Mobile Technology

University of Leicester
University of Nottingham

University of Leicester

Materials to enhance reflective learning
Tools to improve efficient study and research
Immersive augmented reality: A joint University of Leicester & University of Nottingham research strategy

The overall context for the use of mobile computing equipment in teaching relates to its flexibility for use in a wide range of contexts, with a particular focus in SPLINT regarding its use enhancing spatial literacy skills in teaching and learning. In pursuit of this main aim, we have acquired class sets of a variety of mobile devices that potentially also afford other pedagogic advantages related both to transferable skill development and discipline-related learning.

table of mob tech devices

Broadly speaking, our pedagogic strategy for using mobile devices is two-fold. Firstly, we are aiming to develop materials that enhance reflective discipline-based learning on matters of space-time complexity. Secondly, we are exploring how mobile devices can be used as tools to make study and research more efficient. Within this context, we are exploring the effectiveness of a progression of 2D to 3D to immersive 3D tools at a variety of field locations for a range of learning and teaching tasks and at different levels within the curriculum.

Establishing how best to blend and scaffold learning materials that use mobile devices for delivery with other more traditional approaches is a core part of our task, as is evaluating our approaches in regard to spatial literacy and pedagogic research questions. Practically, the use of class sets of mobile equipment also raises logistical issues and highlights the adaptability or otherwise of both staff and students to change; both of these factors need to be considered in the broader context of pedagogic goals and context.

Almeria mob tech1mobile technology equipment

Mobile technology in the field

Archpad graphAlmeria mobile technologyarchpad map

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Materials to enhance reflective learning

Examples of the type of pedagogic development underway that seek to develop the spatial understandings of students include:

  • Location-aware visualisations of detailed landscape characteristics, and their evolution, at specific sites
  • Use of PDA/tablet and GPS to enhance navigational awareness in a subject-teaching context
  • Engage today’s students with GIS through improved technical and physical/human geography links, for example via the use of GIS for real field tasks and projects
  • Use digital technologies to explore alternative representations & philosophical approaches in GI.
    Moore, K.E., Jarvis, C.H. (2008) Decolonising GIS Pedagogy: Putting Critical GIS into practice. Developing issues associated with taught postgraduate level education within the GEES disciplines, Leicester, 26 February 2008. (Led by Kate Moore as an independent project with SPLINT linkage)
  • The use of small location-aware devices to facilitate a move towards spatially contextual learning is currently gathering momentum in e-learning circles across a wider range of disciplines in which spatial thinking is not currently a much considered thread
  • The development of analytical Geographical Information Science in schools level teaching
    (led by Lex Comber as an independent project but drawing on SPLINT developments) Comber, A.J., Buxton, M., Jarvis, C.H., Wellens, J., Wood, P. (2008) Developing spatial literacy in secondary education: A GIS analytic approach. Version 1 @ GA Annual Conference, Guildford, March 29th 2008 & Version 2 @ Proceedings of GISRUK 2008, Manchester, April 2nd-3rd 2008.

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Tools to improve efficient study and research

We are seeking to evaluate whether, when and how, student study and research effectiveness can be improved via a number of means, for example:

