Mobilearn : An e-learning portal for 3G handheld devices

Mobilearn An E-learning Portal for 3G handheld Devices

What is mLearning?
mLearning is the acquisition of any knowledge and skill through using mobile technology,
anywhere, anytime, that results in an alteration in behavior. (Geddes S.J. 2004)
Any activity that allows individuals to be more productive when consuming, interacting with, or creating information, mediated through a compact digital portable device that the individual carries on a regular basis, has reliable connectivity, and fits in a pocket or purse. (eLearning Guild, 360 Report)

Abstract
Mobilearn is a comprehensive E-learning Portal for 3G Handheld Devices that allows you to create learning-content for your mobile phone.
It transfers the computer-aided and multimedia-based learning (known as eLearning) to a mobile environment.
This special kind of computer-aided and multimedia based learning is commonly known as "mLearning".
The Mobilearn enables the Students to use their mobile phone as a medium for learning and for Institutions a new integrated way of teaching anywhere in anytime.

The mobile phone application was coded using the JAVA through Netbeans Integrated Developing Environment6.8 and Java Wireless toolkit 2.5.2 , while the built-in Moodle Mobile plugin was coded using Adobe Dreamweaver cs4 , XAMPP1.7.3, PHP5.2.3 and XML.
The contents of the mobile phones are created with XML. After developing the Moodle Mobile plugin and Mobile Phone Application, it was tested on a phone that supports J2ME (java enabled phones) through transferring the jar file to a mobile phone.

It was installed on different Nokia N-Series phones to test the compatibility using Nokia PC Suite as a medium for transportation of the jar file.
For some touch-screen phones (especially for iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones) there are problems on how to get the application working at first but we were enabled to develop the application for some touch-screen phones.
For touch-screen phones, we used Samsung S5230 for the implementation using IVT BlueSoleil -Bluetooth Manager6.5 to install the application on the mobile phone.

Background
The traditional education is made in classrooms where the teacher presents the learning material to a group of students. The educational technology depends mainly of teachers, and the students must physically participate in the learning process.
The rapid growth of information and communication technologies and rising computer knowledge of the students make possible appearance of these new educational forms.
New phones are capable of exchanging voices, text, pictures and video. In addition, the wireless network provides high-speed connections with low costs to mobile subscribers.

The main types of mobile devices used in the education process are: Notebook computers, Tablet PC, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), Cellular phones and Smart Phones.
Use of mobile systems increased, and will further grow due to the emergence of third generation wireless networks and since technology, devices and infrastructures matured.
Mobile Learning (mLearning) describes a new trend of learning that uses innovations like wireless communication, personal digital assistants, digital content from traditional textbooks, and other sources to provide a dynamic learning environment and to lay the framework for uniting education and technology together into a single consortium.

Objectives
This study aims to develop a mobile application that could provide a dynamic learning environment and to lay the framework for uniting education and technology together into a single consortium.
Specifically, the study has the following objectives:
To allow users to create a learning content for their mobile phone.
To create an application that can help foster student – teacher engagement and offer opportunities to make learning integral to daily life.
To enable Students use their mobile phone as a medium for learning and for Institutions as a new integrated way of teaching anywhere in anytime.

Significance
This study is significant to any educational interaction delivered through mobile technology and accessed at a student’s convenience from any location.
Because m-learning utilizes a variety of devices, many of which are ubiquitous in the lives of students, it can foster student engagement and offer opportunities to make learning integral to daily life.
It can provide multiple applications to track down complex data sets or complete assignments that involve solving multidimensional problems.

Related studies
Personalized intelligent mobile learning system (PIMS)
The system provides an effective and flexible learning environment for English learning and it adopts the advantages of the mobile learning. English news articles to learners based on the learners’ reading abilities evaluated by the proposed fuzzy Item Response Theory (FIRT). In addition, to promote the reading abilities of English news, the unknown or unfamiliar vocabularies of individual learner can also be automatically discovered and retrieved from the reading English news articles by the PIMS system according to the English vocabulary ability of individual learner for enhancing vocabulary learning. MySQL server and Java Programming Language was used to perform its work. (Personalized Intelligent Mobile Learning System for Supporting Effective English Learning, Chen, C.-M. et. al 2008).

Using Mobile Web 2.0 to Transform Pedagogy and Engage Learners
It involves the use of wireless enabled mobile digital devices WMDs within and between pedagogically designed learning environments or contexts. mLearning can support and enhance both the face-to-face and off campus teaching and learning contexts by using the mobile wireless devices as a means to leverage the potential of Web 2.0 tools. This model is used for lecturer development prior to implementing mLearning projects with their students.
Participating students and lecturers were provided with a 3G smartphone and a 1GB/month mobile broadband account for the duration of the projects (2008). Internet connectivity was also available via the Unitec WiFi network while on campus. This research project is interested in appropriating the benefits of Web 2.0 and pedagogy 2.0 anywhere anytime using mobile Web 2.0 and WMDs, in particular WiFi and 3G enabled smartphones, and 3G enabled netbooks. (Using Mobile Web 2.0 to Transform Pedagogy and Engage Learners , Cochrane T., 2008.)

Features
Flash-card trainer (file-card trainer) (eg: for vocabulary-learning)
Import flashcards from CSV files (you can export MS Excel files to CSV because it is one of the eature of the editor]
use images, audio and video in your learning content
Single choice questions
Multiple choice questions
fill-in questions (text or numbers)
order-question (order statements)
graphical markup question (mark certain regions within an images)
powerful point-system for the result evaluation
import text-content from HTML-files [feature of the editor]
Create a learning-content once and use it on multiple, different phones
the application solves the question immediately
use hints (tips) to lead the user to the correct answer

Outputs
Text notification of updated lectures of students uploaded by their respective teachers
Students receive updates through their mobile number.
Teachers/admin can receive updates of students’ outputs.

System Architecture

Development tools
DBMS – PostgreSQL or MySQL , SQL (language)
Application server
Graphics - Adobe Photoshop cs4
Moodle Mobile Plugin - Adobe Dreamweaver cs4 , PHP (language - moodle theme), xml (language - mobile phone), PHP5.3, apache , XAMPP
Mobile Application - Windows XP, Netbeans 6.8, Wireless Toolkit 2.5.2, java (language)

System requirements
Platform server (web-application) for the Mobilearn - Linux ,Apache, PostgreSQL / MySQL, PHP 5.3 , XAMPP and Moodle 1.9 or latest version.
Messaging server and Gateway server - Java Sun 5.0 or higher, Nokia PC Suite, IVT BlueSoleil-Bluetooth Manager6.5, Mobile master7 and OZEKI NG SMS Gateway ; JAVA (language)
Hardware
Platform Server and Messaging server and Gateway server - Bluetooth device, router and broadband (internet connectivity) , Disk space: 160MB free (min) and Memory: 1GB
3G Mobile Phone - 2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 , 3G Network : HSDPA 2100 , Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate , Memory : 8/16GB Storage, 128 MB RA , Camera and Video , MMS, SMS, Instant Messaging , WiFi , Bluetooth , J2me enabled and mobile 'broadband' enabled.

Mobilearn : An e-learning portal for 3G handheld devices

by jay ann marie blancaflor

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