Thursday, January 04, 2007

CFP: SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE TURKISH ONLINE JOURNAL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION (TOJDE)

CFP: SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE TURKISH ONLINE JOURNAL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION (TOJDE)
(ISSN: 1302–6488; Vol. 8, No. 3)

Topic: "Web 2.0 and Social Software in Distance Education"

Guest Editors:
Mark J.W. Lee, Charles Sturt University, AUSTRALIA and
Hakan G. Senel, Anadolu University, TURKEY

'Web 2.0' (O'Reilly, 2005 - http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html), epitomised by such nascent technologies as blogs, wikis, RSS, podcasting, as well as tag-based folksonomies, social networking, collaborative editing and peer-to-peer (P2P) media sharing applications, is purported to be redefining the way we conceive and make use of the Internet, and is enjoying considerable attention and popularity in both mainstream society and in education spheres. Its advent and continued growth may have specific implications for the field of online and web-based distance education.

Submissions are invited for an internationally peer-reviewed Special Issue of the Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE) on the use of Web 2.0 and social software in distance education.

Questions/themes that are of interest in this Special Issue include but are not limited to the following:

* Does Web 2.0 represent a major conceptual or paradigm shift in how we conceive and make use of the Internet as a means of delivering teaching, learning and assessment? Are they the just the same old technologies in shiny new wrapping, or do they actually have anything new to offer us in the way of improving and/or enhancing the way we teach, learn and assess at a distance? How to avoid coasting on fashion and falling prey to a 'technology-driven pedagogy' (Salaberry, 2001)?
* Is the emergence of Web 2.0 changing the culture of, and/or redefining the competencies that are needed by, distance education teachers and learners?
* Does Web 2.0 have the potential – more so than its predecessors – to address the traditional issues/challenges faced by the field of distance education, and if so, how can this potential be best harnessed? How can the technology be used to capitalise on the unique strengths and opportunities of distance education?
* What are existing examples of 'best practice' and 'good principles' in this area, if any, and how can we learn from them?
* What are the major issues facing institutions in terms of strategy, policy and infrastructure for Web 2.0-enhanced distance education? What are the implications for teachers and learners?

Scholarly articles in the form of reports of empirical/evidence-based research are sought for publication in this Special Issue pending favourable review. Meta-analyses, as well as case studies or reports of works-in-progress supported by a sound theoretical foundation and incorporating an extensive literature review, will also be considered.

All articles will be evaluated for originality, significance, clarity and soundness. Successful contributions will not focus merely on the technology or the technical aspects of Web 2.0-based distance education applications, but rather will engage deeply with pertinent questions and issues from a pedagogical, social, cultural, philosophical and/or moral/ethical perspective.

Approximately 7 to 11 papers will be selected for this 4th Special Issue of TOJDE.


PAPER SPECIFICATIONS AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

For details consult the TOJDE guidelines: http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/callfp.html

Please note that since TOJDE is an online publication, there is no specified word limit for submissions; however, authors are reminded that clarity and succinctness of expression will be highly valued.


KEY DATES

Article submission deadline: April 1, 2007
Notification of acceptance: May 1, 2007
Submission of final articles for publication: June 1, 2007
Publication of Special Issue: July 1, 2007