  • Using GPS enabled PDAs and tablets, with Excel mobile, to support data collection
    Jarvis, C.H., Dickie, J., Morrison, R. (2008) Mobile technology in the field: Effective tool or elaborate toy? Presentation at Plymouth E-Learning Conference, 4th April 2008.
  • The use of audio-visual podcasts on portable video iPods, showing ‘how to’ clips regarding a wide range of equipment and methods.
    For access to podcasts, click here
    Jarvis. C.H., Dickie, J. (2007) Supporting experiential field-based learning: Interfaces and archives: The potential role of podcasts. Impala 2/GEES workshop, Leicester, August 2007.
    Jarvis.C.H., Dickie, J. (2007)Podcasting in geography: A meta-model synthesis. Proceedings of the Conference of the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers, London, September 2007.
    Dickie, J. (2007) Demonstration of software, hardware devices and techniques for creating video podcasts. Impala 2/GEES workshop, Leicester, December 2007.
    Dickie, J., Jarvis. C.H.  (2008) The role of podcasts in supporting experiential field-based learning. Proceedings of Learning Futures 2008, Leicester, January 8th-9th 2008.
    Dickie, J. (2008) Demonstration of software, hardware devices and techniques for creating video podcasts (Revised). Workshop at Learning Futures 2008, Leicester, January -9th 2008.
  • Using cameras with GPS location software, with sketch editing tools, to enhance field recording
  • Wider use of digital data logging sensor equipment for building more comprehensive space-time data sets for deeper landscape-wide analysis
    Jarvis. C.H., Dickie.J, Morrison.R. (2008) Mobile technology in the field: Effective tool or elaborate toy? A Geographical Information Science Perspective. Poster, GI-Forum, Salzburg 2008.

The particular devices we are using in pursuit of these two major teaching and learning goals include group sets of rugged GPS enabled tablet PCs, PDAs with Bluetooth GPS, digital cameras and iPods plus data loggers for a variety of environmental variables.

SPLINT’s primary function is to enhance spatial literacy in teaching and learning for postgraduates in particular, but also undergraduates. In addition to taught components of the course, the mobile equipment is also being used by PhD students and staff for their research, and by undergraduate and MSc students for their dissertations. Examples of research that are not SPLINT funded or SPLINT deliverables in their own right, but have been positively impacted by the SPLINT mobile technology and/or flexible GI software infrastructure, include the following:

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Immersive augmented reality: A joint University of Leicester & University of Nottingham research strategy

At a more pioneering level, we are also developing a mobile headset system using GPS and inertial sensors that will allow students to see individual co-located views of virtual representations. Bespoke rendering software developed by Virtalis (the Geovisionary) is being further augmented for use in a spatially co-located context by Jing Li at Leicester in conjunction with the Virtalis research team. The development of teaching applications using this software is a joint commitment between the Leicester and Nottingham SPLINT sites, with both teams involved in the software specification.

geovisionary

At this point in time, this work linking the virtual and field strands of SPLINT together is very much a research endeavour both in GIS and pedagogic terms. The equipment, incorporating a Dell M90 laptop, EMagin headset, Intersense Inertia Cube 3 and Bluetooth GPS is available for independent use only by authorised M Level postgraduate students and above. While currently expensive, the current rapid development in gaming environments suggests that such augmented reality/VR headset approaches could become increasingly mainstream in the years to come.

Jarvis, C.H., Priestnall, G., Polmear, G., Li, J. (2008) Geo-contextualised visualisation for teaching and learning in the field. Proceedings of GISRUK 2008, Manchester, April 2nd-3rd 2008.              

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University of Nottingham

Mobile Learning - Development of Spatially-Aware Learning Tools

The degree to which mobile technology can enhance learning in the field is being explored alongside some traditional techniques.

superimposing a retreating glacier onto the real scene in the field

For many years printouts of computer generated landscapes have been taken into the field to explore landscape change – here superimposing a retreating glacier onto the real scene.

 

 

The potential role of mobile technologies is being evaluated against more established techniques in a variety of ways, including through student video diaries.

still shots from student video diary, Cumbria, 2007

Still shots from a student video diary, Cumbria, March 2007


Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and tablet PCs fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers are being used to develop ‘spatially-aware’ applications for exploring orientation and navigation skills. SPLINT have developed applications for these mobile devices for use on undergraduate and taught postgraduate field courses, Practical Field Course in the IESSG, and the new 'Mobile and Field GIS' modules).

The Benefits of these systems include:

  • Introducing the students to the use of state-of-the-art technologies in a spatial context.
  • Enhancement of the students' learning experiences by providing new hands-on methods to help them to assimilate their experiences in the field.
  • Providing a field-based student-centred learning approach where the technology supports in-field student enquiry through information relevant to their spatial context.
  • Built-in logging procedures can allow assessment of the students' field activities and achievements.
  • Use as a lab-based virtual data-logger.

