As the world moves steadily to become a knowledge-based economy, education and learning have never been more important. Technology is playing an increasingly crucial role in the delivery of education, which in turn is driving research into finding ever better technological solutions. Each wave of technological advance has opened new opportunities for teaching and learning. First the arrival of personal computers popularized computer-aided learning, next the Internet introduced eLearning and online learning. Currently, the age of intelligent environments is bringing such advances as smart education, intelligent learning, augmented reality, mobile learning, intelligent learning clouds, MOOC/SPOC, Open Educational Resources (OER), personalised intelligent artificial tutors, learning analytics, gamification and creative education, to name but some, which promise to revolutionize current learning practices, and to challenge the traditional notion of a university or school. In addition, the globalization of teaching, learning, and training creates the needs for research and development in multi-cultural learning environments. Beyond teaching and learning, the maintenance of educational institutions benefits from advanced technologies to support its administration, such as in automatically logging attendance, electronic signage, IT-infrastructures, timetabling, or maintaining secure and safe environments for students and staff.
There is an urgent need for a journal that acts as a focus for researchers and practitioners to pool knowledge together and to advance the science and art of teaching, learning, pedagogical practice and educational establishment infrastructures to make educational experiences and operations more efficient, cost-effective, and satisfying.
To achieve the above outcomes, this Journal (EPTE) will focus on showcasing new technologies and pedagogies that can help to make a difference in teaching and learning experiences, by enriching the learning process and improving education infrastructure. Central to our forum will be new and innovative teaching and learning technologies, systems, associated pedagogies together with education infrastructures that include, but are not limited to, those listed below. We anticipate expanding and refocusing the themes of our journal, as technologies and pedagogies evolve over time so as to capture the emerging trends and the advanced thinking of researchers and practitioners, so as to bring true innovations to education. Beyond the classroom, we will also include work relating to learning practical skills, such as those typified by science and engineering laboratories or field work. The journal will also embrace the wider campus infrastructure which can also impact the cost and effectiveness of education. Examples include smart signage that can guide people around a campus or smart applications for timetabling or managing the environment of the teaching facilities. Finally, education is increasingly global and multicultural in nature and thus, the cultural dimension is a topic we will include.
Thus, this Journal will serve as a forum for researchers and practitioners to discuss the latest technologies that can support the development of new educational environments around the world. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of the areas involved, the journal aims to promote participation from several different communities covering a variety of topics: pedagogical strategies, educational technologies, campus infrastructure), socio-cultural influences, interaction, inclusion, creativity and socialization in technology augmented educational environments and systems, etc.
