E-Learning, E-Education, and Online Training

The First International Conference on e-Learning, e-Education and Online Training, or eLEOT 2014, was held during August 18-20, 2014 at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. This conference has been in the works for many years, with its original date set for 2010. After a few delays, some changes in aims, location, and circumstances, we are happy to report on its success! This year's goal was a simple one: presenting a cross-section of educational technologies and practices that spans over multiple disciplines. The work was coordinated by our Organizing Committee, which is reported later in this publication. The program was composed of 26 technical papers, which were presented in six sessions over the span of 2 days. The Technical Program Committee Chair, Dr. Alberto Bucciero, managed a team of 30 scholars and practitioners who carefully reviewed the 76 submissions that we received. The final program included three tracks: the main track, dedicated to affirmed researchers, the online track, which extended the boundaries of eLEOT 2014 to include those who could not join us physically, and a student track, which gave ample space and resonance to the work of those just getting started. Overall, eLEOT 2014 included collaborators and participants from Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Australia/Oceania. The highlights of the conference included three main events. This year's edition was kicked off with a keynote address by John "Pathfinder" Lester, a pioneer of online education, evangelist of virtual worlds, and constantly working as a connector between research and practice. His past experiences range from Linden Lab (Second Life), to Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, leading him to his current position as Chief Learning Officer at ReactionGrid. Then we opened our TechTalk series with Stefano Santo Sabato, of MediaSoft, S.r.l.. This group has become one of Italy's premier private endeavors in bridging the gap between industry and academia in the area of distance education, among other fields. As the TechTalk is aimed at "looking under the hood" of technological solutions, MediaSoft offered the perfect palette for audiences of all levels of expertise. They also represent our first industry sponsor, which is supporting the Best Student Paper award. We also would like to thank Daniel Bliton and his colleagues at Booz Allen Hamilton, who prepared the pre-conference workshop.The Organizing Committee is grateful to each member of the Technical Program Committee, and I am grateful to each member of the Organizing Committee for their tireless support of this idea that has finally completed its first edition. I would like to also thank the European Alliance for Innovation (EAI) as our primary sponsor and organizer, with a special mention of Sinziana Vieriu, who kept us all sane, synchronized, and (somewhat) on schedule. Lastly, I would like to thank all the presenters, who have been the true protagonists of this event. See you in Italy for eLEOT 2015! Giovanni Vincenti