Taking over as an of Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of an academic open access journal is a distinguished honor that carries a lot of responsibility and dedication. We recently reached out to Dr. Jennifer Qian, from Louisiana State University, USA, who is the EiC of
International Journal of Innovative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (IJITLHE) to hear her thoughts, outlook, and mission for leading this open access journal.
The International Journal of Innovative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, provides provides perspectives on the theory, development, and application of innovations in teaching and learning. Authors share ideas, case studies, and original research on pilot projects, opportunities, emerging technologies, and other innovations in teaching and learning.
International Journal of Innovative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education was established in 2020 as a hybrid journal and converted to a gold open access journal on January 1st, 2021.
What inspired you to become the Editor-in-Chief of the IGI Global journal IJITLHE?
Dr. Qian: I study how people learn and the role of technology and media in facilitating teaching and learning. I have a deep passion for innovative teaching and learning, building upon learning sciences and the evolution of digital technology. I see the role of Editor-in-Chief as an opportunity to contribute to the field of advancing learning sciences and teaching practices. The journal, IJITLHE, serves as a platform to disseminate innovative ideas, best practices, and research findings, hereby making a positive impact on the teaching and learning in higher education as a whole.
To you, what are the most important attributes of your journal? What sets your journal apart from others?
Dr. Qian: The quality of the manuscripts published in IJITLHE are considered to be of utmost importance. All submissions go through a process of rigorous peer and expert reviews, including research methodology, data analysis, presentation of results, and research and practical significance.
What does it mean for you to lead an open access journal where all new published content is freely available worldwide?
Dr. Qian: IGI Global has a long history of breaking the ground in academic publication and knowledge dissemination. What IGI Global has been and is doing algins with the principles of democratization of knowledge and advancing the progress of research and innovation. It is an honor to be part of IGI Global's new venture into open access academic publishing.
Who will benefit from the open access research within IJITLHE?
Dr. Qian: Scholars, practitioners, and policy makers in higher education who aspire to be forward-thinking and future-ready.
What is your outlook on Open Access research in the future as more mandates are put in place and more publications take up the open access model of publishing?
Dr. Qian: Open access journals should be and will be the future, just like the current trend of OER (Open Educational Resources) to learners, which was impossible previously, but now is ubiquitous, enabled by the internet and digital technology. By removing subscription fees or paywalls, open access journals promote equity, equality, and the speed and scope of knowledge dissemination. The accessibility of open access journals leads to quicker, wider, and deeper knowledge generation, which is the dream of academia.
Are there any trending/niche research areas that you are looking for in the articles submitted to your journal? What are some future directions for your research?
Dr. Qian: AI has reached a breakthrough in technical development and implementation in the society. The release of Chat GPT 3.0 on 11/30/2022 has stormed the internet and we've witnessed the 3rd breakthrough of digital technology in human history, following the invention of computer and the internet. Similarly, XR, an umbrella term for AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) is becoming widely implemented in education, with the advancement of digital technologies for immersive experiences. IJITLHE is a highly relevant journal to publish conceptual papers, case studies, and empirical studies in these areas. On the pedagogy side, IJITLHE seeks manuscripts exploring innovative pedagogies enabled by emerging technologies, such as personalized learning, immersive learning, microlearning, connectivist learning, and life-long learning.
For those interested in submitting their paper for consideration, submit here.
What advice do you have for researchers seeking to publish academic research in this field?
Dr. Qian: Stay persistent! The reviews/feedback from the editorial board are always valuable to help you identify flaws, offer suggestions for improvement. Take those feedback/suggestions seriously and carefully address each comment.
How would you suggest researchers utilize the content from this journal that is freely accessible?
Dr. Qian: Be part of the free access academic publishing movement to support the principles of open science and open education for democratization and innovation of knowledge.
Please visit the
Call for Papers page for all IGI Global journals seeking submissions. Published under Gold Open Access, these journals offer research that is freely accessible to all members of the research community. Please utilize these resources by browsing all
Open Access Articles and Chapters.
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About Dr. Jennifer Qian
Jennifer Qian currently serves as a faculty member and coordinator of the Educational Technology programs in the School of Education at Louisiana State University. Prior to joining LSU, she served as the doctoral research chair in the Doctor of Education program at Northeastern University, Boston, where she was the recipient of 2017 CPS Teaching Excellence Award. Dr. Qian directed over 50 doctoral research studies on a variety of topics in education and produced 32 doctorates since 2010. Dr. Qian’s research interests include technology-enabled academic transformation, models of online education and best practices in online teaching, the design, development and assessment of technology-enhanced learning environments, and the design of authentic learning tasks and modeling, coaching, and scaffolding strategies for active and deep learning. She is the author of a dozen journal articles and book chapters on emerging learning technologies and innovative learning environments. Her most recent publication includes the book, "Integrating Multi-User Virtual Environments in Modern Classrooms" (2018). In addition, she provides editorial review for SAGE and IGI Global.
About IGI Global
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA with a subsidiary office (IGI Science and Technology, Ltd.) operating out of Beijing, China, IGI Global is a leading medium-sized independent international academic publisher of scholarly reference sources. They are committed to facilitating the discovery of pioneering scientific research that enhances and expands the body of knowledge available to the research community through traditional and open access publishing workflows. Working in close collaboration with more than 200,000+ expert researchers and professionals from leading institutions, IGI Global publishes quality peer-reviewed content in three major academic subject areas:
Learn more about IGI Global
here.