Special Issue on
Advances of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 for Computer Assisted Learning: Towards
Personalized and Adaptive Learning

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
Editor: Charles Crook, Nottingham University, UK
Deputy Editor: R. Joiner, University of Bath, UK

URL: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0266-4909&site=1
ISI Journal Citation Reports? Ranking: 2006: 47/100 (Education &
Educational Research)
Impact Factor: 0.532

Organized in the Context of the First World Summit on the KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY,
http://www.open-knowledge-society.org/summit.htm

[selected papers from summit will be published in the special issue]

Special Issue Editors



Miltiadis Lytras, Research Academic Computer Technology Institute and
Computers
Engineering and Informatics Department, University of Patras, Greece,
[log in to unmask]


Ernesto Damiani, University of Milan, Italy.


Call for Papers

Focus

The advent of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 and its relevant technologies,
tools and applications provide a new context for exploitation. The
'expression of meaning' relates directly to numerous open issues in
computer assisted learning. In this special issue the focus is two-fold:
On the one hand to stress the importance of applying Semantic Web and Web
2.0 techniques towards constructing systems that provide value to
learners, and - on the other hand - to reveal research opportunities that
can initiate interesting projects over the forthcoming years.

In the W3C Semantic Web activity a list of priorities has set the
challenging landscape for the realization of the next generation web: The
creation of a Policy Aware Infrastructure, the Ontological Evolution, the
promotion of a Web of Trust, and the facilitation of Information Flow and
Collaborative Life.

The huge work that has been carried out during the last years in the
context of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 by several official bodies and
research groups has lead the research community to a mature level
concerning strategies, technologies, frameworks and implementations.

In this context this Special issue of the JCAL Journal intends to be a
reference point for all researchers interested in the challenges that
Semantic Web and Web 2.0 poses to Computer Assisted Learning in particular
and to Learning and Knowledge Technologies in general.

The ultimate objective is obvious. Semantic Web and Web 2.0 Research
?targets the improvement of the human experience and the enrichment of the
living, through a major shift of focus - from computing to improving human
experience - not only with better ability to use heterogeneous content and
apply knowledge, but also to incorporate perception and pervasive
computing? (Sheth 2004).


The exploitation of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 in the context of Computer
Assisted Learning  requires a deeper understanding of the relevant issues:


Expression of Meaning - Content authoring: The obvious direct relation of
Semantic Web and Computer Assisted Learning combines the traditional
content authoring process with the critical objective of expression of
meaning . Issues like semantic mark-up, semantic retrieval, personalized,
(semi)-structured annotation and content conversion are leading a big
research stream, in which the main concern is the development of semantic
e-learning content.

Ontological Evolution - Adaptive Hypermedia: The traditional Adaptive
Hypermedia considerations in Computer Assisted Learning are combined with
Ontological engineering and a lot of flexible systems and accompanied
methodologies have emerged. Issues like ontology-building,
ontology-integration, conceptual modelling and semantic conceptualisation
reveal a new research agenda, in which the specifications of
conceptualisations (ontologies) promote the performance of
learning systems.

Information flow and collaborative Life / Learning Context: The
instrumenting of knowledge flows has been set as one of the priorities of
the SW W3C activity. According to Eric Miller ?One of the challenges we
will meet is to strike a balance between requiring authors to do more at
the outset to make information machine processable, insisting that
everything the machine could use to answer a question be recognized and
identified by the (human) questioner, and leaving large quantities of
information inaccessible to the machine?. In this area Semantic Services,
(Semi)
Automated Reasoning and Argumentation are critical themes on the semantic
e-learning agenda.

Policy Aware Infrastructure ? Interoperability/Standards: The Computer
Assisted Learning industry has many achievements in the area of
interoperability and standards and from this perspective it recognizes the
need to secure a policy-aware infrastructure. The Semantic Web will only
achieve its potential as an information space for the free flow of
scientific and cultural information if its infrastructure supports a full
range of fine-grained policy controls over its content. The research
on types of control over content, the compliance to semantic and metadata
models as well as the issues of versioning and provenance require
extensive research.

