International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 3, Issue 5, May-2012 1

ISSN 2229-5518

MLearning Framework for Multiple Plaforms

Jaspreet Kaur, Saurabh Rawal, Arpeet Kale, Komal Bafna

Abstract— MLearning can be thought of as delivering eLearning on small form factor devices and it has the potential to do much more than deliver courses, or part of courses. It includes the use of mobile/handheld devices to deliver Education. MLearning Framework basically focuses on providing an environment that will help develop MLearning applications for the learners. The architectur e of MLearning framework encompasses of system specifications and an actual working application based on Android 2.2(Froyo) and Android

2.3(Gingerbread) platforms. The MLearning framework will also import engineering learning content. The framework will also pr ovide SD- card based MLearning. It will include Animated/Multimedia/2D/3D content. The framework will include Cognitive Science Research Implementations carried out by the prodigies in the field of education.

Keywords - Android, MLearning, Framework, Cognifront

1. INTRODUCTION

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The world of training experience one or the other change every year. Right now it appears that mobile learning is all the rage. The application of information and commu- nication technology to education and training, both in the corporate and public sectors has now become a huge business on a global scale. The world of mobile gadgets is converging with an always available Wi-Fi network [7]. This helps us to have an access to all sorts of information which fits in well with on-demand training. Learning is now possible with portable technologies that include handheld computers, MP3 players, notebooks and mobile phones. MLearning has now emerged as a new wave of development, based on the use of mobile devices com- bined with wireless infrastructure [1]. It focuses on the mobility of the learner, interacting with portable technol- ogies and learning that reflects a focus on how society and its institutions can accommodate and support an in- creasingly mobile population. There is also a new direc- tion in MLearning that adds to the mobility of the instruc- tor [4]. The technological development makes possible the mobility of the instructor. The mobile learning & teaching environment facilitates innovations that can be conceptualized and designed, developed and deployed by educationists, which earlier were difficult to achieve because of lack of proper infrastructure, penetration, and availability of technology.
The remainder of paper is organized as follows: In section II we discuss MLearning Framework requirement. In sec- tion III gives detail of deliverables of MLearning.

2. LITERATURE SURVEY

In literature various learning approaches have been dis- cussed in detail. The author Yu-Liang Ting in [9] has ad- dressed that with the phenomenal progress of mobile network and portable device, distance learning has been changing from desktop computer to mobile device. Mo- bile learning is the use of mobile or wireless devices for learning while the learner is on the move. Based on the
characteristic and scenario of current mobile learning , challenging issues from the perspective of cognitive learning are addressed to reflect the fundamental needs for effective mobile learning. These addressed issues make it the need of the initiation for the requirement of academic evaluation and solid framework for the imple- mentation of mobile learning. Thus, this has been the prominent inspiration for us to undertake the develop- ment of the M-Learning Framework for Multiple Plat- forms.
In [10] the authors have primarily focussed on how mo- bile learning is gaining a lot of interest in recent years mainly for its convenience and boundless way of learn- ing. The author‟s have proposed that the mobile devices are used not only for the purpose of communication but also for surfing and accessing the content available on the Internet. The mobile technology also facilitates the pur- chasing goods, exchanging information, and organizing our everyday life. It extends e-Learning and removes space boundaries offering anytime anywhere learning experience. Mobile devices have the potential to be used as powerful earning tools in different learning contexts; however this poses new challenges that are associated with their ability to cope technically with the available multimedia learning material. A web-based framework accompanied with ontology and tuned to solve mobile- environment challenges, hence, making it a highly cross- platform solution. This strongly urges for the need of the M-Learning framework so that the e-learning content can be utilised to enhance the knowledge gaining process on the mobile platforms.
The authors in the [3] propose that the pervasive mobile technologies have led to the question that whether these mobile technologies can be efficiently used to enhance the learning experience and methodologies. This can be thought of as the mobile learning (M-Learning). The mobile learning can indeed be delivered with the awareness of the special limitations and benefits of mobile devices, so one cannot simply apply the known design requirements from E- Learning into the mobile learning context. The most impor-

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tant feature of the mobile learning is to be able to facilitate the learner with ability to consume the learning as per the learners wish. This enhances the learning content to be pur- sued and delivered to the learner anytime and anywhere. Thus considering these design challenges encountered in the designing of the framework have been taken as an op- portunity by us and we propose to build such a framework which will be able to satisfy the M-Learning application de- velopment demands so as to build the high quality learning applications. The framework will be developed with the main aim of reducing the developer‟s efforts and the amount of code required to develop the M-Learning appli- cation. Thus in turn minimizing the time of the application development process.

