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Neha Gupta
MOBILE COMMUNITIES: IMPORTANCE OF MOBILE LEARNING IN INDIANEDUCATION SYSTEMS
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
K. Roy, co-chair
J. Strobel, co-chair
M. D. Zoltowski
K. Roy
M. R. Melloch 12/1/08
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MOBILE COMMUNITIES: IMPORTANCE OF MOBILE LEARNING IN INDIAN EDUCATIONSYSTEMS
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
11/24/2008
Neha Gupta
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MOBILE COMMUNITIESIMPORTANCE OF MOBILE LEARNING IN INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty
of
Purdue University
by
Neha Gupta
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
of
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
December 2008
Purdue University
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To all the children who seek educational support but our constrained by poverty and lack
of resources to pursue their dreams. This is a step towards providing Education in my
hand for every individual in my country, INDIA.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My special thanks to Prof. Johannes Strobel who supported me and guided me through
my educational objectives with Mobile Communication. I would like to thank Prof.
Kaushik Roy for accepting the difficult task of overseeing this work to completion. I was
fortunate to get to work with Prof. Michael Zoltowski who supported me for this research
study. I thank all the members of my Advisory Committee for taking time out of theirbusy schedules to consider this work.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii
LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ x
1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Technological advancements in education ............................................................... 2
1.2 Mobile technology in education ............................................................................... 5
1.3 Purpose of the study ................................................................................................. 6
1.4 Motivation for study ................................................................................................. 9
1.5 Research objectives ................................................................................................ 11
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 13
2.1 Virtual Communities .............................................................................................. 13
2.1.1 Origin ........................................................................................................... 142.1.2 Rationale ...................................................................................................... 15
2.1.3 Role of virtual communities in education ................................................... 16
2.1.4 Future trends ................................................................................................ 18
2.2 Technology in India ................................................................................................ 212.2.1Telecom Sector in India ............................................................................... 22
2.2.2Need areas for mobile practices in India ...................................................... 25
2.2.3Mobile communities in India ....................................................................... 29
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Page
3. THEORY AND FRAMEWORK .................................................................................. 31
3.1 Mobile teaching communities ................................................................................. 31
3.1.1Human Performance Technology (HPT) Model .......................................... 313.1.2Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) ....................................................... 34
3.2 Proposed Mobile Teaching Community (MTC) Model ......................................... 373.2.1Performance Analysis .................................................................................. 39
3.2.2Cause Analysis ............................................................................................. 40
3.2.3Design .......................................................................................................... 413.2.4Evaluation .................................................................................................... 41
3.2.5 Intervention .................................................................................................. 42
4. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 43
5. DATA ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................... 48
6. LIMITATIONS ............................................................................................................. 52
7. RESULTS & DISCUSSION......................................................................................... 53
8. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 65
LIST OF REFERENCES .................................................................................................. 68
APPENDICES
A. INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB) GUIDELINES ................................. 83
B. SURVEY INSTRUMENT ........................................................................................ 84
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
5.1 Codes and Themes from Qualitative Data ............................................................. 52
7.1 Performance Analysis ............................................................................................ 67
7.2 Cause Analysis ....................................................................................................... 78
B-1 Daily Usage of mobile phones ............................................................................... 88
B-2 Mobile Handset Vendors Rating ............................................................................ 89
B-3 Service Providers Rating ....................................................................................... 89
B-4 Purpose of messaging on mobile phones ............................................................... 90
B-5 Mobile based applications ..................................................................................... 93
B-6 Benefits from mobile education in India ............................................................... 94
B-7 Kind of information and services on mobile phone ............................................... 94
B-8 Ranking of services on mobile phones health care and medicine ......................... 96
B-9 Bottlenecks for Mobile Education in India ............................................................ 97
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1.1 Content Delivery Model vs. User Intraction based Model ..................................... 4
2.1 Future directions of virtual learning ..................................................................... 20
2.2 Demand and Opportunity for mobile and wireless market in India ...................... 22
2.3 Changing regulations in wireless and mobile services in India ............................ 23
2.4 Impact of Policy change on Indian Telecom Industry .......................................... 24
2.5 Market share of mobile & wire line service providers in India ............................ 25
3.1 Graphical representation of HPT model ............................................................... 34
3.2 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) ................................................................ 35
3.3 Proposed Mobile Teaching Community (MTC) Model ....................................... 39
7.1 Current mobile phone usages in India .................................................................. 56
7.2 Types of messages shared among the mobile phone users in India ...................... 57
7.3 Socio-cultural aspects for building mobile communities in India ........................ 58
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Figure Page
7.4 Mobile Developments and Support in India ......................................................... 59
7.5 Current mobile information accesses in India ...................................................... 59
7.6 Future interests in mobile information access in India ......................................... 60
7.7 Bottlenecks in mobile access in India ................................................................... 61
7.8 Types of content delivery for mobile education in India ...................................... 61
7.9 Interest in Mobile Health care and Medicine services in India ............................ 62
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ABSTRACT
Gupta, Neha. M.S.E.C.E., Purdue University, December, 2008. Mobile Communities:Importance of Mobile Learning in Indian Education System. Major Professors: JohannesStrobel and Kaushik Roy.
