Technical and design Technical and design issues in implementation issues in implementation

Dr. Mohamed AllyDr. Mohamed AllyDirector and ProfessorDirector and Professor

Centre for Distance EducationCentre for Distance EducationAthabasca UniversityAthabasca University

CanadaCanada

New Zealand PresentationNew Zealand PresentationJanuary 2010January 2010

Examples of Educational Activities Examples of Educational Activities using Mobile Technologyusing Mobile Technology

Make a concept map summarizing a chapterMake a concept map summarizing a chapter Keep track of class schedules, assignments, and Keep track of class schedules, assignments, and

gradesgrades Increase content accessibility for those with Increase content accessibility for those with

disabilitiesdisabilities Use a tutorial for self-studyUse a tutorial for self-study Take part in a collaborative simulationTake part in a collaborative simulation Do research on the webDo research on the web Participate in a collaborative projectParticipate in a collaborative project Track a community service learning project Track a community service learning project

How mobile technology help How mobile technology help in Educationin Education

Education is more than one way delivery Education is more than one way delivery of informationof information InteractiveInteractive SupportSupport PracticePractice Practical applicationPractical application Build learning communitiesBuild learning communities

InteractivityInteractivity in Learning in Learning

Object interactivity (proactive inquiry)Object interactivity (proactive inquiry) - - objects (buttons, people, things) are activated objects (buttons, people, things) are activated by using a keypad or other pointing device.by using a keypad or other pointing device.

Linear interactivity (reactive pacing)Linear interactivity (reactive pacing) - the user - the user is able to move (forwards or backwards) is able to move (forwards or backwards) through a predetermined linear sequence. through a predetermined linear sequence.

Support interactivity (reactive inquiry)Support interactivity (reactive inquiry) - - generalized and context-sensitive support generalized and context-sensitive support (help messages and tutorial supports). (help messages and tutorial supports).

Interactivity (cont’d)Interactivity (cont’d) Update InteractivityUpdate Interactivity - individual application - individual application

components or events in which a dialogue is components or events in which a dialogue is initiated between the learner and mobile-initiated between the learner and mobile-generated content (practice with feedback)generated content (practice with feedback)

Construct InteractivityConstruct Interactivity - the creation of an - the creation of an instructional environment in which the learner is instructional environment in which the learner is required to manipulate component objects to required to manipulate component objects to achieve specific goals (assemble an apparatus).achieve specific goals (assemble an apparatus).

Reflective InteractivityReflective Interactivity - text responses to prompts - text responses to prompts or questions where learners can reflect on their or questions where learners can reflect on their response and make their own judgment as to its response and make their own judgment as to its accuracy or correctness.accuracy or correctness.

Interactivity (cont’d)Interactivity (cont’d)

Simulation InteractivitySimulation Interactivity - extends the - extends the role of the learner to that of controller or role of the learner to that of controller or operator, where individual selections operator, where individual selections determine the learning sequence. determine the learning sequence.

Hyperlinked InteractivityHyperlinked Interactivity (proactive (proactive navigation) - the learner has access to a navigation) - the learner has access to a wealth of information, and may "travel" wealth of information, and may "travel" at will through that knowledge base. at will through that knowledge base.

Interactivity (cont’d)Interactivity (cont’d)

Non-Immersive Contextual InteractivityNon-Immersive Contextual Interactivity - - extends the various interactive levels into a extends the various interactive levels into a complete virtual learning environment complete virtual learning environment (mutual elaboration) in which the learner is (mutual elaboration) in which the learner is able to work in a meaningful, job-related able to work in a meaningful, job-related context. context.

Immersive Virtual InteractivityImmersive Virtual Interactivity - provides an - provides an interactive environment in which the learner interactive environment in which the learner is projected into a complete mobile-is projected into a complete mobile-generated world which responds to generated world which responds to individual movement and actions.individual movement and actions.

Why Mobile Learning Why Mobile Learning at Athabasca Universityat Athabasca University

Course material accessible on mobile Course material accessible on mobile devices.devices.

Need to find out if this was meeting Need to find out if this was meeting student requirements.student requirements.

The purpose of this study was to The purpose of this study was to determine the devices being used by determine the devices being used by students, their experience with course students, their experience with course materials access, and how useful they materials access, and how useful they thought using mobile devices to access thought using mobile devices to access course materials was.course materials was.

Delivering to Specific DevicesDelivering to Specific Devices

Device detection had been problematic because new Device detection had been problematic because new devices and mobile OSs and browsers were constantly devices and mobile OSs and browsers were constantly coming on stream.coming on stream.

Created problems for the device detection scheme used Created problems for the device detection scheme used to determine the mobile device:to determine the mobile device:

String user_agent = request.getHeader("user-agent");String user_agent = request.getHeader("user-agent");

Changed to JavaScript to determine screen real estate:Changed to JavaScript to determine screen real estate:

if (screen.width >= 800) {if (screen.width >= 800) { document.write('<style type=\"text/css\">…..document.write('<style type=\"text/css\">…..

