Context Aware Mobile Learning at the University of Birmingham Peter Lonsdale, Mike Sharples

1. Context Aware Mobile Learning at the University of Birmingham Peter Lonsdale, Mike Sharples CETADL and Educational Technology Research Group Russell Beale Advanced Interaction GroupSchool of Computer Science

2. 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

3. Technology CAERUS • GPS with PocketPC • Local content • Authoring package MOBIlearn and CAGE • Ultrasound with PocketPC • WLAN content • Context architecture

4. 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

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

6. 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

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

8. CAGE Architecture Content Server Content XML Environment Sensors Content metadata Content recommendations XML XML Context Awareness Subsystem XML User profile XML User input

9. 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

10. CAGE at Nottingham Castle • Context awareness: • which painting? • how long? • been there before? • Highlight links between paintings • Encourage physical movement

11. CAERUSContext 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

12. CAERUS Overview Handheld Delivery Desktop Administration Caerus, in Greek mythology, was the personification of opportunity and favourable moments

13. Desktop Authoring System • Import map image • Scale map to GPS coordinates • Associate multimedia with regions on the map • Create tours linking map locations

14. 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

15. Research teams • MOBIlearn • Pat Brundell • Will Byrne • Peter Lonsdale • Giasemi Vavoula • Caerus • Laura Naismith • Jeffery Ting