Web of Trust ? Communities/Social Dimensions: According to Eric Miller
?Trust in the human social context is based on constantly evolving and
adapting information.? Two parties may trust each other based on a history
of mutual interaction, based on formal contracts that in turn rely on
other established systems (e.g. legal and legislative), and based on risk
analysis of a failure of any party to perform as agreed. In the Computer
Assisted Learning Industry this issue is of critical importance. The
Learning Objects Marketplaces and Farms, the Unique Identifications of
Resources and the Development of Intelligent Assistants will require a
Semantic Web language of describing trust.


Intended Topics

Within the forthcoming years, Semantic Web and Web 2.0 will provide a
challenging research context for the Computer Assisted Learning research
community. The inevitable role of knowledge and learning in the knowledge
society will drive the development of several semantic web-enabled
services, tools, and applications for citizens and learners.

The Computer Assisted Learning research community has a critical role in
creating synergies and providing value systems for learning - by
exploiting the Semantic Web capacity, building on the maturity of the
previous research in e-learning: Research areas such as: standards and
metadata, adaptive hypermedia, learning communities, knowledge management,
personalized delivery of content, and learning content annotation show a
significant level of readiness to exploit Semantic Web and Web 2.0. A
number of research issues in e-learning revealed during the past years can
be approached through semantic web practices, tools, methods and
technologies.

We invite submissions that fall in to the following three areas:


A. Preparation for Semantic Web and Web 2.0 based E-learning
In this area the main emphasis is placed on the conversion and the
compliance of learning content to semantic web standards. In the current
stage of Semantic Web evolution, this is basically pursued through the
specification of ontologies and their use for e-learning. Typical themes
in this area are:

* Semantic Annotation of Learning content: Content/Learner/Context
orientations.
* Methodologies for (semi) automated conversion to Semantic content.
* Semantic Mining according to multi-criteria for learning performance.
* Development of Learner Model Ontologies.

B. Semantic Web and Web 2.0 based learning
The Realization of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 based E-learning requires a
multifold approach to a number of vertical and horizontal themes. The
international collaboration can promote such a goal, and obviously the
success of the previous area (Semantic E-learning Readiness) will
influence the possibilities for successful and wide adoption of Semantic
E-learning. Some interesting research themes in this area include:
* Semantic E-learning Portals: methodologies/frameworks/engineering.
* Semantic E-learning Services: exploring resource identities for
(semi)-automated
value provision.
* Semantic Content Repositories and Intelligent Assistants.

C. Next Generation Computer Assisted Learning
Undoubtedly, Semantic Web is present on many milestones towards our goal for
effective learning. In the next years we think that the key challenge for
Semantic Web as well as for e-learning will be to develop infrastructures
capable of exploring learning content in every format in an integrative
way. This means that we will see a shift of focus from
formalizing/codifying learning content to managing content in multimedia
forms through automated reasoning and exploitation of mobile, wireless
networks as well as new vehicles through digital TV channels.

Some interesting research themes in this area include:
* Semantic Multimedia Content Management:  methodologies/  frameworks/
engineering.
* Bridging Semantic E-learning to Ubiquitous and Pervasive Networks.


Important Dates

June 5th, 2008: Submission of abstract [through Submission system of 1st
World Summit on the Knowledge Society
[http://www.open-knowledge-society.org/submissions.htm]

June 30th, 2008: Initial submissions of manuscripts [through Submission
system of 1st World Summit on the Knowledge Society
[http://www.open-knowledge-society.org/submissions.htm]

Jule 10th, 2008: Reviewers initial decisions

September 24-28th, 2008: Presentation in 1st World Summit on the Knowledge
Society
November, 15th, 2008: Editors feedback to authors arising from these reviews
December, 15th, 2008: Final revisions received from authors
January 15th, 2009: Final submissions to JCAL
January, 20th, 2009: Authors return copyright assignment forms



Style and Author Guidelines

Author guidelines are available at:
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/submit.asp?ref=0266-4909&site=1