Track on Web-Based Learning: Innovation and Challenges (WeLearn-2009)

San Diego, California, USA,

June 30–July 1st 2009


Track Focus:

The focus of this track is on web based issues in both teaching and learning. We would also like to stimulate interest in this area, expose natural collaboration among the participants, inform the larger research community of the interest and importance of this topic and create a permanent forum for evaluating innovations and relevant research activities.

The track is intended to bring together researchers and practitioners interested in developing and enhancing instruction in web-based learning within undergraduate and graduate programs. The track's objectives are to provide a forum for discussion of ideas and techniques developed and used in distance learning. In addition the forum can also be used for educators and developers to discuss requirements for web-based education. Both theoretical papers and papers reporting implementation models, technology used and practical results are solicited. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:


* Motivations for internet use in web-based learning.
* Challenges and issues for web-based learning.
* Quality assurance in web-based learning.
* Management and Policy issues.
* Method and Strategies.
* Curriculum innovations and adaptations within the web-based environment.
* Creativity in the new environment.
* Suitability of Web-Based environment for disabled students.
* Impact on student retention.
* New roles for Teachers and Students.
* Effects of Web-Based instructions on student learning.
* Critical success factors and innovative practices in web-based education and training.
* Successful approaches, strategies, and techniques.
* Active teaching-learning methods for effective engagement, motivation, and performance outcomes.
* New developments, trends and approaches.


Who Should Attend:

* Web-based education administrators.
* Academic program Lead Faculty and Directors
* Department chairs with web-based education program
* Academic affairs and student services personnel


Highlights:

* Selected papers from this track will be considered for publication in International Journal of Information Systems in the Service Sector (IJISSS), published by IGI Global Publishers or International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences (IJIDS), INDERSCIENCE Publishers or International Journal of Knowledge Management & E-Learning: An (KM&EL), Serial Publications.
* An award will be given to the best paper submitted to the track.
* A limited number of grants are available for presenter and participants.


Track Chairs:

Mudasser F. Wyne, National University, USA, mwyne@nu.edu,
Shakil Akhtar, Clayton State University, USA, sakhtar@clayton.edu


International Program Committee:

Jeanne Schreurs, Universiteit Hasselt, Belgium
Göran Karlsson, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Josep M. Duart, Open University of Catalonia, Spain
Sabina Jeschke, Stuttgart University, Germany
Arthur Edwards, University of Colima, Mexico
Samir El-Seoud, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Jordan
Arzu Baloglu, Turkey
Abdur Rahman Lakas, UAE University, UAE
Jyoti Ohri, National Institute of Technology, India.
Sue Fitzgerald, Metropolitan State University, USA
Edmundo Tovar Caro, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
Jace Hargis, University of Central Florida, USA
Doru Ursutiu, University Transilvania" of Brasov, Romania
Deborah Vess, Georgia College & State University, USA
Santosh Panda Indira Gandhi National Open University, India
Piet Kommers, University of Twente, Netherland
Laura B. Regassa, Georgia Southern University, USA
Gyorgy Lipovszki, Budapest University of Technology & Economics, Hungary
Muhammet Demirbilek, University of Wisconsin, USA
Markus Mostert, Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa


Submission:

Papers should be submitted using the special ICSTC template which can be downloaded from the conference website at http://www.icstc.org. In all cases, please include complete contact information for all authors.

Please submit your paper for this track as an attachment via email to the track chair at mwyne@nu.edu. or sakhtar@clayton.edu.


Important Dates:

Paper submission deadline: March 15, 2009.
Notification of acceptance: April 15, 2009.
Conference dates: June 30 - July 1, 2009.