Calls for Papers (special): International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL)

Introduction
The special issue will review and reconsider the role of mobile learning for fostering creativity, focusing on outlining definitions and concepts of creativity, exploring the relationship between learning and creativity in different contexts (for instance, formal education, workplace learning, informal learning), and analysing ways in which mobile media may – or may not – foster creative learning. The special issue will locate mobile learning with a socio-culturally orientated approach proposed by Pachler, Bachamair, and Cook (2010). Internationally, there is a growing body of research related to mobile learning dedicated to the design, implementation and evaluation of mobile learning tools and scenarios (Buchem et al., 2011). However, whilst some studies within the socio-cultural framework address such crucial aspects as user-generated contexts (Pachler et al., 2010), and ownership and changed power relations (Traxler, 2011), the role of mobile learning for fostering creativity is still an under-discussed and under-researched area. As such, the relationship between mobile learning and creativity is ambiguous and in need of attention. This Special Issue aims to contribute to this developing knowledge and practice area.

Objective
Creativity has been proclaimed as one of the key 21st century skills and as the driving force of economic development in post-industrial era. With the so-called creative class, comprising different types of creative workers, tackling complex, societal problems ranging from solving economic problems, through creating innovative technological solutions to devising new ways of social entrepreneurship, the role of creativity will increase dramatically in the years to come. Already today many of the fastest-growing jobs and emerging industries rely on workers’ creative capacity, such as the ability to think unconventionally, inventing new scenarios and producing novel solutions. To face this demand, both education and business have to embrace new technologies and design new ways to foster creativity of students and workers.

Since research on creativity is based on contradictory definitions like the great mind approach or individual creativity (Guilford, 1956), systemic understandings (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996), the subjectivity of creativity (Gauntlett, 2011) and the questions of what is creative (a creative person, a group, an organization, a process, a product, the environment), the questions remain: Who views what as creative and novel in what context? Is a novel every day idea a creative effort? Who can judge whether processes and outcomes are creative? Is creativity in one context (e.g., school) of equal value in another context (e.g., work place)?

The understanding of creativity underlying this Special Issue is based on an open concept allowing different views and approaches, favouring process-oriented or person-cantered conceptualisations of creativity, including such notions as “connective, social activity” (Fischer, 2011) or “collaborative creativity” (Herrmann, 2009), ”making something new, something valuable or useful for a particular group” (Sternberg, 1999), “making something novel in a given context” (Gauntlett, 2011), or as “connecting with others, sharing and putting together ideas and artifacts to create something novel from the creator’s perspective in a particular context” (Jahnke, 2011). These approaches emphasize the importance of creativity for the engagement with social and physical environment, active and meaningful participation.

Recommended Topics
We invite different types of contributions including empirical research, conceptual models, theory building, innovative methodologies and applications, case studies. Topics to be discussed in this special issue include (but are not limited to) the following:

- Didactical designs for teaching and learning fostering creativity by mobile media
- Empirical research on creativity enhanced by mobile devices
- Evaluations of creativity and mobile technologies
- Future visions for creative mobile learning
- Innovative mobile applications and tools for fostering creative learning
- Innovative mobile user interfaces for creativity including concepts and products
- Methodologies for designing and evaluating creative learning with mobile media
- Theoretical frameworks/approaches to enhancing creativity with mobile learning
- User stories and case studies of creative mobile learning

Submission Procedure
All submitted papers should include a framework that is helpful to reflect both designs for teaching and designs for learning. Specifically, submission for the special issue should include insights into:

- Theoretical perspective, the creativity concept and definition of creativity, including the description of learning and creative learning;
- Theoretical underpinnings of learning, including definition and context of learning (e.g., higher education, schools, workplace learning, informal learning), on which you build your contribution;
- The discussion about the role of the mobile technologies in supporting creative learning.

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit papers for this special theme issue on “Mobile Learning and Creativity” on or before September 30, 2012 (extended abstract, 2-4 pages).

All submissions must be original and may not be under review by another publication. INTERESTED AUTHORS SHOULD CONSULT THE JOURNAL’S GUIDELINES FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS at http://www.igi-global.com/Files/AuthorEditor/guidelinessubmission.pdf. All submitted papers will be reviewed on a double-blind, peer review basis. Papers must follow APA style for reference citations. It is a 2-step submission procedure:

1. Please submit an extended abstract, 2-4 pages to the Guest Editors.
2. If the extended abstract fits to the aim of the Special Issue, the authors will be notified to submit a full paper. Then, the typical double-blind review process starts.

All submissions and inquiries should be directed to the attention of:
Dr. Ilona Buchem, Professor of Digital Media Studies, Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Germany

Dr. Isa Jahnke, Professor in ICT, media and learning, Umeå University, Department of Applied Educational Science, Sweden

Dr.  Norbert Pachler, Professor of Education, University of London, Institute of Education

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