How to design a mobile learning environement csedu 2014
1. HOW TO DESIGN A MOBILE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Recommendations based on
student perceptions
CSEDU 2014 1 / 21
Pablo Rebaque-Rivas
prebaque@uoc.edu
Community Initiatives (Office of Learning Technologies)
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
2. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
E-learning university
Virtual campus and virtual classrooms
Digital contents in different formats
Continuous assessment
Combine their studies with other activities, in particularly their jobs
CSEDU 2014 2 / 21
6. CSEDU 2014 6 / 21
Adaptation of the UOC
Virtual Campus for mobile
browsers
A native app of the Virtual
Campus
A native e-mail
client app
Mobile developments and UCD
User-centered design
7. The user-student
What do students want to find?
Adapted for mobile browsers, a native app,
or both?
A single app or different apps?
?
CSEDU 2014 7 / 21
8. UOC case study
Focus group with students
UOC mobile developments currently available
Students’ patterns of use and connection habits
Possible improvements and potential
developments in the future
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9. CSEDU 2014 9 / 21
Adaptation of the UOC Virtual
Campus for mobile browsers
A native app of the Virtual
Campus
A native e-mail
client app
UOC case study
10. UOC case study
Adaptation of the UOC Virtual
Campus for mobile browsers
A native app of the Virtual
Campus
A native e-mail
client app
satisfaction improvementsopinionawarenessuse
UOC mobile developments currently available
Possible improvements and potential
developments in the future
Students’ patterns of use and connection habits
CSEDU 2014 10 / 21
11. Uses of the Virtual Campus to get Information and to “work”
Laptops or desktop computers information and working
Smartphones less frequent
daily updates
communication areas of the Virtual Campus
Tablets to view/read documents
Students’ patterns of use and
connection habits
CSEDU 2014 11 / 21
12. Students’ patterns of use and
connection habits
Uses of the Virtual Campus to get Information and to “work”
Laptops or desktop computers information and working
Smartphones less frequent
daily updates
communication areas of the Virtual Campus
Tablets to view/read documents
…not conclusive, they were not aware of the mobile
developments…
CSEDU 2014 12 / 21
14. The Virtual Campus
for mobile browsers
Little awareness
It contains the relevant information for
connections from a mobile device
They missed adapted sections for
Secretary’s Office and Tutor
It is only necessary to adapt those sections
they were most likely to connect to from a
mobile device
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16. The Virtual Campus
native app
Little awareness
It only contains the relevant information for
connections from a mobile device
Modern, innovative and functional
They missed adapted sections for
Secretary’s Office and Tutor
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18. The e-mail client app
Quick solution for accessing their UOC e-
mail
Too specific and not sufficiently
comprehensive
Better all the information in a single app
Different tools creates a degree of
uncertainty
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19. Possible improvements and
potential developments in the future
The native app, the most likely to be used
Suggested functions file storage and sharing system
instant messaging tool
Conventional computers and mobile devices will be combined
Tablets in the near future an active part of their studies and the main
device for connecting to the VC
The ideal solution would be an offer of the services that are fully functional
via mobile devices
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20. Some conclusions
The mobile developments answer to their current connection needs
The native app is preferred among the other developments
a single tool only for the most relevant services
Mobile developments portray the UOC as a modern, innovative
university
Mobile learning environment is already an integral part of students’
day-to-day activities
Universities should provide user-driven online learning environments
to their students
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21. Some recommendations
A single native app, the best option
What the student-user requests, what it should be found in mobile
developments
Devices and their contexts of use
Document management function
Instant messaging function
Virtual Campus app = a good impression
CSEDU 2014 21 / 21
22. Thanks!
This paper has been done within the
framework of the MAVSEL project:
Mining, data Analysis and Visualization
based on Social models in E-Learning,
TIN2010 21715-C02-02.
Pablo Rebaque-Rivas
prebaque@uoc.edu
Eva Patricia Gil-Rodríguez
Irene Manresa-Mallol
Community Initiatives
(Office of Learning Technologies)
CSEDU 2014