3. NEED OF MLEARNING FRAMEWORK


Mobile technology has been evolving at super- sonic speed over the past decade. According to Gartner‟s report, by the end of 2010, 1.2 billion will carry handsets capable of rich mobile commerce providing an ideal environment for the conversion of mobility and the web, new initiatives in mobile learning will continue in the future. The mobile learning applications can be used in schools too; the case covers the academic usage [8]. MLearning, although related to ELearning, it is distinct in its focus on learning across contexts and learning with mobile devices. Hence, there is an urgency to establish MLearning framework to satisfy this blooming need area. As the hardware produces and the software used in the mobile phones is varied there is a need for a standard framework as well.

Application #1

Application #2

Application #3

Application #4

mLearning Framework System API (Application Programming Interface)

Android System API (Application

Programming Interface)

iOS System API (Application

Programming Interface)

Android Operating System

iOS

Mobile Hardware Platform

Macintosh (iPhone, iPad, iPod)

Mobile Hardware Platform

ARM processor based mobiles, Other processors may include Scorpion, Renaissance, Texas Instruments based mobiles

Fig.1: MLearning Framework.
The Fig 1 of MLearning framework for multiple platforms is the basic concept of our project. The bottom layer shown in the fig.1is of the mobile hardware platform such as Macintosh may include iPhone, iPad, iPod etc. and ARM processor based mobiles, other processors may in- clude Scorpion, Renaissance, Texas Instruments based
mobiles. The layer above mobile platform is related to dif- ferent mobile operating system such as Android Operat- ing System and IOS.The next layer is Android system API and IOS system API (Application Programming Interface) i.e. a particular set of code and specifications that soft- ware programs can follow to communicate with each other, it serves as an interface between different software programs and facilitates their interaction. MLearning Framework API is the layer above the mobile OS API, this MLearning Framework will develop reusable piece of code using which various vendors can develop number of MLearning applications and end users can use them with ease of operation. The topmost layer is of the num- ber of applications developed for MLearning framework. One of the goals for the framework is to allow professors, educationists to convert their lecture material easily into MLearning courses with least amount of programming.

4. DELIVERABLES OF MLEARNING FRAMEWORK FOR MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

Our project will deliver the set of include files, style sheets and libraries which includes the reusable piece of code for the developers to develop MLearning applica- tions.

Fig.2: Project Deliverables.
MLearning framework will provide the facility to interact with the animated 2D/3D contents, notes for personal use in audio and textual form can be created with the help of notes manager provided in MLearning framework. Our project will also allow an end user to share the content us- ing SCORM player i.e. Sharable Content Object Reference Model. It will also provide a feature of social networking interface for Twitter and Facebook. The ability to play content of learning from SD card as well as streaming source will be possible. The marker tool will be provided to highlight points in the content of a subject. The end us-

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er can bookmark the important points /pages/videos so that direct access to the particular point/page/video is available, Hyperlink is another feature in our project for accessing local or http data.

5. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Using mobile devices like phones, tablets, and laptops (with touch interface) has a very different set of chal- lenges. The issue is not whether you have larger screen - but fundamentally they are different. Battery life, screen size, form factor, variations in keyboard availability and dynamically changing orientation (horizontal or vertical positioning done by user) present using set of issues to be dealt with. The sponsoring organization Cognifront de- velops teaching tools software as well as self learning aids for students. Keeping in mind vision of Cognifront, it was necessary to innovate the space where maximum number of users would benefit. Mobile devices including phones and tablets are the most prominent majority - and also have high projections for the future [5]. So it is imperative that we have to have good tools for content creation and dissemination. Teachers who are our prime focus must have some superb tools to create their MLearning mod- ules. And students, who will eventually consume these modules, must have excellent tools to use these MLear- ning units. Out of this exact need, the idea of developing the MLearning Framework was born. This framework must be extremely portable, FREE to use and open source.

