On the Horizon: Volume 17 Issue 3

Using learning environments as a metaphor for educational change

Martin Weller

The purpose of this paper is to show that the online learning environment can be seen as the means by which higher education can explore the challenges and opportunities raised by…

Miscellanea U: post‐disciplinary networks in social media

Alex Reid

The purpose of this paper is to consider the pedagogical, disciplinary, and institutional implications of social media for higher education.

Social ePortfolios as the new course management system

Nathan Garrett, Brian Thoms, Nimer Alrushiedat, Terry Ryan

The purpose of this paper is to show the practicality of a new portfolio design that incorporates distributed content, emphasizes student ownership, encourages social learning…

You say tomato, I say tomato, let's not call the whole thing off: the challenge of user experience design in distributed learning environments

Jutta Treviranus

The purpose of this paper is to chronicle new user experience (UX) design approaches being pioneered in an international, multi‐institution, multi‐sector, cross‐project initiative…

Racing towards academic social networks

Ian Boston

The purpose of this paper is to explore the driving forces moving Sakai to join the new era of social applications by adopting a content‐focused methodology.

Web 2.0 LMS opportunities and obstacles: exploring OpenSocial, OpenID, and OpenCourseWare in NIXTY

Glendon L. Moriarty

The purpose of this paper is to explore the opportunities in moving to a Web 2.0 global learning environment. NIXTY, a Web 2.0 platform, is utilized to illustrate how OpenSocial…

A service‐oriented virtual learning environment

Andrew G. Booth, Brian P. Clark

The purpose of this paper is to present a prototype pluggable service‐oriented virtual learning environment, enabling teachers to create an integrated teaching environment using…

Creating an innovation‐oriented technology strategy

Scott Wilson, Kamala Velayutham

The purpose of this paper is to explore technology strategies and policies in the areas of standards, repositioning of technology, and service‐oriented architecture that focus on…

An agile approach to managing open educational resources

Patrick Masson, Ken Udas

The purpose of this paper is to show that pointing to patterns of change in the adoption and institutionalization of educational resources, the appropriateness of traditional…

Evolution and its discontents

Michael Staton

This paper seeks to describe the evolution of the web outside academia and the Academy's struggle both to adapt and to cope, and to recommend policy changes vis‐à‐vis the barriers…

Introduction to the special issue on distributed learning environments

Michael Feldstein