Design and development of a location-based mobile learning system to facilitate English learning

Rapid technological developments along with the popularity of the Internet and mobile devices in recent years have allowed learners to undertake learning outside the confines of the physical classroom and immerse themselves in actual locations and situations. This has led to a proliferation of research in this field together with the design and development that integrate the use of mobile devices, allowing students to undertake mobile context-aware learning. In this study, 64 Taiwanese tertiary students evaluated a learning system about plants in the English language. This location-based mobile learning system to facilitate English learning was based on mobile context-aware learning and related theories. The analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model was used for the system development. Analysis of users’ requirements indicated that the majority of subjects preferred teaching materials with text and images presented on web pages on mobile devices, and that the user interface should be simple. Feedback from the evaluation of the system included suggestions to improve the maps, words, and images provided, as well as the sensing range of the global positioning system. In addition, providing forum feedback and an audio guide may be strategies to enhance users’ experience of using the system. After modifications, the final product was a fully functional system for learning about plants in English. Mobile learning is the future developmental trend in the field of education. It is anticipated that the design and development of the proposed system will serve as a reference for other researchers and future developments in mobile learning systems.     

Music learning in preschool with mobile devices

Mobile and game-based learning are novel approaches characterised by the use of mobile devices and enabling learning anywhere and at any time. In this paper, we share an experience-based design and a pilot study to introduce music learning in preschool education. SAMI (Software for music learning in early childhood education) is a mobile application consisting of four games which main objectives are ear training, sound discrimination and music composition. The pilot study carried out in a real-life setting with third-year kindergarten children provides empirical data about music learning outcomes and compares an experimental group of children using SAMI with a control group which follows the traditional Montessori bells method. Our study results reveal a number of key findings for the design of preschool mobile games and the potential of using mobile technologies for music learning in early childhood.     

Computer-supported reflective learning: how apps can foster reflection at work

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the potential of ICT to support reflective learning for professionals. We aggregated data collected in 20 field studies with 12 different applications, involving a total of 321 participants. The applications addressed individual reflection as well as collaborative reflection. Such a systematic analysis with different applications used across industry sectors and companies is unique in the current literature on computer-supported reflective learning in the workplace. Primarily, we assessed the reaction to reflection applications and their effectiveness regarding learning, behaviour change, and organisational impact. In addition, we investigated differences with respect to work experience. Results show that users had a positive reaction to the apps and perceived their use to be beneficial for their work by using them. In collaborative reflection an inexperienced employee can benefit from the experiences and perspectives of more experienced (co-)workers. In contrast, individual reflection was more profitable for more experienced workers. Notwithstanding the overall positive results, the actual implementation of reflection applications requires careful adaptation to the specific organisational and situational context, as well as introductory and accompanying measures to assure efficient and beneficial usage of the tools.     

Collaborative learning and mobile devices: An educational experience in Primary Education

In this paper we review the relevance of the models of Collaborative Learning (CL) in Primary Education, also exploring the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in these processes. Through the case study method, the main objective of this article is to describe the design, implementation and evaluation of a collaborative experience with ICT involving students in the 5th year of Primary Education in a Spanish school. Information has been collected from all those involved: teachers, tutors, teacher ICT support and students from two classes participating in the investigation. The results confirm the fact that ICT provide tools and channels that have multiplied the possibilities to carry out collaborative projects, providing quality assurance to share and communicate. The experience presented provides evidence to confirm this, and at the same time, confronts the dominant methodology based more on individual learning where the teacher continues to exercise the role of sole transmitter of knowledge.     

