The widespread deployment and use of Information Technologies (IT) has paved the way for change in many fields of our societies. The Internet, mobile computing, social networks and many other advances in human communications have become essential to promote and boost education, technology and industry. On the education side, the new challenges related with the integration of IT technologies into all aspects of learning require revising the traditional educational paradigms that have prevailed for the last centuries. Additionally, the globalization of education and student mobility requirements are favoring a fluid interchange of tools, methodologies and evaluation strategies, which promote innovation at an accelerated pace. Curricular revisions are also taking place to achieved a more specialized education that is able to responds to the societys requirements in terms of professional training. In this process, guaranteeing quality has also become a critical issue. On the industrial and technological side, the focus on ecological developments is essential to achieve a sustainable degree of prosperity, and all efforts to promote greener societies are welcome. In this book we gather knowledge and experiences of different authors on all these topics, hoping to offer the reader a wider view of the revolution taking place within and without our educational centers. In summary, we believe that this book makes an important contribution to the fields of education and technology in these times of great change, offering a mean for experts in the different areas to share valuable experiences and points of view that we hope are enriching to the reader. Enjoy the book!

Este livro apresenta a criação de diretrizes para a implantação das Práticas de Gestão do Conhecimento (PGCs) no contexto da Educação a Distância (EAD), com foco no processo de produção de Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem (AVAs). Para a construção das diretrizes foram identificados, primeiramente, os Fatores Críticos de Sucesso e formulados, com base nesses fatores, o Modelo de EaD suportado por PGCs. Como resultado, foram identificadas (05) proposições, contendo (37) diretrizes para implantação da GC, cujo intuito está na melhoria da qualidade e sucesso nos serviços e projetos de EaD.

The advancement of technology in today’s world has led to the progression of several professional fields. This includes the classroom, as teachers have begun using new technological strategies to increase student involvement and motivation. ICT innovation including virtual reality and blended learning methods has changed the scope of classroom environments across the globe; however, significant research is lacking in this area. ICTs and Innovation for Didactics of Social Sciences is a fundamental reference focused on didactics of social sciences and ICTs including issues related to innovation, resources, and strategies for teachers that can link to the transformation of social sciences teaching and learning as well as societal transformation. While highlighting topics such as blended learning, augmented reality, and virtual classrooms, this book is ideally designed for researchers, administrators, educators, practitioners, and students interested in understanding current relevant ICT resources and innovative strategies for the didactic of social sciences and didactic possibilities in relation to concrete conceptual contents, resolution of problems, planning, decision making, development of social skills, attention, and motivation promoting a necessary technological literacy.

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.