Investigations of E-Learning Patterns: Context Factors, Problems and Solutions

Design patterns have become popular in the domains of architecture, software design, human computer interaction, Web 2.0, organizational structures, and pedagogy as a way to communicate successful practical knowledge. Patterns capture proven solutions for recurrent problems with respect to fitting contexts. Investigations of E-Learning Patterns: Context Factors, Problems and Solutions poses the question: Will e-learning patterns be equally successful as their pendant in software development or is the remake doomed to failure? This comprehensive publication addresses both e-learning practitioners and researchers, using an accessible language to communicate sophisticated knowledge and important research methods and results. It is a valuable addition to any research collection.

Christian Kohls is member of the research unit "Design and Implementation of Integrative Learning Environments" at the Knowledge Media Research Center, Teubingen. Christian Kohls has been working at the Knowledge Media Research Center since 2005. His job is the technical development of the German information and qualification portal e-teaching.org. He is also responsible for editing the content section "media technology" and gives frequently online trainings in e-learning software. He studied media and computer science and received a M.Sc. He worked in the e-learning team of the University of Applied Sciences Wedel/Hamburg and as consultant at pharus53 software solutions where he implemented multilingual WBT solutions and software tutorials. He is inventor and development coordinator of moowinx, an end user tool to create interactive graphics. His research interests include information visualization and the mining of design patterns. He is writing his PhD thesis about mental and conceptual representations of patterns.

Joachim Wedekind is a senior researcher at the Knowledge Media Research Center (KMRC) in Tuebingen, Germany. At present he is working on concepts and the implementation of complex information systems (i.e. e-teaching.org). Results of his previous work are the subject of specific publications, the design and organisation of projects, as well as the development of numerous computer-based learning environments (some of them award-winning). His research interests are focused on the conceptualization and evaluation of complex hypermedia learning environments. He started his academic work-after studies in biology (diploma 1974) and pedagogy (doctorate 1981)-as a senior researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Science Education (Kiel), the Institute for Pedagogy at the University of Tuebingen and at the Gesellschaft fuer Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung (Sankt Augustin). From 1985 to 2000 he workedat the German Institute of Research for Distance Education (DIFF), first as acting manager of the Media Research Department, later as the manager of the Competence Center for Multimedia and Telematics.