Ubiquitous learning website: Scaffold learners by mobile devices with information-aware techniques

The portability and immediate communication properties of mobile devices influence the learning processes in interacting with peers, accessing resources and transferring data. For example, the short message and browsing functions in a cell phone provide users with timely and adaptive information access. Although many studies of mobile learning indicate the pedagogical potential of mobile devices, the screen size, computational power, battery capacity, input interfaces, and network bandwidth are too restricted to develop acceptable functionality for the entire learning processes in a handheld device. Therefore, mobile devices can be adopted to fill the gap between Web-based learning and ubiquitous mobile learning. This study first creates a website, providing functions enabling learning to take place anytime and anywhere with any available learning device, for ubiquitous learning according to various properties of mobile devices. Nowadays, learners’ behaviors on a website can be recorded as learning portfolios and analyzed for behavioral diagnosis or instructional planning. A student model is then built according to the analytical results of learning portfolios and a concept map of the learning domain. Based on the student model and learners’ available learning devices, three modules are developed to build a ubiquitous learning environment to enhance learning performance via learning status awareness, schedule reminders and mentor recommendation. Finally, an experiment is conducted with 54 college students after implementation of the ubiquitous learning website. Experimental results indicate that the proposed system can enhance three learning performance indicators, namely academic performance, task accomplishment rates, and learning goals achievement rates.     

Breaking bad habits: A field experiment about how routinized work practices can be made more eco-efficient through IS for sensemaking

We conducted a field experiment to compare the effects of information systems (IS) supporting reflective disclosure and information democratization on the sustainability footprint of a routine organizational work practice, paper printing. We find that both sensemaking processes lead to employees reducing their printing; however, the processes are interchangeable and do not mutually reinforce each other's effects. This finding contrasts a latent assumption of prior research about a co-dependence between reflective disclosure and information democratization, and suggests organizations have a choice in how they can design and use IS to help employees make sense of different possibilities for more eco-efficient work.     

Developing digital fluency through ubiquitous mobile devices: Findings from a small-scale study

As part of the Visual Learning Lab’s initiative of promoting visual learning supported through technologies in Higher Education, this VLL funded study explored part-time mature doctoral students’ use and perceptions of a mobile device in support of their research activities. The study was conducted by the Graduate School in collaboration with the School of Nursing at the University of Nottingham. Six students participated in the study for a period of six months. The methodology was qualitative and included semi-structured exit interviews. By re-analysing the original study (Gibbons, 2009), this paper raises a vital question about what constitutes a meaningful mobile learning experience which takes into account the different biographical and life stage factors. It challenges the ongoing debate on generational issues on uses of mobile or other digital technologies and leads to discussion of the concept of digital fluency with all learners.     

1:1 mobile inquiry learning experience for primary science students: a study of learning effectiveness

This paper presents the findings of a research project in which we transformed a primary (grade) 3 science curriculum for delivery via mobile technologies, and a teacher enacted the lessons over the 2009 academic year in a class in a primary school in Singapore. The students had a total of 21 weeks of the mobilized lessons in science, which were co‐designed by teachers and researchers by tapping into the affordances of mobile technologies for supporting inquiry learning in and outside of class. We examine the learning effectiveness of the enacted mobilized science curriculum. The results show that among the six mixed‐ability classes in primary (grade) 3 in the school, the experimental class performed better than other classes as measured by traditional assessments in the science subject. With mobilized lessons, students were found to learn science in personal, deep and engaging ways as well as developed positive attitudes towards mobile learning.     

Implementing mobile learning curricula in a grade level: Empirical study of learning effectiveness at scale

Developing and then scaling up an educational innovation so that it achieves on the dimensions of depth, sustainability, spread and change of ownership is a complex endeavor. In this paper, we present a study of one such innovation which has been developed through a design-based research process in a Singapore school. The innovation features a primary science curriculum integrating the 5E inquiry phases with the use of mobile technology. It has evolved through the various development phases to where the innovation is becoming an integral part of routine classroom practices. With the objective of examining the impact of the curriculum innovation on science teaching and learning, this paper reports some of the results of our scaling efforts, in particular, those relating to changes in classroom practices and the effectiveness brought by the curriculum innovation. Using qualitative data analysis methods, the study discusses the transformation of the classroom practices on teachers' pedagogical approaches, classroom culture, lesson plan design, linkages to informal learning, assessment methods, and parent involvement. Quantitative analysis of the performance of students in science assessments when compared between pre-scaling and scaling phases shows the efficacy of the innovation when scaled up to a whole grade level. Implications are drawn to inform future studies or work on factors for effective scaling up of technology-supported curricular innovations.     

