Learning and Teaching in the Technological Era: Introduction to the IJELLO Special Series of Chais Conference 2011 Best Papers

This is the third issue of Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects (IJELLO) special series that is based on selected best papers presented at the Sixth Chais Conference on Instructional Technologies Research 2011: Learning in the Technological Era. The conference took place at The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel, on February 17, 2011, and was organized by its Research Center for Innovation in Learning Technologies. This preface presents the mission and activities of the Research Center for Innovation in Learning Technologies at the Open University of Israel. It describes the objectives and themes of the Chais Conference 2011, explains its synergies with IJELLO and the Informing Science Institute, and introduces the papers included in this special issue. This paper collection emphasizes the importance of teachers' training, and reflects the growing understanding of their major role in integrating innovative technologies in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]