articles (approx. 5000 words) may focus on concepts, analysis and results of studies regarding open and distance education.

- Innovative practice articles (approx. 3000 words) may provide analysis of concrete experiences.

- Reviews of books, reports, software or internet resources of approx. 1000 words are also invited.

Deadline for submission: 30 July 2013

Publication: October-December 2013

This issue of Open Praxis focuses on innovative and effective student support services in open, distance and flexible education. We accept contributions that address aspects such as the following:

- Distance learning students' needs and justification of support services in open and distance education.

- Innovative services to promote students' retention, performance and occupational guidance.

- Role of technologies for student support services. Possibilities and limits.

- Successful and relevant experiences of student support services in distance learning higher education institutions.

Research articles (5000 words approx.) may focus on theoretical foundations, concepts, analysis and results of studies regarding student support services in open and distance education, referring to aspects such as students' needs in distance education; need for student support services; overview or comparative analysis of services with a focus on innovative and effective ones; evaluation of student support services; support services for entry and first year students; services for after completion of distance learning programs; use of technologies for students' support; etc.

Innovative practice articles (3000 words approx.) may provide a description and analysis of concrete innovative and effective experiences of student support services in open and distance education: information services; guidance and counselling; library services; retention programs; student support services based on technologies; e-mentoring; peer to peer support services; etc.

Papers must comprise a section devoted to analysis and evaluation of difficulties, opportunities, outcomes, limits, benefits, etc. of experiences and research projects related to student support services in open, distance and flexible education.

In addition to the articles for the special theme, contributions are also invited on other topics which fall within the sphere of interest of the journal, i.e. research and innovation in open, distance and flexible education.

Deadline for submission: October 30th 2013

Publication: January-March 2014

I am investigating on these three variables and need more literature.

Particularly, I think the e-learning, just like MOOC, is an evolution of conventional distance education. That is, they are a step, phase, or generation of general developments in off-campus education formats (distance education, from my point of view). My position on this, here: http://aretio.hypotheses.org/736.

Rupture or evolution?

Quality of learning, Online learning, face to face learning, Education.

I need this information for my pilot study on designing a new MOOC interface. I will be grateful, if you could take a few seconds and help me out. Many thanks.

Design, Development and Delivery of Programmes in odl

Many authors indicate that there are individual characteristics that affect student participation in online discussions on e-learning courses and suggest that it is possible to change the configuration of the forum to increase participation.

In Brazil, there are psychological tests as EFEX (extraversion), ADT (use of time) and IHS (social skills) that are used by psychologists to gauge some of these characteristics. These personal aspects may possibly influence the greater or lesser participation in forum discussions. In my research, I use some aspects of these tests as a basis to create an online form that reflects certain aspects of the personality and behavior of participants in online forums. Also use concepts related to student satisfaction and the critical factors that affect interactions in online courses.

But with regard to the quality of the course, which variables should I measure?

I am currently writing a research on effects of distance and Isolation on Open Distance learners' Attitude to learning.

Measuring quality in education looks to be a complex task, considering the number of factors, having influence on educational outcomes. Over that, modeling those factors by mathematical means is hard, and result are, frequently, unreliable.

Any way, in general, It is very convinient to express mathematicly objects and phenomena, due the graet number of tools and methods, that helps to infer new information. That's why I asking for possible existing mathematical expresion, measuring quality of distance learning courses.