[Apologies if you receive multiple times, please circulate this to your colleagues who might be interested, thank you so much.] [This email includes the table of contents of Vol. 10, No. 4 of International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (IJDET, an EI journal) and the general call for papers of IJDET] ------- Annoucement of the publication of Vol. 10, No. 4 of IJDET (an EI journal)----------- http://www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-distance-education-t... We are glad to announce the publication of Vol. 10, No. 4 of International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (IJDET, an EI journal). In this issue, eight papers are included: Improving Learning Object Quality: Moodle HEODAR Implementation (pages 1-16) Carlos Muñoz, Francisco J. García-Peñalvo, Erla Mariela Morales, Miguel Ángel Conde, and Antonio M. Seoane Automation toward efficiency is the aim of most intelligent systems in an educational context in which results calculation automation that allows experts to spend most of their time on important tasks, not on retrieving, ordering, and interpreting information. In this paper, the authors provide a tool that easily evaluates Learning Objects quality by students and teachers and calculate a set of relevant information which main objective is to improve the contents. The job focuses on the definition, implementation, and installation of a Learning Object evaluation tool in a LMS environment. Firstly other similar tools are analyzed and the best theoretical evaluation method to be used in the tool is selected. In this case, an evaluation model called HEODAR (Herramienta de Evaluación de Objetos de Aprendizaje) is implemented. Finally, the produced tool is installed in Studium, the University of Salamanca official campus, based on Moodle. Test results are populated to clarify and confirm the consecution of tool implementation objectives, facing a new approach for the tool including intelligent capabilities to improve tool characteristics. http://www.igi-global.com/article/improving-learning-object-quality/73930 Integrating an Educational Game in Moodle LMS (pages 17-25) Miroslav Minovic, Miloš Milovanovic, Jelena Minovic, and Dušan Starcevic The authors present a learning platform based on a computer game. Learning games combine two industries: education and entertainment, which is often called “Edutainment.” The game is realized as a strategic game (similar to Risk™), implemented as a module for Moodle CMS, utilizing Java Applet technology. Moodle is an open-source course management system (CMS), which is widely used among universities as an eLearning platform. Java Applet enables development of rich-client applications which are executed in web browser environment. During the game, players receive questions from specified Moodle quiz, and all answers are stored back into Moodle system. Students can later verify their score and answers, and examine the test that they actually worked on during the game. This system supports synchronous as well as asynchronous interaction between players. http://www.igi-global.com/article/integrating-educational-game-moodle-lms/73... Using Simulation for Enhanced Accounting Learning: A Case Study (pages 26-43) Pedro Sá Silva, António Trigo, and João Varajão The increasing focus of government institutions, such as the Tax Administration or Social Security, e-government has introduced a new paradigm that is the obligation of fulfilling obligations to these institutions through online channels. In the case of tax compliance by businesses, there is another requirement, only authorized persons, such as chartered certified accountants, can interact with the system of e-government. The latter requirement precludes the students of accounting and business management, some of them future chartered certified accountants, to get to know the system. This inability lead to the idea of ??creating applications (simulators) that mimic the official e-government applications for use in educational environment. This paper presents the developed VAT form submission process simulator and a case study of its application in Coimbra Institute of Accounting and Administration (ISCAC) to assess its effectiveness in practice. The results of experimentation show that simulators of official e-government applications, such as VAT Simulator, are extremely helpful in the process of learning e-government official tools, without taking risks. http://www.igi-global.com/article/using-simulation-enhanced-accounting-learn... Higher Education Scenario from a Cross-Cultural Perspective: eLearning Implications (pages 44-55) Enric Serradell-López, Pablo Lara-Navarra, and Cristina Casado-Lumbreras Higher education institutions are crucial in the present. Universities play a role that varies with time and evolves with society. Globalization is changing the world and affecting higher education institutions in all their intrinsic characteristics: personnel, programs, infrastructures and students. Analyzed is the relevant research on cultural dimensions and applies it to higher education institutions focusing the analysis of the impact on eLearning setups. To do so, variables