Web Service Testing and Usability for Mobile Learning

Based on the summary of recent renowned publications, Mobile Learning (ML) has become an emerging technology, as well as a new technique that can enhance the quality of learning. Due to the increasing importance of ML, the investigation of such impacts on the e-Science community is amongst the hot topics, which also relate to part of these research areas: Grid Infrastructure, Wireless Communication, Virtual Research Organization and Semantic Web. The above examples contribute to the demonstrations of how Mobile Learning can be applied into e-Science applications, including usability. However, there are few papers addressing testing and quality engineering issues – the core component for software engineering. Therefore, the major purpose of this paper is to present how Web Service Testing for Mobile Learning can be carried out, in addition to re-investigating the influences of the usability issue with both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Out of many mobile technologies available, the Pocket PC and Tablet PC have been chosen as the equipment; and the OMII Web Service, the 64-bit .NET e-portal and the GPS-PDA are the software tools to be used for Web Service testing

Application of virtual reality in a learning experience

The project is an application that allows users to interact in a virtual environment via web interface, in which models are in three dimensions to simulate different activities. The application focuses on education through the use of virtual reality technology, enriching the student’s perception through the interaction with objects in an artificial world, facilitating their learning. For this purpose a website was built on which the application can be executed directly in the web browser with the help of a plugin or downloaded and run as a native application. The user navigates in the virtual environment containing a three-dimensional replica of one of the laboratories of the Polytechnic School U.N.E. The tests consisted of running the model and laboratory simulations. The results obtained from forms show that the use of virtual reality is valid, accepted and helps understanding the context of the simulations.XIII Workshop Tecnología Informática Aplicada en Educación (WTIAE)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Application of virtual reality in a learning experience

The project is an application that allows users to interact in a virtual environment via web interface, in which models are in three dimensions to simulate different activities. The application focuses on education through the use of virtual reality technology, enriching the student’s perception through the interaction with objects in an artificial world, facilitating their learning. For this purpose a website was built on which the application can be executed directly in the web browser with the help of a plugin or downloaded and run as a native application. The user navigates in the virtual environment containing a three-dimensional replica of one of the laboratories of the Polytechnic School U.N.E. The tests consisted of running the model and laboratory simulations. The results obtained from forms show that the use of virtual reality is valid, accepted and helps understanding the context of the simulations.XIII Workshop Tecnología Informática Aplicada en Educación (WTIAE)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Towards an institutional PLE

PLEs in their broader sense (the ad-hoc, serendipitous and potentially chaotic set of tools that learners bring to their learning) are increasingly important for learners in the context of formal study. In this paper we outline the approach that we are taking at the University of Southampton in redesigning our teaching and learning infrastructure into an Institutional PLE. We do not see this term as an oxymoron. We define an Institutional PLE as an environment that provides a personalised interface to University data and services and at the same time exposes that data and services to a student’s personal tools. Our goal is to provide a digital platform that can cope with an evolving learning and teaching environment, as well as support the social and community aspects of the institution

Multiplatform Writing in University Admissions

Professional organizations frequently publish on multiple platforms, such as paper-and-ink, computers, internet, and mobile phones, to communicate with stakeholders. With more platforms has come more complexity for creating, publishing, and managing content. Over the past four decades, organizations have changed from using ad hoc approaches to creating and publishing content to developing intentional strategies for the publication and management of content on multiple platforms. However, little study in the areas of genre, multimodal studies, and professional writing has foregrounded how the intentional use of multiple platforms has changed and is continuing to change composition practices. Understanding how the use of multiple platforms changes composition practices would help organizations improve their messaging and prevent communication breakdowns, such as inaccuracy in content and redundancy of channels for their stakeholders. To examine how strategically publishing on multiple platforms is changing composition practices, this dissertation examined the artifacts created, published, and managed on the multiplatform recruitment genre set of the UCSB Admissions Office. A model was adapted to look at the composition practices in terms of the genre set’s content substance and structure, intended function of artifacts, and the work practices of the organization. This model combined the content strategy model of Halvorson and Rach (2012), the second-generation activity theory model of Engeström (1999), and ideas from Boumans (2005) and Erdal (2011) on the interaction of platforms to examine the changes.After examining the UCSB recruitment genre set, it was determined that the intentional use of multiple platforms with a content strategy had influenced changes to the content practices of the Admissions Office. The content substance was now based on six major themes (Research, Academics, Service, Community, Beauty, and Outcomes) to keep the content consistent across platforms; it also used various microthemes with unique examples on different channels in order to reduce redundancy. For content structure, each artifact was created to play a persuasive or informative role in the genre set. For genre, there was evidence that the Admissions Office was creating modular genres based on topic-based content to keep the interaction models consistent across platforms and to reduce inaccuracy of content. In terms of genre and modes, there was also the development of a flexible genre in the form of a PowerPoint, whose structure remained the same in terms of the visual slide content, while the verbal content of presenters could change to suit different stakeholders.For intended function of the artifacts, each artifact played a role in the recruitment genre set. The Admission Guide played a lead role and all the other artifacts supported the guide in either informative or persuasive functions. For work practices, each artifact had an individual activity system to oversee the creation, publication, and management of the artifact over the Admissions Cycle. A single coordinator oversaw all the systems in order to keep the substance and structure of the content consistent and to reduce redundancy.While the results of a single case study of one organization using multiple platforms are not generalizable to all organizations, there are several possible implications for the fields of genre, multimodal studies, and professional writing

