This book deals with the problem of e-learning, closely connected with the use of modern information technologies in education. The focus is on developing an information management system for supporting the distance learning process in colleges and universities in the context of steadily expanding information technologies.

1. Open Distance Learning 2. Methods of Modelling of Competence 3. Team Project Process Oriented on Acquiring Competence 4. Ontology Modelling in Open Distance Learning 5. Motivation Modelling in Open Distance Learning 6. Collaboration Modelling in Open Distance Learning 7. Incentive Model of a Project Learning Process 8. Simulation Experiments as a Ground for Acquiring Competencies in the ODL Environment 9. Conclusions

Oleg Zaikin is a professor at the Warsaw School of Computer Science, Poland. A PhD in computer science, he started his career as a research engineer at the Leningrad Research Radio Institute, Russia, in 1966. He held an academic position at St. Petersburg Electrical University, Russia (1970-1990); head of the department at St. Petersburg Institute of Printing and Publishing, Russia (1991-1996); professor at the University 'Oriente', Republic of Cuba (1978-1979); and professor at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Systems and head of the Department of Production Control, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Poland (1996-2009). Prof. Zaikin is a member of the Technical Committee 5.1 of the International Federation of Automatic Control and the International Academy of Computer Science. He has authored and edited 10 books on computer science and published more than 50 refereed articles and 85 conference papers.