related to organizational strategy, design of curricula and teaching tools are proposed and analyzed from a set of cultural dimensions. Results show that higher education institutions are facing big challenges in their adaptation to multi-cultural arrangements. http://www.igi-global.com/article/higher-education-scenario-cross-cultural/7... Adaptive Assessments using Open Specifications (pages 56-71) Héctor Barbosa León, Francisco J. García-Peñalvo, María José Rodriguez-Conde, Erla M. Morales, and Patricia Ordóñez de Pablos Evaluation is a key element in formal education processes; it must be constructed in a way that the item questions within help students understand by adapting them to the learning style as well. The focus of the present research work specifically in the convenience to adapt an associated multimedia material in each single question besides the traditional adaptation process based on the level of difficulty established for an item; all this in order to increase the final test score of the student. The proposed approach tries to solve this by designing and constructing an authoring tool to construct adaptive objective tests and an a prototype test to evaluate if a test that looks to adapt a multimedia content to the learning style could help to increase cited score of the student. The results are significant because it is able to conclude that adapted test based on the student´s learning style slightly increased the final score. http://www.igi-global.com/article/adaptive-assessments-using-open-specificat... Wikis in Collaborative Educational Scenarios: Integrated in LMS or Standalone Wikis? (pages 72-81) Marc Alier Forment, Xavier De Pedro, Maria Jose Casañ, Jordi Piguillem, and Nikolas Galanis This article outlines a set of features that wiki engines require to successfully host collaborative educational scenarios. The authors explore multiple issues that deal with the use wikis with learning activities. One of the first issues to solve is software support for assessment methodologies. The second is choosing between using an integrated wiki engine inside the Learning Management System (LMS) or an external standalone wiki engine. Advantages and disadvantages from both options of this second issue are discussed. The different implications of each option as far as individual student assessment, feedback, and grading are concerned are also analyzed. Among the expected results, the most notable are incentives to incorporate wikis in the teaching process, significant enhancements in usability, as well as allowing teachers to provide more timely written feedback on their students’ individual contributions on wiki based activities, on top of the usual numerical grading. This paper presents the conclusions of 5 years of experience of work in the field of wikis in education, development of improvements on open source wiki engines and thus, building from scratch accordingly the new wiki engine for the LMS Moodle 2.0. http://www.igi-global.com/article/wikis-collaborative-educational-scenarios/... A System for Governmental Virtual Institutions based on Ontologies and Interaction Protocols (pages 82-95) Cláudia J. Abrão de Araújo, and Flávio S. Corrêa da Silva The authors believe that the adoption of virtual worlds is suitable for electronic government applications as it can increase the capillarity of public services, facilitate the access to government services and provide citizens with a natural and immersive experience. They present a Government Virtual Institution Model (GVI) for the provision of public services that satisfies relevant issues such as: adaptability to different citizen education level and to heterogeneous government systems; alignment with government services requirements related to security, privacy, reliability and scalability; and government interoperability requirements. The model of the GVI, the government services and the information flow across the GVI are formally described using the JamSession platform (Correa da Silva, 2011). The model of the GVI uses an architecture based on governmental patterns (including ontologies for information representation) to deal with the connections to the governmental systems, and 3D virtual world simulation systems to interact with citizens. http://www.igi-global.com/article/system-governmental-virtual-institutions-b... The Effects of Online Interactive Games on High School Students' Achievement and Motivation in History Learning (pages 96-105) Kuan-Cheng Lin, Yu-Che Wei, and Jason C. Hung Many studies demonstrate that Digital Game Based Learning (DGBL) can foster learning effect. The purpose of this study is to survey whether the online game in junior high school students can encourage learning effect in Taiwan's History. So, the research applied Interactive Game-based Learning System (IGLS) to junior high history teaching as an ancillary tool to enhance users' learning motivation and academic performance. After a four-week experiment conducted on eleven students, the paired sample t test analysis considerably impact on experimental group to significance .05, and one-way ANCOVA showed login IGLS the number of days every week more learning effect to be