From Virtual Learning Environments to Pervasive Learning Environments

1. From Virtual Learning Environments to Pervasive Learning Environments Yvan Peter LIFL – Université Lille 1 - France

2. Course objectives • Give an idea of the specific issues arising from the design & development of mobile learning • Provide example works that illustrate these issues

3. E-Learning • Occur through a Virtual Learning Environment or Learning Management System • Manages users (course registration…) • Provides a structure for courses • Gives access to learning resources • Can be collaborative or not • Collaborative features can be • Synchronous (chat, IM, videoconference…) • Asynchronous (mail, forums, blogs…)

4. E-Learning • Web based system • Provides access “anywhere, anytime” • LMS & resources target PC platform • Known screen size, input and output capabilities • Stable connectivity (more or less)

5. E-Learning architecture • Multi-tier architecture Data layer Presentation layer Logic layer

6. E-Learning architecture • Example with Java technology Servlets JSP Tag libraries Enterprise Java Beans Persistent store e.g., relational database Data layer Presentation layer Logic layer

7. E-Learning architecture

8. Mobile, pervasive, ubiquitous Level of embeddedness High Pervasive computing Ubiquitous computing Level of mobility Low High Mobile computing Traditional computing Low [Lyytinen & Youngjin, 2002]

9. Mobile, pervasive, ubiquitous Level of embeddedness High Pervasive computing Ubiquitous computing Level of mobility Low High Mobile computing Traditional computing Low [Lyytinen & Youngjin, 2002]

10. Enabling technologies • Smaller (cheaper) and more powerful devices, embedded technology • Available anywhere, anytime • Wireless networks • Enable connectivity in an infrastructure or ad hoc manner • Sensors and location awareness • Provide context information

11. Elements of design • Management & use of context • Learning in & across contexts • Relation between • Devices • Tasks / activities • Social aspects

12. Context and its use

13. A few words on context • Used to drive adaptation • Of resources, activities, interfaces… Context is any information that can be used to characterize the situation of an entity. An entity is a person, place, or object that is considered relevant to the interaction between a user and an application, including the user and applications themselves [Dey, 2001]

14. A few words on context • Used to drive adaptation • Of resources, activities, interfaces… Context is any information that can be used to characterize the situation of an entity. An entity is a person, place, or object that is considered relevant to the interaction between a user and an application, including the user and applications themselves [Dey, 2001] And/or to the learning experience And also between users through the application

15. Classification by context use [Froehberg, 2006] Context aware systems

16. Sample context aware applications • Digital context • Virus game [Collela, 2000] • Simulates spreading of a virus • System is driven by approaching people • Savannah • Learn to be a lion… • Predefined areas trigger events & media

17. Sample context aware applications • Physical context • Ambient Wood [Harris et al, 2004, Rogers et al, 2005] • Environment related access to media • Data collection

18. The case of location • Location is THE main context of many mobile learning systems • Location can be computed in various ways • Explicit localisation • GPS (outdoor) • Triangulation : Wifi spots or cellular network antennas • Current cell in cellular network • Implicit localisation • Any id reading : QR code/datamatrix, RFID • Bluetooth detection

19. Reference model for mobile social software Context dimensions [de Jong et al, 2008]

20. Device aspect

21. Device Aspect • The form factor has an impact on the interaction & activity support • Weight • Screen size • Input/output capabilities

22. Device Aspect • Device performance and function will also have their importance • Processing power • Memory • Battery life • Communication media supported (bluetooth, Wifi, 3G) • Sensors : GPS, camera…

23. Wireless communication Personal Area Network (PAN) ~10 meters range Device discovery Bluetooth Local Area Network (LAN) ~100 meters range Infrastructure or ad hoc Wifi Mobile Phone networks GSM (low bandwidth) GPRS (medium bandwidth) UMTS (high bandwidth) HSDPA (high bandwidth)

24. Technical frameworks

25. Types of technologies • Type of client • Thin client • Through the device’s browser • Fat client • Requires software deployment • Type of communication • Client-server • Ad hoc / peer-to-peer

26. Thin client • Requires • A browser on the device • Good connectivity • Problems • Pull mode • Historical development of mobile markup • Location is not transmitted by the browser • Except blackberry

27. Thin client : markup & protocols • WAP 1.x & Wireless Markup Language (WML) • Imode & CHTML • WAP 2.0 & XHTML Mobile Profile

28. Thin client • Knowing the device (& the user) • CC/PP (Composite Capabilities/Preference Profiles) • RDF vocabulary to define • Device hardware & software • User preferences

30. Thin client • Knowing the device (& the user) • UAProf (User Agent Profile) • Definition of the WAP 2.0 protocol extension to support profile transmission • Uses CC/PP vocabulary

31. Thin client • Device Context Delivery (DELI) from HP Lab • software library to handle CC/PP & UAProf • http://delicon.sourceforge.net • WURLF (Wireless Universal Resource File) • Open source project to provide • A database of device specifications (XML file) • APIs to take advantage of the database • PHP, Java, Perl, Ruby, Python • http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/

32. Fat client • Development depends on the system • Problems • Needs software deployment • Heterogeneity of hardware & software

33. Fat client • Development environment • .Net • Requires Windows mobile (PDA) • Java • Need a JVM on device • FlashLite • Needs a player on device

34. Fat client : Java

35. Flash Lite • The mobile version of Flash player & development environment • Programming language : ActionScript • With restricted features compared to PC platform

36. Flash Lite

37. Mobile Widgets • Information specific interface to be embedded on the user interface • At the time very much tied to the vendor environment

38. Frameworks & architectures

39. AMULETS project [Skipol et al, 2008] • Innovative learning activities • Collaborative learning • In context • Authentic setting (supported by ubiquitous technologies)

40. AMULETS architecture [Skipol et al, 2009]

41. Reference Architecture • Reference Architecture for Context-Aware Learning Support Systems [Schmidt, 2008] • 6 layers architecture

42. Reference Architecture Interface level context awareness [Schmidt, 2008]

43. Reference Architecture: in use • Applied in the Learning in Process project • Integration of working and learning on a process level • Learning management, knowledge management, human capital management and collaboration solutions on a technical level

44. Reference Architecture: in use [Schmidt, 2008]

45. Reference Architecture: in use [Schmidt, 2008]

46. Mobilearn • Next-generation paradigms and interfaces for technology supported learning in a mobile environment exploring the potential of ambient intelligence

47. Mobilearn architecture

48. Open Mobile ApplicationFramework (OMAF) [Dahn, 2003]

49. Conclusion

50. Maturity is still ahead • Heterogeneity of hardware platforms & software environments is a big issue • There is no consensus yet on the definition of the relevant services for mobile learning