Embodied experiences of place: a study of history learning with mobile technologies

This paper reports an empirical study that takes a multimodal analytical approach to examine how mobile technologies shape students' exploration and experience of place during a history learning activity in situ. In history education, mobile technologies provide opportunities for authentic experiential learning activities that have the potential to re‐mediate students' understanding of space and place through enacted interaction, and to make the learning more memorable. A key question is how learners work with the physical and digital information in the context of that learning experience, and how this supports new experiences and understanding of space and place. Findings suggest that embodied mobile experiences foster the creation of both physical and digital markers, which were instrumental in concretizing the history experience and developing new narratives. The findings also show how different representational forms of digital information mediated interaction in specific ways and how digital augmentation can lead to conflation in student understanding of space and time. These findings inform our understanding of the value of mobile applications in supporting embodied learning experiences and provide key implications for pedagogical design, both in situ and back in the classroom.     

The attitudes,impact, and learning needs of older adults using apps on touchscreen mobile devices: Results from a pilot study

Despite the proliferation in understanding older adults’ acceptance and limitations of Internet technology, the learning needs of older adults living in low Internet usage areas and their acceptance of touchscreen-based apps have lagged behind. This study describes an embedded mixed-method research evaluation of an eight-week touchscreen mobile device training for thirty-nine older adults who were recruited from a community center in a low Internet usage area in southern Taiwan. Among the participants, 20 completed both the pre-test and the post-test and 16 attended the focus group interviews. The design of the training course was based on constructs informed by the diffusion of innovation theory and the technology acceptance model, and it incorporated both a classroom-based and small group tutoring approach. After the training session, the participants reported significantly lower depressive symptom scores compared to baseline. Qualitative interviews reveal the participants’ learning needs related to extended practice, usefulness, and compatibility in adopting touch-screen apps. Findings from this study shed light on the possibility of touchscreen-based apps, including health-, entertainment-, transportation-, and social media-related apps, for improving psychological well-being in older adults with limited Internet experience living in the community. Discussion on their learning needs was also provided.     

Here and now mobile learning: An experimental study on the use of mobile technology

Mobile technology opens the door for a new kind of learning called here and now learning that occurs when learners have access to information anytime and anywhere to perform authentic activities in the context of their learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of here and now mobile learning on student achievement and attitude. The research questions addressed were (1) Does “Here and Now” mobile learning significantly improve student achievement when compared with Computer based Instruction? (2) Does “Here and Now” mobile learning significantly improve student attitude when compared with Computer based Instruction? (3) Are there differences in student achievement and attitudes when “Here and Now” mobile learning is delivered using a tablet versus ipod? 109 undergraduate students enrolled in preservice instructional design and instructional technology courses at a regional southeastern university participated in the study. Participants took a pretest at the beginning of the study, and then were assigned to one of the versions of an art lesson (CBI version and iPad/iPod version) which were developed using Lectora Inspire incorporating information on five different paintings in the education building. After the lesson, they completed the posttest and an attitude survey. ANOVA was conducted on data obtained from the achievement posttest and on the attitude survey results for the Likert type items (Items 1–12). Analyses on achievement and attitude data revealed positive significant differences. The CBI treatment achieved positive posttest scores on the posttest while the iPad/iPod treatments had positive attitudes. This study has implications for those designing and implementing mobile learning.     

