Creating location-based mobile learning experiences

Newcastle University, 19 May 2011

Creating location-based mobile learning experiences

Dr Elizabeth FitzGeraldLSRI, University of Nottingham


Our story today…• Beginning

– Introduction to me and my research– Research into location-based learning

• Middle– Tree Walk– Augmenting the visitor experience– Audio narratives in location

• End– Ad hoc learning in location– User-generated content for anytime/anyplace learning


Who am I?• An educational technology researcher• Biology graduate; ex-school teacher;

PhD Computer Science; research fellow at LSRI

• Investigating how we can use geospatial data and location to inform learning in mobile and informal scenarios

• Particularly interested in the potential of mobile devices to deliver ad hoc learning


Related research• At Nottingham:

• PI project• Tree Walk• Answer Tree• Augmenting the visitor experience

• Mathematics education (Tangney @ TCD, Jonker/Wijers @ Freudenthal Institute)

• Geocaching (Clough @ OU)• Formal and informal collaborative learning

(Lyons @ University of Illinois at Chicago, USA)• Extended ZPD RCD (Cook @ London Met)• Various projects – Centre for Learning Sciences and

Technologies (CELSTEC) @ OUNL


Tree Walk• Investigating how geospatial data can be

used in innovative educational settings

• “Tree Walk” pilot study carried out: a technology-assisted field guide

• YouTube video available, for more details:http://tinyurl.com/cszun7 (starts around 0.55)


Tree Walk (1)


Tree Walk (2)


Tree Walk (3)


Tree Walk (4)

Issues relating to context:e.g. temporal; spatial;group or individual experience


From tree walks to hill walks• Collaboration with School of Geography to

explore different kinds of location-based visualisations

• Investigating how tourists can be provided with an augmented experience when they visit the Lake District

• Work carried out with Geography students (3rd year UG/MSc)

[Priestnall et al, 2009]


To assess a range of techniques for exploring the use of digital geographic information to

augment real scenes in the field

Create a student-led exercise to encourage critical evaluation of these techniques to support the field

experience (and mobile tourist guides).

Aims


Approach• Fieldwork – education in the field... mobile!• 3rd year Geography undergraduates + some MSc• ‘Mobile and Field GIS’ module, focus on appropriate

use of Geographic Information in a landscape context

• Student presentations• Videos + observation • Follow-up focus groups



‘On the ground’ study area Study area determined by visibility map

Study area


Eric Robson (Striding Edge Ltd)

Supporting learning about the landscape

Sir Hugh Walpole Video

Newcastle University, 19 May 20111. Computer-generated Acetate



2. Custom PDA-based application


Screen visibility is an issue

… this is as good as it gets


VIDEO fromDerwent

Water

Wainwright OS Photo

Audio ofWainwright

Audio ofWainwright

3. Mediascape on a mobile phone


Phone-based mediascapes


4. Google Earth on a Tablet PC


5. Head-Mounted Display




Summary of student findings• Computer-generated acetate:

+ Successful format/simple, ‘electronic acetates’ a vision for the future? - Difficult in windy conditions, predetermined viewpoints a drawback.

• Custom PDA application: + Sketching, legend & audio popular (but relevance?) - Stability, incl. GPS connectivity. Screen visibility in bright sunlight.

• Mediascape on a mobile phone + Easy authoring (control over media placement)- Screen size and visibility, graphical media less effective.

• Google Earth on a tablet PC + Large screen and Google Earth’s data exploration environment popular- Screen visibility, battery life, pen-based interaction (GE designed for desktop)

• Head-Mounted Display + Fun, engaging, good for heavily graphical information- Technical complexity, robustness, heavy, not waterproof!


Reflections on exercise• Relating digital information to features in the real world

– How can digital representations be mapped onto the real world by the user

– Information doesn't always relate to neat trigger regions– How do we mimic the in-field expert pointing things out?

• In-field evaluation– Asking students to develop their own evaluation schema– Video diaries a promising technique

• The role of graphics– Seek alternatives to heavily graphical representations– More emphasis on design of audio for in-field use.

• Ease of use– Even tech-savvy students didn’t have time for complex mapping apps– The demand for simplicity was in evidence across all interactions


Simple but effective? – all new geospatial and handheld augmented reality applications will

need to strive to move from being novelty apps to becoming killer apps.

Need to develop design rules for mobile field guides which mimic the field expert.

Reduced emphasis on graphics, new challenges in making geographically relevant audio.

Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0

Beginning to exploit real-time handheld Augmented Reality,

and review evaluation framework

Caistor Roman Town,East Anglia, UK.Data from Will Bowden (Archaeology)

Implications and future work


Audio in location• Used extensively in mobile gaming, tourism,

educational visits and theatrical events• Can be used for directional purposes,

orientation or task-based activities/instruction

• Provide information, tell a story or create ambient sounds such as birdsong or machinery


Spoken audio experiences

We have proposed 3 categories:• Audio vignettes• Movement-based guides• Mobile narratives

[FitzGerald et al, 2010]


Case study: A Chaotic Encounter• Movement-based guide + mobile narrative• An entertaining audio story, based on Nottingham

folktales, which adapts its content to reflect the listener’s movement patterns

• Each segment of audio has a low, medium or high ‘chaos’ rating (low = few characters, mundane storyline; high = many characters, surreal storyline)

• User’s movement (speed, direction) determines what chaos rating the next audio segment is

