The Internet has become one of the most important and most used media for communication and learning, as it allows for the creation of interactive and collaborative environments, whose contents and resources can be shared with a limitless number of users. The explosion of the Internet in the past decade has changed the way many students live and learn, in part because modern technology has made it possible for learners to access information or research any topic of interest from anywhere in the world. Distance Education Environments and Emerging Software Systems: New Technologies focuses on the discussions of computational methods, algorithms implemented prototype systems, and applications of open and distance learning. This reference is a primary forum for researchers and practitioners to disseminate practical solutions to the automation of open and distance learning.
Qun Jin is a professor of networked information systems in the Department of Human Informatics and Cognitive Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University (Japan). He has been engaged extensively in research works on computer science, information systems, and social and human informatics. His recent research interests include e-learning, human-computer interaction, human-centric ubiquitous services computing, information retrieval and recommendation, and computing for well-being. He seeks to exploit the rich interdependence between theory and practice in his works with interdisciplinary and integrated approaches.