mLearning: the classroom in your pocket?

This paper reports the findings of a 1 year project which focussed solely on the potential of handheld computers for teacher professional development. The paper considers the fit between theory and practice, viewing the developing literature on mLearning as it might apply to teacher professional development, in the light of research evidence from project teachers using handheld computers. The teachers themselves used the analytical framework for teacher professional knowledge developed by Banks, Leach and Moon to consider their own experiences with the handheld computers. The study finds that handheld digital tools hold a number of pedagogic and pragmatic advantages over laptop or desktop computers for teachers, especially in rural communities; however, further technical development is required to fully orient the devices to classroom rather than office practices

Supporting ethnographic studies of ubiquitous computing in the wild

Ethnography has become a staple feature of IT research over the last twenty years, shaping our understanding of the social character of computing systems and informing their design in a wide variety of settings. The emergence of ubiquitous computing raises new challenges for ethnography however, distributing interaction across a burgeoning array of small, mobile devices and online environments which exploit invisible sensing systems. Understanding interaction requires ethnographers to reconcile interactions that are, for example, distributed across devices on the street with online interactions in order to assemble coherent understandings of the social character and purchase of ubiquitous computing systems. We draw upon four recent studies to show how ethnographers are replaying system recordings of interaction alongside existing resources such as video recordings to do this and identify key challenges that need to be met to support ethnographic study of ubiquitous computing in the wild

Camera-based 3D interaction for handheld devices

Ankara : The Department of Computer Engineering and the Institute of Engineering and Science of Bilkent University, 2010.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2010.Includes bibliographical references leaves 62-64.Using handheld devices is a very important part of our daily life. Interacting with them is the most unavoidable part of using them. Today’s user interface designs are mostly adapted from desktop computers. The result of this was difficulties of using handheld devices. However processing power, new sensing technologies and cameras are already available for mobile devices. This gives us the possibility to develop systems to communicate through different modalities. This thesis proposes some novel approaches, including finger detection, finger tracking and object motion analysis, to allow efficient interaction with mobile devices. As the result of my thesis, a new interface between users and mobile devices is created. This is a new way of interaction with the mobile device. It enables direct manipulation on objects. The technique does not require any extra hardware. The interaction method, maps an object’s motion (such as a finger’s or a predefined marker’s motion) to a virtual space to achieve manipulation which is moving in front of the camera. For Finger Detection, a new method is created based on the usage of the mobile devices and structure of thumb. A fast two dimensional color-based scene analysis method is applied to solve the problem. For Finger Tracking, a new method is created based on the movement ergonomics of thumb when holding the mobile device on hand. Extracting the three dimensional movement from the two dimensional RGB data is an important part of this section of the study. A new 3D pointer data and pointer image is created for usage with 3D input and 3D interaction of 3D scenes. Also direct manipulation for low cost is achieved.Pekin, Tacettin SercanM.S

Innovation in Mobile Learning: A European Perspective

In the evolving landscape of mobile learning, European researchers have conducted significant mobile learning projects, representing a distinct perspective on mobile learning research and development. Our paper aims to explore how these projects have arisen, showing the driving forces of European innovation in mobile learning. We propose context as a central construct in mobile learning and examine theories of learning for the mobile world, based on physical, technological, conceptual, social and temporal mobility. We also examine the impacts of mobile learning research on educational practices and the implications for policy. Throughout, we identify lessons learnt from European experiences to date

Emerging technologies for learning (volume 1)

Collection of 5 articles on emerging technologies and trend

The genesis and development of mobile learning in Europe

In the past two decades, European researchers have conducted many significant mobile learning projects. The chapter explores how these projects have arisen and what each one has contributed, so as to show the driving forces and outcomes of European innovation in mobile learning. The authors identify context as a central construct in European researchers’ conceptualizations of mobile learning and examine theories of learning for the mobile world, based on physical, technological, conceptual, social and temporal mobility. The authors also examine the impacts of mobile learning research on educational practices and the implications for policy. Finally, they suggest future challenges for researchers, developers and policy makers in shaping the future of mobile learning