The ARIEL-project, supported within the e-learning initiative of the European Commission, investigated supply and demand factors on the e-learning market for small and medium-sized enterprises and described future trends with the scenario method. The proceedings of the ARIEL final conference in 2005 give an overview of the research results.

Quality assurance (QA) in open and distance learning (ODL) can be a contentious issue. Some argue that it should be judged by the same criteria and methods as face-to-face education, while others claim that it is so different in its organization, enrolments and operations that conventional QA mechanisms cannot apply. Some advocate the use of specific guidelines and standards for e-learning; others believe that, regardless of the technology, the basic principles of quality teaching and learning should apply. Providers who have enjoyed freedom from external scrutiny may resist attempts at external regulation and auditing and look upon QA as yet another imposition of corporatization and bureaucracy on education. Others see it as a means of establishing a culture of quality, self-reflection and self-improvement. There is little research-based literature to guide policy-makers, managers and practitioners in applying QA in education and training to ensure the right balance is found between accountability and autonomy, as well as assuring quality for the time and costs involved. In this respect, Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education and e-Learning is a book that is long overdue. It explains what is involved in QA and accreditation in education. It describes and analyzes applications of these practices in open, distance, dual-mode and conventional universities throughout Europe, North America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific, looking at open schooling, e-learning in conventional schools, non-formal adult and community education, and corporate and small-to-medium enterprises. Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education and e-Learning is edited and authored by experts with extensive international experience in ODL, e-learning and QA who give careful consideration to the possibilities and challenges involved. The book will be an invaluable guide for all policy-makers, managers, practitioners and researchers in the field.

In this book, we can read about new technologies that enhance training and performance; discover new, exciting ways to design and deliver content; and have access to proven strategies, practices and solutions shared by experts. The authors of this book come from all over the world; their ideas, studies, findings and experiences are beneficial contributions to enhance our knowledge in the field of e-learning. The book is divided into three sections, and their respective chapters refer to three macro areas. The first section of the book covers Instructional Design of E-learning, considering methodology and tools for designing e-learning environments and courseware. Also, there are examples of effective ways of gaming and educating. The second section is about Organizational Strategy and Management. The last section deals with the new Developments in E-learning Technology, emphasizing subjects like knowledge building by mobile e-learning systems, cloud computing and new proposals for virtual learning environments/platforms.

The term was coined when electronics, with the personal computer, was very popular and internet was still at its dawn. It is a very successful term, by now firmly in schools, universities, and SMEs education and training. Just to give an example 3.5 millions of students were engaged in some online courses in higher education institutions in 2006 in the USA1.eLearning today refers to the use of the network technologies to design, deliver, select, manage and broaden learning and the possibilities made available by internet to offer to the users synchronous and asynchronous learning, so that they can access the courses content anytime and wherever there is an internet connection.

The rushed development of information and communication technologies and their impact on the world of learning in the last decade have profoundly changed the paradigms, scenarios and values at all levels of education. The professionalization of tools and practices, in addition to the consolidation of academic and practical knowledge, has been a major continuing issue throughout these years. The annual conferences of the largest European professional community in distance and e-learning have been setting the landmarks in this process. The selection from this unique knowledge pool demonstrates the deepening and consolidation of knowledge and experience. This book presents the developments in the field of open, distance and e-learning, through new technologies, methodologies and tools, which have profoundly changed the paradigms, scenarios and values at all levels of education over the last decade.