CAL 2009: Mobile Learning

Captured live at #cal09, posted late.

Context sensitive mobile learning: Adding relevant information on the move to objects and activities to augment understanding Carl Smith*, John Cook, C. Bradley; London Metropolitan University

CONSENS project. Vocational, context based mobile learning. Attaching information to space - "The world itself becomes the interface". Knowledge formation in the clickable world. There is an increase in scanning and capturing real world. You can then look at overlaying multiple views of real world objects to reveal more information. The hope is that the data can be interrogated rather than just passively viewed. Learner control of the objects - linking 2D, 3D representations of objects with real world.

Reflection in context. For example, accessing data about a street while you stand in the street and record thoughts on phone as a sound file or by creating video podcasts. Reflection in situ - no written notes. Used Mscapes to overlay digital information based on GPS positioning material. Also looked at QR codes and pattern recognition as well as technology such as Photosynth.

Researcher described how they investigated the technology - described how students first went on an "analogue tour", that is a lecturer walked round a city with them and told them about what they were seeing.

Question was also asked about what was meant by "context" - more than just location or even location + time. Do you tell the system you are an architect or does it work it out?

For more detals, see the M-Learning pages at CETL Reusable Learning Objects site or go to the researcher's web page.