Promoting Innovation and a HumanTouch

Advancement and successful use of all forms of modern interactive technology - in general - depends on smart usable designs/systems that are adaptable, do not require expensive training, accommodate the needs of diverse users and are low cost. Thus, there is an increasing pressure for applying innovative approaches, which are particularly human-/user-centred, to the design and delivery of technological solutions and applications. Also, utilising interactive technology (that specifically meet such criteria) in education - specially - has an impressive impact on introducing and advancing a more flexible and innovative smart education. This is desperately sought after in the digital age, due to the increasing number of various education users and the limited resources available to meet such diversity in user needs, demands, background, expectations, skills, ages, abilities and cultural differences.

The journal will be published by Troubador Publishing Ltd in the UK, which has over 15 years experience in the journals publishing field. Four issues will be published annually, and in addition to being sent to subscribers, it will be available online to subscribers from Issue 1. Publication starts February 2004.

Submissions should be made to the Editor-in-Chief at itse@troubador.co.uk

Scope

Advances in Information, communication and interactive technology have made it possible to reach out to a wider audience around the globe. However, the solutions/systems developed for this purpose are not always satisfactory. The International Journal of Interactive Technology and Smart Education (ITSE) is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal, which provides a distinct forum to specially promote innovation and human-/user-centred approaches. This is through a passionate emphasis on the need to seriously employ solutions from Human Computer Interaction (HCI) to technology and education. It also encourages combining solutions from HCI with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or multimedia and the Web technology to advance innovation in interactive technology generally and its applications in education. The journal also promotes evaluation as a continuous and an integral part of the development cycle of usable solutions/systems (rather than a final stage in the development cycle). By bringing together these specialist fields, the journal aims to bridge an existing gap in interactive technology and educational technology research, which would help advance innovation in these areas.

For the sake of clarity, the following terms are defined, as used in the context of this journal: “Interactive Technology” refers to all forms of digital technology, as described above, emphasizing innovation and human-/user-centred approaches. In “Smart Education”, "SMART" is NOT just limited to AI-based research, but rather we define it here as an acronym that refers to interactive Technology that is Sensitive, Manageable, Adaptable and Responsive to users needs in a social context, aiming to bring together seriously R&D into HCI and teaching/learning pedagogy, to offer a more flexible and tailored education, which serves diverse individual needs.

So, in summary, the journal addresses two main broad themes:

1. Interactive Technology in general, and
2. SMART Education, as a special forum for utilising interactive Technology

Aims and objectives

• To bring the HCI community and the educational community together, for promoting work and strengthening interest, so that both areas and communities specially benefit.
• To provide a forum that pushes for cross-fertilization between the different contributing disciplines mentioned above. This is to advance innovation in technology generally, and help in using such technology to benefit modern education better.
• To facilitate the rapid and wide diffusion of scientific and technological results, to radically improve innovation and also facilitate smart education.
• To provide a channel for discussing advancement of related theoretical, practical aspects and real experiences in this arena.
• To link scholars, commercial practitioners and other stakeholders working in these fields.

Contributions are solicited in any of the two main broad themes -- interactive technology and SMART education -- covered individually or combined, include, but are not limited to the following topics:

• Novel approaches
• Participatory approaches for design and development
• Ergonomics and Human factors
• Interaction, usability and accessibility issues
• Approaches providing solutions for users with various special needs
• Related social and psychological issues
• Other cultural issues (e.g. multilingual and multicultural issues)
• Pedagogical methods and quality assurance
• New emerging technologies (e.g. Multimedia and the Web)
• Computer-supported co-operative approaches and Mediated communication
• Assessment and evaluation techniques and methodologies
• Design (e.g. user interface design, types of interfaces, principles of good design practice)
• Interaction and Interaction Styles
• Usability engineering methods and concepts
• Usability evaluation
• Creativity and innovation possibilities with HCI
• Various Applications: in IT generally, in Education, Libraries, Media, Industry, everyday life, etc.
• Various user interfaces and technological applications: Adaptive interfaces, State of the Art systems, e.g. Speech, pen-based, gesture-based)
• New Advances and Future Research Directions
• HCI in and for education: Distance/e- learning
• HCI and Ubiquitous computing
• HCI and Society generally (the emphasis of user-, human-centred approach)

The journal welcomes original contributions that address any questions on these themes/topics. The journal publishes research work concerned with theoretical, technical, practical, technological, social or pedagogical issues. This can cover concepts, principles, methodologies, models, tools, analysis, design, development, evaluation, applications, empirical results, best practice examples and scenarios, real-world experiences, critical reviews and reflections. Authors are encouraged to provide in-depth conclusions of their insights on the weaknesses, strengths and lessons learnt of the issues discussed.

The journal publishes original research papers, literature review/survey papers, case studies, technical reports, reflective articles by practitioners, reports on industrial projects, short papers reporting on work in progress, letters to the editor, conference reports, list and reviews of related resources (books, CDs, Websites, Tutorials, Courseware), commentaries, debates, and news items (e.g. announcement of conferences, seminars, awards, funding calls). Other lighter contributions are also welcome such as interviews of professionals, working/interested in these fields, funny stories/anecdotes from professional life, quizzes and competitions. It will also host special issues.

This journal is available online to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You can subscribe to a complete volume and get instant access to the online journal and all back issues, or purchase individual papers from the journal in our online shop. Subscribers to the journal receive a user name and password with their subscription confirmation email.