Privacy in targeted advertising on mobile devices: a survey

Targeted advertising has transformed the marketing landscape for a wide variety of businesses, by creating new opportunities for advertisers to reach prospective customers by delivering personalised ads, using an infrastructure of a number of intermediary entities and technologies. The advertising and analytics companies collect, aggregate, process, and trade a vast amount of users’ personal data, which has prompted serious privacy concerns among both individuals and organisations. This article presents a comprehensive survey of the privacy risks and proposed solutions for targeted advertising in a mobile environment. We outline details of the information flow between the advertising platform and ad/analytics networks, the profiling process, the measurement analysis of targeted advertising based on user’s interests and profiling context, and the ads delivery process, for both in-app and in-browser targeted ads; we also include an overview of data sharing and tracking technologies. We discuss challenges in preserving the mobile user’s privacy that include threats related to private information extraction and exchange among various advertising entities, privacy threats from third-party tracking, re-identification of private information and associated privacy risks. Subsequently, we present various techniques for preserving user privacy and a comprehensive analysis of the proposals based on such techniques; we compare the proposals based on the underlying architectures, privacy mechanisms, and deployment scenarios. Finally, we discuss the potential research challenges and open research issues.

     

A study on stackable mosaic generation for mobile devices

With the growing use of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and digital cameras, photography has become an integral part of everyday life. In particular, mobile devices with cameras allow us to easily capture and modify photographs that can be shared via social networks. In this paper, we introduce a mobile device application for converting photographs into photomosaic images. In general, high-quality photomosaics require large databases. However, mobile devices have limited resources; hence it is difficult for such devices to support photomosaics. We propose a method that produces a photomosaic effect using a database that consists of rotatable images. We also propose a solution to the performance issue based on a best match search.     

Enhancing computer graphics through machine learning: a survey

Machine learning has experienced explosive growth in the last few decades, achieving sufficient maturity to provide effective tools for sundry scientific and engineering fields. Machine learning provides a firm theoretical foundation upon which to build techniques that leverage existing data to extract interesting information or to synthesize more data.In this paper we survey the uses of machine learning methods and concepts in recent computer graphics techniques. Many graphics techniques are data-driven; however, few graphics papers explicitly leverage the machine learning literature to underpin, validate, and develop their proposed methods. This survey provides novel insights by casting many existing computer graphics techniques into a common learning framework. This not only illuminates how these techniques are related, but also reveals possible ways in which they may be improved. We also use our analysis to propose several directions for future work.     

MuseumScouts: Exploring how schools,museums and interactive technologies can work together to support learning

In this paper we report on the successes and challenges of a creative project involving museums, schools and interactive technologies. The MuseumScouts project is EU Comenius 2.1 funded and involves teachers, teacher educators, museum staff, students and researchers from five European countries: Germany (Berlin and Munich), Lithuania (Vilnius), Portugal (Porto), Austria (Linz), and the UK (Bristol and London).     

Rendezvousing with location-aware devices: Enhancing social coordination

Emerging technologies such as location-awareness devices have the potential to significantly impact users' social coordination, particularly while rendezvousing. It is important that we explore how new technologies influence social behaviours and communication in order to realize their full potential. This paper presents a field study investigating the use of mobile location-aware devices for rendezvous activities. Participants took part in one of three mobile device conditions (a mobile phone, a location-aware handheld, or both a mobile phone and a location-aware handheld) and completed three rendezvousing scenarios. The results reveal key differences in communication patterns between the mediums, as well as the potential strengths and limitations of location-aware devices for social coordination. The paper concludes with a discussion of relevant design issues drawn from observations gathered during the field study.     

Evaluation of motion-based interaction for mobile devices: A case study on image browsing

This article evaluates the usability of motion sensing-based interaction on a mobile platform using image browsing as a representative task. Three types of interfaces, a physical button interface, a motion-sensing interface using a high-precision commercial 3D motion tracker, and a motion-sensing interface using an in-house low-cost 3D motion tracker, are compared in terms of task performance and subjective preference. Participants were provided with prolonged training over 20 days, in order to compensate for the participants’ unfamiliarity with the motion-sensing interfaces. Experimental results showed that the participants’ task performance and subjective preference for the two motion-sensing interfaces were initially low, but they rapidly improved with training and soon approached the level of the button interface. Furthermore, a recall test, which was conducted 4 weeks later, demonstrated that the usability gains were well retained in spite of the long time gap between uses. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of motion-based interaction as an intuitive interface for mobile devices.