Establishing user requirements for a mobile learning environment

This paper presents the rationale, challenges, successes and results of activities to establish the requirements for a mobile learning environment. The effort is part of a European-funded research and development project investigating context-sensitive approaches to informal, problem-based and workplace learning by using key advances in mobile technologies. The techniques used include user observation, participatory design workshops and questionnaires. Analytic techniques include UML and the Volere shell and template

Skills and motivation in ad-hoc-collaboration

Mobile technologies offer the opportunity to collaborate spontaneously any time and any place. While researchers have begun to understand the skills and motivational consequences of distributed office meetings, we are only beginning to understand them for ad-hoc collaboration. This paper reports on an analysis of two exploratory experiments dating from 2004 and 2005. Ad-hoc collaboration requires specific skills for process facilitation, communication, planning, media usage, multi-tasking, as well as specific social skills. Those skills need to be different in their characteristic than those skills necessary for traditional face-to-face and distributed meetings. A fast action and reaction cycle leads to raised excitement and motivation despite the difficulties the group has in organizing their work

Der Mehrwert von Annotationen im mCSCL

Kooperative Lehr-/ Lernarrangements kommen der Forderung nach einer modernen kognitivistisch ausgerichteten Ausbildung in besonderer Weise nach. Die mit kooperativem Lernen eng verknüpfte Materialbearbeitung kann durch gezielte Computerunterstützung erheblich vereinfacht, unterstützt und erweitert werden. Annotationssysteme haben sich als wertvolle Ergänzung erwiesen, da sie die bestehende Kluft zwischen Material und Kommunikation sinnvoll überbrücken können. Mit dem Einsatz von mobilen Technologien findet vermehrt spontane und situative Kommunikation statt, wodurch die Kooperationsintensität erhöht wird. Darüber hinaus verbessert sich die in kooperativen Lehr-/ Lernarrangements meist schwierig zu meisternde, aber doch notwendige spontane Koordination. Die präsentierten Ergebnisse wurden im Rahmen des EU-Projektes MOBIlearn (www.mobilearn.org) erarbeitet und finanziell durch das Schweizer Bundesamt für Bildung und Wissenschaft gefördert

Skills and motivation in ad-hoc-collaboration

Mobile technologies offer the opportunity to collaborate spontaneously any time and any place. While researchers have begun to understand the skills and motivational consequences of distributed office meetings, we are only beginning to understand them for ad-hoc collaboration. This paper reports on an analysis of two exploratory experiments dating from 2004 and 2005. Ad-hoc collaboration requires specific skills for process facilitation, communication, planning, media usage, multi-tasking, as well as specific social skills. Those skills need to be different in their characteristic than those skills necessary for traditional face-to-face and distributed meetings. A fast action and reaction cycle leads to raised excitement and motivation despite the difficulties the group has in organizing their work.