E-book about E-learning
Online Education and Learning Management Systems-Global E-learning in a Scandinavian Perspective

By Morten Flate PAULSEN, Web-site: http://www.studymentor.com/
Publisher: NKI Forlaget, 337pp, ISBN 82 562 5894 2 (Printed version), ISBN 82 562 6048 3 (PDF version), ISBN 82 562 6049 1 (Microsoft Reader version)

Prior to year 2000 Scandinavian universities offered selected online courses attracting a few pioneering students. Today, even primary schools offer online services to students, teachers and parents. Online education is becoming mainstream education in Scandinavia.

A new, comprehensive and innovative book about e-learning is now available in print and online in several electronic formats. The book’s web-site presents tidbits of the content in several electronic formats such as text, audio, speech synthesis and video.

Dr. Erwin Wagner, former President of the European Distance Education Network, characterizes the book as interesting, important, innovative, international and impressive. In his foreword, Dr. Wagner states that the “book comprises a rich variety of material, perspectives, insights and assessments. Valid information can be found there for researchers, for students in the field, for teachers, for managers and for politicians who are looking for reliable knowledge” http://www.studymentor.com/studymentor/Forewords.pdf

The book comprises the following four parts:

The book is published as a traditional, printed book. But it is also designed and developed as an online publication with experimental use of multimedia. More information about this is available at the book’s web-site www.studymentor.com, which includes samples and information about:

• A pdf-version with active links, colors, and opportunities for text search and electronic annotations
• An e-book version for PDAs,
• Digitized audio content in MP3 format,
• Multimedia presentations,
• Links to additional online resources,
• An international online conference in November 2003 discussing issues in the book.

The book is based on practical and long-term knowledge of the field, thorough personal experience, and research to back up the many pointed statements. The author, Dr. Morten Flate Paulsen, is the Director of Development at the NKI Internet College. He has worked within the field of online education since 1985. He became one of the very first European online educators when he initiated the development of the EKKO computer conferencing system in 1986 and taught his first online course the same year. Since then, he has worked continuously in the field, participated in many European research projects, and published a number of books, articles and reports about the topic. He became Doctor of Education at Pennsylvania State University in 1998. In 2003, he was re-appointed Adjunct Professor for a second three-year period, at the Athabasca University, Centre for Distance Education. In this book he combines theoretical articles with popular anecdotes and personal experiences. This untraditional approach has made the book comprehensive, interesting and enjoyable.

This book is intended for an international audience with an interest in education and the Internet. It will be of special value to students, teachers, course designers, administrators, decision makers and educational officers in public and private sectors. The book discusses major developments in online education, and provides illustrating examples from the author's Scandinavian and international research. It includes articles outlining a theory of online education, teaching techniques, learning management systems, recommendations for decision makers and terminology.

Multimedia interview

The author is interviewed by Jane (a Voxit Budgie computerized voice) about the book. The interview is available as: