About the Authors
Dr. Helga Hambrock
Dr. Helga Hambrock is the chairperson of the International Research Network in Sustainable and Seamless (IRN-ISSE) collaborative. Dr. Hambrock initiated the first Global Research Project for the International Association of Mobile Learning (IAmLearn) in 2018, and the first book on Seamless Learning Design was published in 2020. The second book on Seamless learning in Education was published in 2023. Thereafter, the Global research project evolved into an extension of IAmLearn as the Research Network it is now. The IRN-ISSE has grown to include researchers from 20 countries around the globe. The latest book on the relevant topic of AI for Seamless Learning is now the third book under her guidance and leadership.
Dr. Hambrock’s interest in collaborative research aims at addressing common challenges and finding common solutions. She believes that education can improve if it is addressed from the bottom up and from the top down and that educators need to work together to achieve these global issues. Over the past years, she presented papers at numerous conferences, led conference workshops, and published articles and book chapters. She also received several invitations to present at international conferences as keynote speaker. A book published by IGI, where she contributed a chapter, was selected as part of a collection of eLearning resources for all USA schools. She received a Global Outreach Award for initiating Micro-learning training for Early Childhood Centre caregivers in Southern Africa in 2019.
She applies her passion for improving quality, seamless education as an Instructional Designer at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in South Africa. She also serves as chair for PhD committees as well as reviewer and external examiner for international universities. She also teaches Masters and Doctoral students online.
Dr. Rob Power
Dr. Rob Power is an Assistant Professor of Education at Cape Breton University in Sydney, NS. He is also an adjunct professor, teaching courses on instructional design for online learning, educational technology integration, Digital Accessibility issues, and mobile learning pedagogies, at several Canadian universities. Rob is a Past President of the Executive Committee of the International Association for Mobile Learning (IAmLearn), and has served as the programme manager and conference chair of the 13th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (mLearn 2013). He is currently serving as Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE), and he is also the President of Power Learning Solutions.
Dr. Karen Ferreira-Meyers
Full Professor Ferreira-Meyers (Institute of Distance Education, University of Eswatini, Eswatini and Research Fellow, University of the Free State, South Africa) holds a PhD in French and Francophone literature – autofiction and autobiography and four MA degrees (Licence en Philologie romane, MA in Linguistics – English, LLM, MIDT). She also has a strong track record in teacher development in Southern African contexts and expertise in the area of blended, distance and e-learning and teaching. Her research interests are varied: from teacher training, ODeL, Open Education, Open Schooling, teacher professional development, Artificial Intelligence, online facilitation, digital transformation, self-directed learning, quality assurance in education to autofiction and autobiography, crime and detective fiction, African literatures in so-called European languages. She has published over 100 papers, various book chapters, two books and more than 100 book reviews. She enjoys working collaboratively and has been tasked with the leading of project teams on several occasions.
- University profile URL: https://uniswa.academia.edu/KarenFerreiraMeyers
- University email: kmeyers@uniswa.sz or karenferreirameyers@gmail.com
Dr Rafidah Abd Karim
Dr Rafidah Abd Karim is a senior lecturer and an active researcher at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. She received her Ph.D. in TESL, specializing in Mobile Learning. She serves on the editorial board of several national and international journals. She is also an active reviewer for more than 30 numerous distinguished international journals and published more than 60 high-indexed and non-indexed publications mainly in mobile learning, digital mind mapping, digital technology, e-learning, language learning, gender studies and indigenous studies. She gave more than 40 paper presentations and delivered talks as keynote speaker, plenary speaker and invited speaker in seminars, workshops, conferences in national and international levels. She is a recipient of the Open Education System Individual Fellowship from Anadolu, Turkey in 2023 and ESI Postdoctoral Fellowship for 2024/25 Program. She served as a visiting scholar in Open University Indonesia, a guest lecturer in Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia in 2022 and in Anadolu University, Turkey in 2023.
- Email: feida16@uitm.edu.my
Dr. Ebba Ossiannilsson
Dr. Ebba Ossiannilsson, Sweden, is a distinguished professor and globally recognized thought leader, influencer, researcher and author in the field of open, online and distance education. Her academic contributions are extensive and interdisciplinary. She is known for her research and expertise in open education for a better world, open educational resources (OER), open educational practices and cultures, innovation, digital transformation, innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), learner empowerment, ethical leadership, quality assurance and learner-centered pedagogy, and personalization to meet the challenges of the 21st century. With her rich academic foundation and extensive global experience, she has become a driving force. Ossiannilsson has made a significant contribution to the promotion of equitable and sustainable education worldwide. Dr. Ossiannilsson serves on the board of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), where she plays a central role as OER Ambassador and Chair of the ICDE Advocacy Committee for Open Educational Resources. Her leading role in promoting OER dates to the beginnings of the movement in 2002. Since then, she has been at the forefront of global efforts to introduce and implement OER guidelines. It advocates at international, regional and national levels and works with governments, educational institutions and non-governmental organizations to develop sustainable frameworks for open education. Her work also addresses the intersection between education and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She is deeply committed to promoting equity, inclusion, diversity, accessibility, lifelong learning and social justice through scalable, sustainable educational practices. Dr. Ossiannilsson is a fervent advocate of the new social contract in education as articulated in UNESCO’s Futures of Education: Learning to Become. This vision emphasizes the importance of reshaping educational practices to address global challenges such as climate change, technological disruption and growing inequalities. Dr. Ossiannilsson’s influence extends beyond academia. She has worked on high-profile projects with the European Commission, OECD, ITC, ILO and other international organizations and is a member of numerous international committees developing strategies and policies to promote equity, inclusion and accessibility in education, with a focus on improving the quality and sustainability of online education. Her ability to connect global trends with local implementation has made her a sought-after speaker, mentor and consultant. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to education, Dr. Ossiannilsson has received numerous awards. In 2021, she was named SPARC Europe Champion for her pioneering work in OER and open education. The following year, she was honored with the Leadership Excellence Award from Open Education Global. In 2023, she was awarded the EntreComp Championship, cementing her reputation as a pioneer of innovative educational practices. Through her visionary leadership and dedication, Dr. Ossiannilsson continues to inspire educators and learners around the world to adopt transformative practices and strategies that ensure education remains inclusive, accessible and sustainable, cementing her legacy as a luminary in the education community. Dr. Ossiannilsson’s commitment to advancing education as a tool for social justice is evident in her ongoing efforts to promote ethical leadership and sustainable practices in education. She actively promotes dialog and collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that education remains inclusive, equitable and future-oriented.
Dr. Ioana Andreea Ștefan
Dr. Ioana Andreea Ștefan (Stanescu) is the project manager of the Research and Innovation Department at Advanced Technology Systems. Her research focuses on software ecosystems, knowledge management, decision support systems, game-based learning, reuse, standards, interoperability, and creative learning. She has a PhD in Computer Science at the Romanian Academy, Information Science and Technology Department, Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence. She has been involved in the technical development and management of national and international RDI initiatives: the European Game and Learning Alliance (GaLA) Network; Serious Games for Computer Aided Engineering and Product Prototyping; Game-Enhanced Learning (GEL); Serious Games Development Environment (DESiG); BEACONING (H2020, 2016-2018).
- Email: ioana.stefan@ats.com.ro