When the United States thinks about developing an 'iPhone University',
developing economies envision a 'Mobile University'. Technology in Education has
rippled from Distance-learning to e-Learning and now to m-Learning. Going forward into
the 21st Century, emerging markets are witnessing a substantial rise in the use of hand-
held mobile devices. Convergence of Mobile Technology and Education, therefore, is a
potential breakthrough in the art of Teaching and Learning. This thesis aims to extend the
concept of Virtual Communities in the web space to build Mobile Communities in the
mobile space. The author proposes Mobile Teaching Community (MTC) model that
streamlines the basic steps in designing an application that can simulate Mobile Campus
and University. The focus is on education in the field of Public Health Care and Medicine
in India. However, such a Mobile Teaching Community model can also be used as the
prototype for building mobile communities in various areas including education, banking,
trading, mass communication and commercialization.
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1. INTRODUCTION
No technology has traversed geographical boundaries, such as Mobile. Apple
sold 270,000 iPhones in the first 30 hours, says Endgadget [1]. The news is less
surprising and more affirmative of the technological trends to conclude that the cell
phones are indeed the lifeline of the next generation [38]. According to Google Vice
President, Vinton Cerf, mobile phones are the future of the Internet [2]. Everything that
was once on Internet/WWW has broken grounds into the mobile world and we can see a
variety of mobile embedded applications that simulate the web space on that tiny screen
of a mobile phone [3, 4]. Although web and mobile technologies originated in the West,
the emerging markets like India, China and other countries in South East Asia have
started adopting these technologies very rapidly over the past few years [5]. A survey by
LIRNEasia 2006 reveals that the mobile phones have impacted the emerging markets
with over 94% of Indian population having accessibility to mobile phones [5]. This also
indicates that India, a fast growing economy has embraced mobile technology and can
potentially accept new embedded applications being developed everyday based on this
budding mobile technology [6, 7, 8].
Education Industry has seen a sea change from the traditional classroom coaching
to the use of high technology, with audio and visual modes of teaching and learning [9].
This has been made possible with the emergence of highly competent business models
and the use of new kinds of online and infrastructural resources [168]. The
communication medium or the access channels can have a huge impact on building
community spaces [23]. The nature of the medium both facilitates and constrains social
networking [26].
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Computer mediated communication employs many aspects of information
exchange that can collectively be termed as Virtual Communities [13, 14,169]. Some e-
Learning solutions like ENEA have laid the foundation of Teacher-Technology-Student
interaction in the virtual world [10, 11, 12]. Virtual communities are primarily based on
interaction among the group of users using online and web based tools [13, 169]. With
the increasing use of mobile phones for voice and data exchange worldwide, mobile
communities have started to surface enabling knowledge sharing, information retrieval
and social networking [25]. Just as virtual communities, mobile communities are real
world leisure communities that constitute virtual world on an Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) supported platform [24]. Mobile communities allow
interaction among the users while they are on the move, providing the flexibility and
comfort to interact at any place and at any time [25]. Mobile communities eventually
coordinate actions of groups of people in geographic space and supplement social arenas
in the mobile world [26].
1.1 Technological advancements in education
Nowadays, the universities aim to teach students not only the factual knowledge
but also the social and communication skills that are important for effective learning [27,
37]. The students should be able to work in a team, learn to cooperate and be able to
communicate with fellow students [27]. Group interaction and collaborative learning
helps in building their team skills and interpersonal skills that are beneficial for the
acquisition of knowledge and also a prerequisite for later employment [27]. According to
Pinheiro, Collaborative learning is defined as... the process of students working in teams
to pursue knowledge and learning. In collaborative learning, information, ideas, and
problem solving are actively shared among the team. [...] Collaboration can also be
asynchronous, where students log onto a network at different times and locations leaving
their contributions for others to see and discuss. [28]. Working together and
collaborative learning is a good way of building educational communities that tend to be
thinking or developing ideas with a common objective of knowledge sharing [25].