Software and hardware currently being used [more]

Current ongoing SPLINT research in this area [more]

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Mobile-learning applications

Some examples of mobile learning applications developed under SPLINT at Nottingham are described below:

Mobile visualisation field exercise - A PDA-based application has been developed and trialed in Cumbria on both undergraduate and masters level students. The idea behind the exercise is to get students thinking about the accuracy of, and the potentially misleading nature of digital representations of a landscape. It has additional benefits in demonstrating links between geology and landform and vegetation, and in enabling visualisation of historic landscapes. Students generate 3D views from known points on a virtual model of the local landscape (including a recreation of the historical formative glacial scene and geological data landscape drapes). These are then automatically displayed on a GPS linked PDA when the students reach the correct locations in the field. In addition information relating to landscape features visible from these points is generated in the form of audio commentary files. Recently the system has been adapted for use with a GPS linked tablet PC. The tablet PC version has the added advantages of a higher resolution and scalable maps [more].

Virtual World Navigation Game - This tool is designed to practice and investigate navigation in the virtual world environment. Users must navigate to a number of locations within the model in order to collect 'tokens', the locations of which are displayed over a map on the PDA screen. User position is indicated on the map, with the option to display 'hints' showing which token is the closest with every movement. The game is timed, and highscores are recorded for the time taken to collect all tokens.

GPS Logger - A basic GPS application, designed to instruct students in location-aware programming for PDAs and the processing of GPS NMEA data. The completed application displays positional information on screen, and saves a log file that can be plotted in a GIS.

River Channel Profiler - This application is designed for use on Southwell Minster School's A Level physical geography field trip. Students are required to conduct a traditional river survey at three locations, in order to create channel profiles and investigate channel dynamics. This PDA application allows the survey data to be logged, stored and edited digitally. It also draws instant channel profiles on screen from the surveyed data, so students can gain a better understanding of river dynamics while out in the field.

Customisable Tablet PC Data Logger - This generic application, designed to run on a tablet PC/laptop with Bluetooth GPS, provides a customisable interface with which users may collect and record spatially referenced data. The study area, map layers, data to log etc. can all the altered. Features include a map window with switchable layers, pan, zoom and GPS tacking capabilities, data logging of various types (such as number, string, pick list, georeferenced photos), display of logged locations in the map window with adjustable legend and querying function, and the export of logged data to formats readable in a GIS or spreadsheet.

mobile learning pda image

Location aware 360 degree panorama viewer - This is a custom control for viewing and panning 360 degree panoramic images, to work on a tablet PC or PDA. GPS integration allows content to be delivered in a context-aware fashion, providing 360 degree views of particular locations in the field for comparison with the real world. Integration with a digital compass, or directional data in the virtual environment, will allow automated panning based on orientation.

PDA field co-ordinate converter - an in-field converter to quickly switch data between Lat/Long and British National Grid co-ordinate systems.

Clifton village historical building trail - Built for PDAs using the Mscape platform, this initial pilot application is designed for use by Year 6 students at Highbank Primary School. The aim of the project is to improve skills of map reading, spatial orientation, while engaging with mobile technologies and learning about local history. Users must navigate to a number of buildings of interest, using an onscreen map showing these locations plus their current position. Once in the vicinity of a target building, a historical photograph is displayed. This can then be compared with the modern day view, and an attempt can be made to identify the exact location from which the photo was taken. This exercise is currently being extended further, to incorporate more learning objectives and spatial skills.

For more information on the Mobile Learning work of SPLINT at Nottingham, please contact:
Gary Priestnall gary.priestnall@nottingham.ac.uk
Andy Burton andy.burton@nottingham.ac.uk
Gemma Polmear gemma.polmear@nottingham.ac.uk

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UPDATED:24th September 2010
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