better. Besides, questionnaires exhibited that IGLS not only magnetized over ninety percent of students’ participation but invigorated their learning will. The research presents positive result on enhancing students’ learning motivation and academic performance. http://www.igi-global.com/article/effects-online-interactive-games-high/7393... ------- General Call for Papers for IJDET (an EI journal)----------- The electronic version of this cfp can be seen at http://maiga.athabascau.ca/editors/IJDET-Call_for_Papers-General.pdf International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (IJDET) (http://www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-distance-education-t...) The International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (IJDET) is a forum for researchers and practitioners to disseminate practical solutions to the automation of open and distance learning. Targeted to academic researchers and engineers who work with distance learning programs and software systems, as well as general users of distance education technologies and methods, IJDET discusses computational methods, algorithms, implemented prototype systems, and applications of open and distance learning. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are peer-reviewed according to the procedure consisting of initial review, peer review, and recommendation Editor in Chief: Dr. Fuhua Lin (fuhua.o.lin@gmail.com) Executive Editor: Dr. Maiga Chang (maiga.chang@gmail.com) Indices: Compendex (Elsevier EI), DBLP, EBSCOhost, ERIC, Google Scholar, INSPEC, PsycINFOR, SCOPUS, and many others Suggested topics: IJDET is an EI journal and the scope of the journal includes, but is not limited to: - Assessment - Distance Learning for Culture and Arts - Intelligent and Adaptive Learning - Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Systems - Mobile Learning - Nurse Medical Healthcare - Pedagogical Issues - Social Learning - Serious Games for Distance Education - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education - Technology Enhanced Learning - Ubiquitous Learning - Virtual Worlds for Distance Education Manuscript guidelines: All submissions have to follow IJDET manuscript guidelines at http://www.igi-global.com/publish/resources/journal-organization-and-formatt... http://www.igi-global.com/journals/guidelines-for-submission.aspx should be submitted online at http://www.ijdet.com/ after registering an account. Special Issue proposals: We also encourage potential research in any fields related to the journal to form a high quality guest editorial team to submit special issue proposal online, for any emerging, important, and hot topics. Please submit your special issue proposal online as a manuscript and choose "[Special Issue Proposal]" as its Section The special issue proposal sample can be downloaded at http://vip.is-very-good.org/editing/IJDET-Special_Issue_Proposal_Sample.doc For queries, please contact Dr. Maiga Chang (maiga.chang@gmail.com) ------------------------------------ Sincerely, Maiga Chang maiga.chang@gmail.com http://maiga.athabascau.ca 12, 28 '12 PM 08:19 in Edmonton --------------------------------- Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Technology for Education and Learning Executive Editor, International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (EI) Associate Editor, International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design Learning Culture and Language through ICTs: Methods for Enhanced Instruction http://www.igi-global.com/reference/details.asp?ID=33419 ----------- Co-Chair of ICCE sub-conference on Digital Game and Digital Toy Enhanced Learning and Society (GTEL&S) Co-Chair of GCCCE sub-conference on Joyful Learning and Society http://www.gse.pku.edu.cn/gccce2013/gccceen.asp ----------- Guest Editor, Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning Special Issue on Practical Applications of Mobile and Internet Educational Games http://www.apsce.net/Download/RPTEL-2012-SI5_PracticalEducationalGames_CFP.p... Guest Editor, International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (SSCI) Special Issue on Technology Enhanced Information Retrieval and Processing for Online Learning (Vol. 13, No. 5) http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/issue/view/54 Guest Associate Editor, IEEE Technology and Engineering Education Special Issue on Cloud Computing Technology and Applications (Vol. 7, No. 2) http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/e/sac/itee/index.php/meem/article/viewFile/252/2... http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/e/sac/itee/index.php/meem/issue/view/30 --------- School of Computing and Information Systems (http://scis.athabascau.ca/) Athabasca University 1200, 10011-109 Street Edmonton, T5J-3S8 AB, Canada --------------- Phone: +1-866-916-8646 Website: http://maiga.dnsalias.org and http://maiga.athabascau.ca CV: http://scis.athabascau.ca/scis/staff/faculty.jsp?id=maigac Leave me an Audio/Video message with JoinNet (required to install in Microsoft Windows OS first) http://meeting.athabascau.ca/gotomeeting.php?u=5&c=visit JoinNet software: http://www.homemeeting.com/en_US/download_joinnet.html