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Over the past few decades, the use of information technology has revolutionized
the pedagogical approaches of teaching and learning [9]. E-Learning via digital electronic
tools and web-based media has enriched the whole online learning experience for the
educators and the learners [169]. Most schools have distance education programs and
online courses along with their traditional course offerings [27]. M-learning has emerged
for imparting educational content through wireless and mobile devices [170]. Both the
learning paradigms vis. e-learning and m-learning can facilitate education through
content-delivery and through interaction between users [38, 171].
A pure content-delivery model facilitates learning by delivering learning content
over the communication medium [41]. Online courses with downloadable learning
material, questionnaires, access to learning database, handbooks and assignments are the
common ways of disseminating education through World Wide Web [41, 172]. Most
educational institutions now have courses that are telecasted through web streaming for
live access to distance learners or uploaded videos for future reference [114, 172].
Content delivery through mobile devices involves accessing learning material through
internet enabled mobile phones or sending the material to the mobile phones via SMS
(Short Message Service) e.g. BBCs GCSE Bitesize [39, 173]. Bitesize has been a great
success in providing learning material through SMS to mobile phones. Content delivery
model exemplifies a client server paradigm where the learner acts like a client accessing
the learning material provided through different channels and resources [174]. Such a
delivery oriented model ensures good quality of service with continual time, space and
digital media support to the client but restricts the learners from collaborative learning
and reflective knowledge sharing [38].
As indicated in Figure 1.1 below, there are clients (range from 1 through n) as the
learners and there is a content provider (potentially the instructor of the course). In the
content delivery model, the instructor provides all the information into a content database
which is accessed by the learners on demand. In the user interaction model, the learners
not only extract information from the content database but they are also able to interact
among themselves for any exchange of content of knowledge sharing.
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Fig. 1.1 Content Delivery Model vs. User Interaction based Model
Thus, user interaction based model enable discussion based learning through
active participation and exchange of thoughts among the learners [42]. Learning with
user interaction gives an opportunity to share user produced content with the community.
It allows obtaining feedback and discussing on ideas build within the group of people
which might not be provided by the instructor. Thus, this form of learning is more
productive, generative and gives scope to active learning [176]. Discussion boards and
blogs provide an open playfield to the educators and learners to interact among
themselves embracing creativity and participation from a group of people. Mobile
communities are based on interaction between the users that enables learning and
developing on ideas from the entire community [24].
In the modern education system, the technological advancements have enabled
the use of web and mobile tools for course instruction, exchanging content and
collaborative learning [38]. Instructional technologies can greatly enhance the user
interactive based learning providing a virtual environment for collaborative learning[176]. Interactive learning improves the group participation and collaborative dynamics,
allows reconstruction of roles, facilitates engagement in learning activities, enhances
communication and builds interpersonal relations among the users in the community [38,
176]. However, interactive learning is challenged by the lack of pedagogical models for
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integrating technology for group learning [176]. Technology enabled interactive learning
greatly suppresses the delivery of users nonverbal cues and emotional tones. Interactive
models can get complex with the increasing number of participants and learners leading
to complex systems of user interaction which may lose the benefits of collaborative
learning [176, 177].
1.2 Mobile technology in education
Mobile and Wireless hand-held devices are emerging as the promising
technologies for supporting learning, particularly in collaborative learning scenarios
[175]. These devices allow the learners from moving away from the stand-alone
computer, thus allowing interaction with several devices and making information
accessible through a wireless connection. This also offers new opportunities for
individuals who require mobile computer solutions that other devices cannot provide
[176]. The inherent ubiquity and mobility in the use of mobile phones and wireless hand
held devices facilitates learners in both end-to-end content delivery and interaction based
models for collaborative learning [177]. Many researchers, academic and industrial
practitioners, are currently exploring the potential of mobile and wireless devices for
collaborative learning [43-48, 177]. For example: A group of researchers in Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University have proposed MOOsburg++ for interactive
learning using mobile devices like cellular phones, pagers and PDAs. MOOsburg++ is a
multi user domain object oriented environment that supports collaborative activities [43].
