Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Context Aware Mobile Learning at the University of Birmingham Peter Lonsdale, Mike Sharples CETADL and Educational Technology Research Group Russell Beale Advanced Interaction Group School of Computer Science

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Projects MOBIlearn  model of context  generic architecture  software implementation  CAGE: Context Aware Gallery Exploration CAERUS  bundled system to enable providers to build location- dependent content delivery  desktop authoring package  handheld client for location-based content delivery

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Technology CAERUS GPS with PocketPC Local content Authoring package MOBIlearn and CAGE Ultrasound with PocketPC WLAN content Context architecture

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Context awareness What can we do with it?  Deliver appropriate content  Customise content, interface and interaction – level of detail – order of presentation – appropriate display on different devices  Recommend and offer services and options – e.g. communication, databases, web sites  Enable appropriate activities – e.g. collaboration, physical movement

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Aims 1.Support users of mobile devices without distracting their attention from the task or environment 2.Allow relevant content (including learning objects and services) to be selected, filtered, and passed to the user 3.Enable users to either engage with the content or select other content from the filtered set 4.Provide users with detailed information about the current derived context model and allow them to change it

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Context Model Purpose:  Context enables appropriate action - in this case learning Process: Context = a dynamic and historical process… …constructed from context states… … which are constructed through interaction between actors, situations, objects and activities... etc

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Context Model Context What’s going on over time Context Substate Elements from the Learner and Setting that are relevant to the current focus of learning and desired level of context awareness Context State Elements from the Learning and Setting at one particular point in time, space, or goal sequence

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness CAGE Architecture Context Awareness Subsystem Context Awareness Subsystem Content Server Content Server Sensors User input User profile Content metadata Content metadata Content recommendations Content recommendations XML Content Environment

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Making it easy Developers/content creators can define:  Context features – what do they look for – what do they do when they find it rank +/- n exclude link to another feature  Links – pairs of context features that pass: values timings

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness CAGE at Nottingham Castle Context awareness:  which painting?  how long?  been there before? Highlight links between paintings Encourage physical movement

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness CAERUS Context Aware Educational Resource System Laura Naismith Mike Sharples, Jeffrey Ting, Dan Corlett CETADL Caerus, in Greek mythology, was the personification of opportunity and favourable moments

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness CAERUS Overview Handheld Delivery Desktop Administration Caerus, in Greek mythology, was the personification of opportunity and favourable moments

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Desktop Authoring System Import map image Scale map to GPS coordinates Associate multimedia with regions on the map Create tours linking map locations

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness CAERUS client Show map based on current location Show an pointer to the next location on the tour Multimedia content automatically ‘pops up’ when you enter a region Use menu to explore more detailed content

Mobile learning technologies and context awareness Research teams MOBIlearn  Pat Brundell  Will Byrne  Peter Lonsdale  Giasemi Vavoula Caerus  Laura Naismith  Jeffery Ting