[AISWorld] Special Issue on: "Usability Design for Learning and Education in Virtual Worlds"

[panagiotis]

International Journal of Human Computer Studies

 

Call for papers

Special Issue on: "Usability Design for Learning and Education in Virtual
Worlds"

 

 

International Journal of Human Computer Studies is inviting papers for a
special issue on "Usability Design for Learning and Education in Virtual
Worlds".

 

Virtual worlds (VWs) have a great potential for learning and teaching
practices. Constructivist learning can be implemented in VWs (2D or

3D) for both adults and children, enhancing motivation and engagement and
fostering collaborative and problem-based learning methods.  

Nevertheless very few empirical research studies have documented user
experience (UX) and usability issues in these worlds. The main aim of this
special issue is to bring together HCI, Virtual World/Games and Educational
practitioners and researchers in order to investigate the meaning and
applicability of usability in the design of VWs for learning.

 

Research has to further explore what are the main parameters that delineate
the user experience in these worlds and how to evaluate them. Accordingly
intense work is needed for developing new usability/UX evaluation methods
and metrics. In parallel, more concrete conceptual frameworks and design
models are expected to emerge where pedagogical design guidelines and
heuristics have a prominent place. We expect to receive studies that have
been applied in both higher education and corporate training settings.

 

The following topics are encouraged but are not limited to:

.     Usability evaluation studies of learning applications in VWs

.     Usability/User Experience evaluation methods and metrics for  

learning spaces in VWs

.     Usability Design models and Conceptual frameworks for learning spaces
in VWs

.     Pedagogical design guidelines and heuristics for learning spaces in
VWs

.     Affective and sociability parameters of learning spaces in VWs

 

Important Dates

Submission deadline: 15 March 2011

Review results: 30 June 2011

Revised manuscripts due: 30 August 2011

Final decisions: 15 October 2011

 

Submission Guidelines

 

Manuscripts should be sent electronically to the guest editors. All
submissions should conform to the journal's formatting guidelines.

(available online at

http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/622846/authorin
structions)

Authors are encouraged to submit extended abstracts to the guest editors
prior to the submission deadline for early feedback and indication of
suitability.

 

Guest Editors

 

1) Panagiotis Zaharias,

   University of Cyprus, Cyprus

   zaharias at cs.ucy.ac.cy

   http://www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/~zaharias/files/Specialissue_learning_VWs.pdf

 

2) Brad Mehlenbacher,

   NC State University, USA

   brad_m at gw.ncsu.edu

 

 

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