Vetter and Varshney at Georgia State University use Wireless Application Protocol
(WAP) for enabling mobile commerce [44]. There are many Japanese websites that offer
learning materials through i-mode, a Japanese mobile internet service, to about 30 million
of i-mode users in Japan [48].
Mobile learning has often been termed as the harbinger of the future of learning
[46]. Mobile phones provide a personal sense of belonging and privacy allowing the
learners especially the teenagers to build network and grow friendship [49]. Group
messaging; gift giving and sharing over mobile phones are indicative of current use of
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mobile phones for collaborative learning [50]. Mobile learning has more often assisted
students motivation, help organizational skills, encourage a sense of responsibility, help
support both independent and collaborative learning act as reference tools to track
students progress and deliver assessment [163]. Researchers are designing new models
to enhance the collaborative mobile learning environments. WAN2lrn and BBCs GCSE
Bitesize are examples of how learners are now able to download information to mobile
phones for examination preparation and revision purposes [47]. Although it has been
pointed that SMS and text messaging have adversely affected the writing habits of young
learners leading to incorrect spelling and grammatical errors, it has been observed that
learners have considerably improved verbal skills while chatting on mobile phones [51].
Thus, mobile phones have proved to be helpful in improving literacy and collaborative
learning especially using the visual and literary expression opportunities through
advanced camera and smart phones [47, 49].
While several wireless and mobile applications are being developed for
collaborative mobile environments, the challenges in development and acceptance of
wireless technologies are manifold [177]. Some of them include difficulty in adapting the
technology for learning in a way consistent with learning goals and principles [43];
appropriating organizational techniques [103]; setting up and testing of prototypical
applications and scenarios; the development of specific software tools and architectures;
and improving the ease of use [45, 103]. It is, therefore, essential to investigate the
collaborative mobile environments in terms of a model that incorporates a step by step
development and evaluation process for mobile designs and the significant factors that
contribute to the mass acceptance of mobile technology for collaborative learning.
1.3 Purpose of the study
Clearly, a lot has been done in the past on mobile education and researchers
continue to work on various aspects of the use of mobile technology for teaching and
learning. The pace of research, development and adaptation of mobile technology in
education industry is very high in the western world [178]. It has been observed that most
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of the work on Mobile learning is initiated in US, Europe and UK [47]. However, the
notion of mobile education is still new and rare in the developing countries. Mobile
learning or m-learning is not yet popular in India, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan and other
south East Asian countries. Although the mobile technology has penetrated the east to a
great extent, most developing nations are still not able to reap the benefits of the
technological advancements in the field of mobile education.
Owing to the rapid adoption of mobile technology over the past decade, cell
phones are the most easily accessible, affordable and often the first computer technology
in the hands of the people in the developing countries [56, 164]. While the widespread
use of internet and wireless broadband services in the developed countries allows people
to gain online access to learning material and online education; online facilities and
World Wide Web have not penetrated all parts of the developing nations [165]. Most of
the emerging countries are still struggling within their socio-cultural, political and
technological boundaries [178] and do not have nationwide internet and broadband
services leading to the lack of access to online resources. This greatly affects the adoption
of e-learning and distance education in such parts of the world. In several regions of
developing countries, mobile phones seem to be the only viable means of communicating
with the rest of the world [164]. Mobile education, therefore, has a great potential to be
the platform of instruction and accessing learning resources and educational material in
developing countries.
Apple holds big plans for 'iPhone University' on college campuses - first of
several baby steps towards a much larger goal to establish the company's brand in
educational sector [55]. Apples iPhone and other mobile phones from vendors like Sony
Ericcson, LG and Samsung have seen a world class market with millions of customers in
the east [74]. Back in India, Mobile Technology has revolutionized the life styles of
majority of Indians [165]. Often termed the lifeline [164], mobile phones have
undoubtedly grown into the veins of modern India connecting people in urban as well as
remote areas at an extremely low price. According to the recent research by Gartner,
India is expected to overtake U.S. to become No. 2 [mobile phone] market by 2010
[56]. People from all sections of the society including dabbawalas, dhobis, chaparasis,
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bhangis and bhikharis1, own mobile phones with cheap connection plans that provide
both voice and data services.
