User-Centered Design of Online Learning Communities

User-centered design (UCD) is gaining popularity in both the educational and business sectors. This is due to the fact that UCD sheds light on the entire process of analyzing, planning, designing, developing, using, evaluating, and maintaining computer-based learning. User-Centered Design of Online Learning Communities explains how computers can be used to augment human intellect for productivity and innovation, both nationally and globally. This book gives guidance to all stakeholders involved in online learning: organizations and businesses, developers, tutors, students, and evaluators; as well as provides best practices for the different phases of developing online learning communities from the analysis and design phase to the development, use, evaluation, and maintenance stage.

Niki Lambropoulos is a PhD student at the Centre for Interactive Systems Engineering, London South Bank University. Currently she works as an HCI Education consultant. She started working as a Greek language teacher in Greece in 1989. In 1999 she moved to London where she worked as a Greek language and ICT teacher and ICT coordinator. In 2002 she started working as a Project Manager, became an expert in the field of Online Learning and Online Communities and published widely in the field. Lambropoulos holds two BAs and a Diploma in Education from the University of Athens, Greece and an MA in ICT in Education from the Institute of Education, University of London. Her interests are in HCI and in particular in the design, use and evaluation of systems in working places; strategy and information architecture; understanding target audiences needs, tasks and goals and translating them into interactive concepts; and user/learner research. Panayiotis Zaphiris is a senior lecturer at the Centre for Human-Computer Interaction Design, School of Informatics of City University London, UK. Before joining City University, he was a researcher at the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, USA, where he also got his Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction. He also holds an MSc in Systems Engineering and a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland. His research interests lie in Human-Computer Interaction with an emphasis in inclusive design and social aspect of computing. He is also interested in Internet-related research, such as Web usability, online communities, e-learning and social network analysis of online computer-mediated communication.