6. BENEFITS OF MLEARNING

A key benefit of MLearning is its potential for increasing productivity by making learning available anywhere, an- ytime [4]. Because mobile devices have the power to make learning even more widely available and accessible, mobile devices are a natural extension of eLearning [2]. MLearning is the power of learning that is truly “just-in- time” where you could actually access training at the pre- cise place and time on the job that you need. Our project provides the reusable piece of code that will help the de- velopers for developing multiple MLearning applications easily; one can also prepare audio or textual notes on move. The greatest benefit of this delivery is the combina- tion of true interactivity coupled with portability.

7. RESULTS

We have developed the MLearning Framework as a reus- able piece of code. Using this framework we developed multiple MLearning Applications and tested them on var- ious versions of Android Operating Systems like Android
2.2(Froyo), Android 2.3(Gingerbread), Android
3.0(Honeycomb) and Android 4.0(Ice-Cream Sandwich).
Also the applications were tested on various mobile de-
vices and tablets having above mentioned operating sys-
tems of different form-factors (screen-sizes and resolu-
tion), manufacturers and different hardware specifica-
tions. The result is that these applications developed us-
ing the framework execute smoothly.

8. CONCLUSION

Identifying missing pieces in order to achieve a broader platform for MLearning and developing those pieces into a pragmatic framework is the central theme for this project. A key objective of our project is to im- prove the knowledge level of individuals by developing learning process that is time efficient .The MLearning framework is an abstract representation of the services and their interfaces that are used to construct an ELearn- ing system in its broadcast sense, focused on the support of distributed electronic learning systems.

9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This Work is a final year project for Bachelor„s in Engi- neering (Computer Engineering).This project is spon- sored by Cognifront Pvt. Ltd. We are extremely grateful to Mr. Suchit Tiwari, Cogni- front Pvt. Ltd & Prof. Vaibhav Dabhade for giving us their precious time and guidance.

10. REFERENCES

[1] mLearn 2003 book of abstracts.

Bull, S., & Reid, E. (2003).

[2] Mobile Learning in review: Opportunities and challenges for learners, teachers and institutions. In Proceedings Online Learning and Teaching (OLT). Cobcraft, Rachel S and Tow- ers, Stephen and Smith, Judith and Bruns, Axel (2006).

[3] A Design Requirements Framework for Mobile Learning Environments. Journal of Computers, vol. 2, No.4. David Parsons, Hokyoung Ryu and Mark Cranshaw (2006).

[4] Tablet technology for informal collaboration in higher edu- cation. Proceedings of mLearn 2004: Mobile learning anytime everywhere. Corlett D. & Sharples M. London: Learning and Skills Development Agency.

[5] Mobile learning in the 21st century: Benefit for learners.

Geddes S. (2004).

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The research paper published by IJSER journal is about MLearning Framework for Multiple Plaforms 4

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[6] Cooperative learning: Increasing college faculty instructional productivity. ASHE-FRIC Higher Education Report No.4. Wash- ington, D.C.: School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University. Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T.,

& Smith, K.A. (1991).

[7] Mobile learning: A handbook for educators and trainers. London: Routledge. Kukulska-Hulme, A., & Traxler, J. (Eds.). (2005).

[8] Moving mobile into the mainstream. Proceedings of mLearn

2005.Stead, G. (2005).

[9] Mobile Learning: Current Trends and Future Challenges. Yu- Liang Ting (2005).

[10] Learner-Centric Context-Aware Mobile Learning. Essa Basaeed Student Member, IEEE, Jawad Berri Senior Member, IEEE, Mohamed Jamal Zemerly, Senior Member, IEEE, and

Rachid Benlamri, Senior Member, IEEE (2007).

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