Design, development, and implementation of electronic learning environments for collaborative learning

Developments in society and business, and related changes in higher education and lifelong learning, require educators and educational designers or technologists to rethink education. Examples of such changes are the growing importance of achieving complex learning, the integration of learning and work in education, and the need for improved flexibility with regard to time, place, and individual needs. These changes cannot simply be responded to by adding technological solutions implemented according to existing educational approaches. Instead, an integrated view of e-learning is necessary, characterized by the combination of pedagogical, technical, social, and organizational factors. This two-part special issue elaborates on the different characteristics of integrated e-learning, from design through future topics for research.