The purpose of the study is to survey the current status of mobile education and
investigate the need of building mobile communities in pursuit of improvising mobile
learning in India. I try to understand the requirements to build mobile communities that
can bring about nationwide acceptance of mobile learning. For this purpose, I refer to the
Human Performance Technology (HPT) Model and Technology Acceptance Model
(TAM). Human Performance Technology model has been envisaged to bring about
changes in the system in such a way that the system is improved in terms of the achieving
it values [52]. It is a step by step process model to analyze, design, evaluate and improve
organizations to meet certain goals and objectives. Technology Acceptance Model has
been widely identified for understanding application usage behavior [53]. It helps to
evaluate the ease of use and usefulness of technology.
Based on the combination of the Human Performance Technology (HPT) model
and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), I propose a Mobile Teaching Community
(MTC) Model that suggests the step by step process to build sustainable mobile
communities. MTC model incorporates the essential components that are important for
developing a community, an objective-driven organization that uses mobile technology
with the common interest of teaching and learning. It considers the basic steps involved
in development and acceptance of technology. Such a Mobile Teaching Community
model can help in mobilizing the community network to achieve educational objectives
using mobile phones [47].
While the entire cycle of Performance Analysis, Cause Analysis, Design,
Evaluation and Intervention in the Mobile Teaching Community (MTC) Model is outside
the scope of this thesis, I will accomplish the following elements of MTC model in this
research study:
1. Performance Analysis: Through this study, I will be examining the various
elements of performance analysis in the proposed mobile teaching community
1 Commonly used for the lowest sector of people in Indian society, usually below poverty line
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model that include organizational and environmental factors affecting the building
of sustainable mobile teaching communities. From my research questions, I try to
identify the gaps in popularizing mobile education in India. As a pilot study for
building mobile teaching communities, I intend to investigate the current status,
basic requirements and potential areas of research for building mobile teaching
communities. However, I do not delve into assessing the performance of the
mobile communities in this study.
2. Cause Analysis: In this study, I seek answer to my research questions in order topresent the status of environmental support and behavioral aspects in the Indian
community for mobile teaching and learning. This identifies the various
bottlenecks in building mobile teaching communities.
To summarize, in this research study I aim to propose a Mobile Teaching
Community model for sustainable mobile communities in India. I perform a qualitative
and quantitative study to answer my research questions that correspond to the first two
elements of MTC model namely; Performance Analysis and Cause Analysis. Empirically,
I focus my research questions in the domain of mobile education in Health Care and
Medicine in India.
1.4 Motivation for study
Education in India is currently categorized into two major forms of teaching and
learning; namely traditional classroom training and online courses [182]. In traditional
classroom training, the students are able to study through pedagogical learning models
[183]. Students attend lectures by the instructors, take assignments, perform laboratory
work, submit reports, and take examination within the school facility. Students can have
group discussion within the class and share ideas with their teams. This form of
community building and collaborative learning is limited to the students who are enrolled
in the same class. Classroom teaching is often restricted to the students and learners who
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are able to be physically present at the school [182, 183]. That also means that schools
located in urban areas are attended by the students residing in urban areas and people in
rural areas are limited to educational facilities in their proximity. This leads to a
geographical divide in terms of classroom teaching in the traditional education system in
India.
Over the past decade, the geographical divide has been greatly reduced due to
introduction of online education courses by institutions within India and abroad [182].
With the advent of computer technology and internet access, students are able to enroll in
online courses in many urban and rural regions in India. Online and distance learning
programs are useful for students who are unable to make it to school due to distance, time
and infrastructural constraints [184]. Students are able to post their ideas on news boards,
have online discussion boards, blogs and upload content on websites for knowledge
sharing. This form of virtual and online communities has greatly affected the literacy rate
and lead to the modernization of Indian education system.
While many regions in India are able to benefit from online education programs,
there are still remote regions which are not connected due to unavailability of internet and
lack of access to computer systems [183]. In such regions, people are highly affected by
the quality of education being limited to schools and facilities that are available in their
local areas. Higher education particularly is a problem as local schools do not conduct
specialized courses in all fields. This results in low education level of people in this
region and adversely affects the economy of India [182].
Efforts are being made by the Ministry of Information Technology to make India
a wireless broadband country by 2013 [185]. However, this seems to be a distant dream
for most of the people who have no access to computer and internet connection and
regions where internet service providers have failed to penetrate. It has been observed
that there exist regions that have mobile connectivity but lack access to computer
networks. Also, many times computer networks seem to be less affordable in various
region of India. With the availability of cheap data and voice plans and low mobile phone
prices, it is not surprising that people prefer to use mobile phones over internet [44].
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Mobility and ability to access information from anywhere at any time is also one of the
motivation for need of popularizing mobile education in India.