• Automatic and manual modes


Findings from case study• All enjoyed the audio experiences – very

immersive• Some confusion from users when in automatic

mode – unsure of what to do• But manual mode less enjoyable due to the

interruptions by users having to interact with the system

• Some inaccuracies reported with GPS• Additional work being done with

conversational narrative for audio guides


Ad hoc learning in location• Anyone can be a field guide, through creation

and delivery of user-generated geolocated content

• Enables learning in location through serendipitous discovery of media placement

• In-field authoring and editing of content

• Enables reflection by user, either at the time or later on


A framework for authoringLandscape domain Type of

communication

Use of language/media related to the

landscape

Knowledge level of content Contextual aspects Interaction –

try to include:

1.form of landscape

2.common knowledge

3.science

4.history

5.contemporary use

6.myth

7.symbol

8.art

9.suggestion

10.hint or warning

11.conversation

12.practical task

13.reminiscence

14.short textual description

15.exhortation (e.g. ‘look carefully’)

16.describe shape, colour, size

17.use emotions or personal response where appropriate

18.use simple English (short, commonly-used words) where possible

19.avoid jargon but do use appropriate language

20.be culturally sensitive

21.be clear and concise

22.orient the visitor appropriately

23.Domain-specific:

beginner

intermediate

advanced

specialist

24.age-related? (children might not have the same knowledge or level of understanding as an adult)

25.Needs prior knowledge?

Temporal:

26.is this info related to the time of year or the seasons?

27.is this info related to time of day?

28.visibility of the landscape and its features/landmarks

Available resources:

1.other people

2.experts

3.leaflets

4.notices/signs

33.authenticity

34.relevance to everyday life

35.element of fun

36.anything unusual or unexpected

37.opportunity for reflection by the user

38.respect for others and for the environment

39.the story behind the visible (e.g. photosynthesis in a leaf)


Analysis of existing content• Analysed 3 systems that contained user-created content:

– OOKL– Peoples’ Collection Wales – WildMap

Media type: Number of items (out of 217) that contained that media type: Percentage (%)

… text 204 94.0

… audio 12 5.5

… video 2 0.9

… 1 photo 166 76.5

… 2 or more photos 33 15.2

… web link (URL) 13 6.0


Findings – 1 • Landscape domain:

– Science: in 36.9% of items; – Art 30%, contemporary use 29%, history 26%, symbol

23%, common knowledge 18%.

• Type of communication– Short textual description (88%); – Reminiscence (9%); suggestion or exhortation (7%);

practical task (5%); introduction (4%); hint or warning (2%) and conversation (1%).


Findings – 2 • Use of language/media related to the

landscape– 30% written in simple English; clear and concise (21%);

and without unnecessary jargon (15%) – 68% of items contained more detailed descriptions

(of shape/form/colour – as both text and images)– Emotions or personal responses apparent in 10% of the

items– Visitor orientation mentioned in 6% of items


Findings – 3 • Knowledge level of content

– Age-related/domain-specific content present in a very small number of items (2% and 1%)

– Need for prior knowledge in only 5% of items

• Contextual aspects– Temporal issues in only 7% of media items– Most commonly-mentioned resource was actual item or

artefact (found in 14% of the items)– Other available resources were not well-used

(e.g. other people; models/physical representations; notices and signs; experts and leaflets)


Findings – 4 • Interaction (try to include)

– Most prevalent aspect was that of ‘the story behind the visible’ = 25% of items

– Something unusual or unexpected: 13%– Relevance to everyday life: 13% – Authenticity: 12%– Opportunity for reflection by the user: 11%– Respect for others and for the environment: 6%


Impact of this work• Content analysis can guide creation of

social media/provide framework for authoring and aid metacognition

• Help curation of social media + tagging/filtering; potential for personalisation

• Media created should be of higher quality• Use the framework to structure learning aims

and outcomes


Summary• Whistle-stop tour of location-based mobile

learning• Selection of case studies

– Overview of related research– Tree walk, augmenting the visitor experience,

audio guides• Ad hoc learning in location


References• Carlson, A. (2001). "Education for Appreciation: What is the Correct Curriculum

for Landscape?" Journal of Aesthetic Education 35(4): pp97-112.• Epstein, M. and Vergani, S. (2006). History Unwired: Mobile Narrative in Historic

Cities. Proceedings of the Working Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces (AVI ’06), Venezia, Italy, pp. 302-305.

• FitzGerald, E., Sharples, M., Jones, R. and G. Priestnall (2010) Guidelines for the design of location-based audio for mobile learning. Proceedings of the mLearn 2010 Conference, Valletta, Malta, pp 24-31

• Priestnall, G., Brown, E., Sharples, M. and Polmear, G. (2009). A student-led comparison of techniques for augmenting the field experience. Proceedings of mLearn 2009, Orlando, Florida, pp. 195-198.

• Reid, J., Hull, R., Cater, K. and Clayton, B. (2005). Riot! 1831: The design of a location based audio drama. Proceedings of the 3rd UK-UbiNet Workshop, Bath, UK, pp. 1-2.

• Rudman, P. D., Sharples, M., Vavoula, G. N., Lonsdale, P. and Meek, J. (2008) Cross-context learning. In L. Tallon and K. Walker (eds.) Digital Technologies and the Museum Experience: Handheld Guides and Other Media. Lanham, MD: Alta Mira Press, pp. 147-166.


Thanks for listening…

[email protected]

http://lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/ejb

Acknowledgements:Gary Priestnall, Mike Sharples, Rob Jones,

Brian Elliston, James Goulding, Adam Moore, Tim Brailsford and students from the School of Geography

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