Interactive 3D Visualization of a Large University Campus over the Web

Nowadays, with the rise and generalized use of web applications and graphical hardware evolution, one of the most interesting problems deals with realistic real-time visualization of virtual environments on web browsers. This paper shows an on-line application to dynamically visualize a large campus on the World Wide Web. The application focuses on a smooth walk through a large 3D environment in real-time as an alternative way to index geographically related information. This way, contents are continuously filtered based on viewpoint¿s position. This can be made thanks to the availability of different models corresponding to different levels of detail (LOD) for each modeled building. A server storage model has been purposed including all models, compound of meshes, textures and information. The technique is based on an algorithm that performs a progressive refining of the models, according to the distance from the viewpoint.Vendrell Vidal, E.; Sanchez Belenguer, C. (2011). Interactive 3D Visualization of a Large University Campus over the Web. International Journal of Computer Information Systems and Industrial Management Applications. 3:514-521. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/35020S514521

New Trends in Using Augmented Reality Apps for Smart City Contexts

The idea of virtuality is not new, as research on visualization and simulation dates back to the early use of ink and paper sketches for alternative design comparisons. As technology has advanced so the way of visualizing simulations as well, but the progress is slow due to difficulties in creating workable simulations models and effectively providing them to the users. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, the evolving technologies that have been haunting the tech industry, receiving excessive attention from the media and colossal growing are redefining the way we interact, communicate and work together. From consumer application to manufacturers these technologies are used in different sectors providing huge benefits through several applications. In this work, we demonstrate the potentials of Augmented Reality techniques in a Smart City (Smart Campus) context. A multiplatform mobile app featuring Augmented Reality capabilities connected to GIS services are developed to evaluate different features such as performance, usability, effectiveness and satisfaction of the Augmented Reality technology in the context of a Smart Campus

Application of virtual reality in a learning experience

The project is an application that allows users to interact in a virtual environment via a web interface, in which models are in three dimensions to simulate different activities. The application focuses on education with virtual reality technology, enriching the student's perception through the interaction with objects in an artificial world, facilitating their learning. A website was designed for this purpose, on which the application can be executed directly in the web browser with the help of a plugin or downloaded and run as a native application. The user navigates in the virtual environment containing a three-dimensional replica of one of the laboratories of the Polytechnic School UNE. The tests consisted of running the model and laboratory simulations. The results obtained from forms show that the use of virtual reality is valid, accepted and helps understanding the context of the simulations.Facultad de Informátic

Considerations on Designing a Geo-targeted AR Application

AbstractWhen designing an AR application for mobile devices there are some factors to take into account such as gyroscope drift and device orientation, compass noise and six axis or accelerometer and GPS sensors accuracy. This work focuses on Geo- targeted Augmented Reality applications. We expose the procedure followed to design an AR framework almost from scratch from the software design point of view. We have also detailed the technical difficulties encountered during the development of the application and how they were addressed. Finally we propose some guidelines and recommendations for future work and improvements which can also serve as a common pattern design for Geo-tagging AR applications

Application of virtual reality in a learning experience

The project is an application that allows users to interact in a virtual environment via a web interface, in which models are in three dimensions to simulate different activities. The application focuses on education with virtual reality technology, enriching the student's perception through the interaction with objects in an artificial world, facilitating their learning. A website was designed for this purpose, on which the application can be executed directly in the web browser with the help of a plugin or downloaded and run as a native application. The user navigates in the virtual environment containing a three-dimensional replica of one of the laboratories of the Polytechnic School UNE. The tests consisted of running the model and laboratory simulations. The results obtained from forms show that the use of virtual reality is valid, accepted and helps understanding the context of the simulations.Facultad de Informátic