Stylesheet DeliveryStylesheet Delivery

If the screen size is >= 800, delivers the full stylesheet

If screen size < 800, delivers style sheet meant for mobile device

Multimedia DisplaysMultimedia Displays

Device detection also implemented for applets, flash, large graphics, etc.

Delivery of alternate graphics to mobile devices

Research Project Research Project

Intelligent Agent to Adapt Course Intelligent Agent to Adapt Course Materials for Mobile LearnersMaterials for Mobile Learners

In mobile learning students use mobile In mobile learning students use mobile devices to access course materials; devices to access course materials; however, these devices operate in however, these devices operate in different ways and have different different ways and have different capabilitiescapabilities

Need a system to identify the device so Need a system to identify the device so course material to be delivered in course material to be delivered in heterogeneous computing platforms heterogeneous computing platforms

This project developed an intelligent This project developed an intelligent software agent capable of adapting to the software agent capable of adapting to the heterogeneous mobile computing heterogeneous mobile computing environment. environment.

Agent CharacteristicsAgent Characteristics

The agent can search for a conversion tool The agent can search for a conversion tool according to the desired format and according to the desired format and convert the course materials automatically.convert the course materials automatically.

The agent is able to understand mobile The agent is able to understand mobile clients’ capabilities.clients’ capabilities.

ProcessProcess Jena as an RDF (Resource Description Jena as an RDF (Resource Description

Framework) parser was used to obtain the Framework) parser was used to obtain the device information, providing a query language device information, providing a query language called Resource Description Query Language called Resource Description Query Language (RDQL, 2005) to query for device information. (RDQL, 2005) to query for device information.

Sun's Wireless Toolkit and PalmOS Emulator Sun's Wireless Toolkit and PalmOS Emulator were used as the testing environment. were used as the testing environment.

An open and service-oriented architecture was An open and service-oriented architecture was used to develop the agent and open application used to develop the agent and open application interfaces to enable interaction and integration interfaces to enable interaction and integration seamlessly between learning objects repository, seamlessly between learning objects repository, course repository, and learning services.course repository, and learning services.

Design ConsiderationsDesign Considerations

Software Portability. Software Portability. A Java-based cross-platform A Java-based cross-platform software framework is one of the most important features software framework is one of the most important features in this project. in this project.

Limited Computing Power and Memory Consumption. Limited Computing Power and Memory Consumption. We designed computing intensive tasks to execute on We designed computing intensive tasks to execute on the server side. The portable computing devices act as the server side. The portable computing devices act as a thin client. a thin client.

Display Properties. Display Properties. The system provides support for The system provides support for different devices by separating the presentation layer different devices by separating the presentation layer from the data content. A number of different devices can from the data content. A number of different devices can be supported without the need of modifying be supported without the need of modifying programming logic and data content.programming logic and data content.

Design Flexibility and Scalability. Design Flexibility and Scalability. The system is The system is designed in a distributed architecture that designed in a distributed architecture that prevents a single point of failure, improves prevents a single point of failure, improves structural scalability and performance. structural scalability and performance.

Caching to Save on Limited Resources.Caching to Save on Limited Resources. With With the support of the caching design, users can the support of the caching design, users can read the cached course notes on the device to read the cached course notes on the device to avoid additional downloads.avoid additional downloads.

Software Agent Support.Software Agent Support. Software agents can Software agents can be used to facilitate automated routine tasks, be used to facilitate automated routine tasks, residing in both the client device and the server residing in both the client device and the server environment. environment.

The overall architectural diagramThe overall architectural diagram

Activity Diagram: Client Server NegotiationActivity Diagram: Client Server Negotiation

Questions for the Component Questions for the Component Attribute Criteria Attribute Criteria

Attribute Criteria / Question Sample Answer / Settings 1. Vendor Name? E.g. Ericsson 2. Model Number? E.g. T68R1 3. Is this device image capable? E.g. Yes/No 4. Can this device display color? E.g. Yes/No 5. Can your device output sound? E.g. Yes/No 6. Can your device accept downloadable software? E.g. Yes/No

Steps in the Device Recognition Steps in the Device Recognition

The server agent will try to recognize the The server agent will try to recognize the device by its vendor and device names. If device by its vendor and device names. If the server agent cannot find that device the server agent cannot find that device directly from the database, it will try to directly from the database, it will try to recognize the device by the component recognize the device by the component attributes. attributes.

What is Next?What is Next?

Mobile LibrariesMobile Libraries Mobile social softwareMobile social software Personal learning spacesPersonal learning spaces LMS integration (Moodle)LMS integration (Moodle) Student modeling and adaptive learningStudent modeling and adaptive learning

ConclusionConclusion

Must deliver courses on a variety of Must deliver courses on a variety of technologytechnology

Cater for the younger generationsCater for the younger generations Improve access with mobile learningImprove access with mobile learning Reach out to the indigenous and remote Reach out to the indigenous and remote

peoplepeople