Mobile education, however, has not been adopted in the urban and rural areas in
India [47]. Even if mobile phones are widely in use for communication and
entertainment, people lack the understanding of mobile education and the use of mobile
phones for learning purposes [44]. People are not aware of the potentials of mobile
education in India. Mobile phones are used to supplement classroom and online training
where people exchange messages to get quick responses from their team members [174].
SMS and mobile phone calls are limited to personal information exchange and co-
ordination purposes. On the contrary, mobile communities are groups of people who
interact primarily via mobile phones. They perform each of the tasks like discussions;
knowledge sharing and information access using mobile phones. Although the concept of
mobile education is gaining visibility, efforts need to be made particularly to spread
awareness among people about mobile education and mobile educational resources.
Highlighting the benefits and improvising continual learning and teaching through mobile
phones can lead to sustainable mobile communities for education in India.
1.5 Research objectives
While mobile phones have already penetrated the banking, trading, commercial
and entertainment businesses in India [157], there has been very little use of mobile
technology in the education industry [166]. Mobile phones have immense scope for
potential breakthrough into educational sector in India, disseminating educational
services nationwide [7]. Offering educational services through mobile technology
presents opportunities with high commercial and societal impact potential. Mobile
education can not only serve the apparent needs of identifiable customers, but also make
the people aware of the latent needs of technological advancement in traditional Indian
Education System.
In this research study, we look at this big pedagogical picture through the lens of
the innovative mobile learning. I propose to use the Mobile Teaching Community model
for building sustainable mobile communities for mobile learning in India. The focus of
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our research is on mobile learning in the field of Health Care and Medicine [186]. As far
as the empirical part of this thesis goes, I will address the following research questions:
(1) What do people perceive as the bottlenecks in widespread use of mobile phones for
educational purposes? What are the technological and socio-cultural problems that need
to be addressed to advance the current education system into the mobile world?
(2) What are the potential areas of interest for mobile education with respect to the
demographical, sociological and economical need of the community?
(3) What kind of services and applications may be appreciated by mobile communities
for the advancement of mobile teaching and learning?
(4) What are the most common uses of mobile technology in India?
(5) Is there a demand for mobile based healthcare in India? What kind of health careservices are needed by the community?
I intend to obtain answers to the research questions in light of conductingperformance and cause analysis in the proposed mobile teaching community model.
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2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Virtual Communities
A virtual community is a persistent, sustained [socio-technical] network of
individuals who share and develop an overlapping knowledge base, set of beliefs, values,
history and experiences focused on a common practice and/or mutual enterprise [14].
An online community network of people interact within themselves via multiple modes
of communication media like email, chats, blogs, wikis, etc. rather than direct face to face
interaction for sharing views and exchanging information for social, professional,
educational or other purposes [123]. Virtual communities have started to supplement
communication between people who know each other primarily in real life. Many means
of communication are used in social software separately or in combination, including
text-based chat rooms and forums that use voice, video text or avatars [57].
Considerable changes have taken place with regard to the socio-technical aspectswhich have been impacted by virtual communities. This is attributed to the proliferation
of Internet-based social networks [23]. With the increasing use of online knowledge-
sharing resources like Wikis, Blogs, Chat rooms, Internet Forums, Electronic mailing
lists, Newsgroups; community building has been rapid and shaped into a ubiquitous way
of communication [15]. Virtual communities, therefore, seem to cultivate a sense of
recognition, efficacy and community that is capable of exchanging information through
the various available web resources. However, online communities grow slowly partly
due to the fact that the motivation to contribute to the community is proportional to the
size of the community [15, 16]. This coupled with the fact that the organizational culture
does not change overnight are the inherent reasons for slow building of virtual
community. Bass Diffusion Model describes the process of how the new products get
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adopted as an interaction between the users and potential users [16]. Applying the same
to the context of Virtual communities, one can visualize how virtual communities are
built and grow over a period of time with the continual interaction of groups of users in
the community. Virtual communities are one of the models of education which involves
building communities for learning [17]. An internet based administration model for
virtual learning communities provides a prototype for a web-based education system like
EduCities [18].
2.1.1 Origin
Online community are as real and as much a mixed bag as any physical
community one where people talk, argue, seek information, organize politically, fall in
love, and dupe others [58]. Many a times, people have received online emotionalsupport [124] during devastating illnesses or to cope with common issues like
alcoholism, and depression, valuable suggestion for investment deals and reviews before
making an expensive purchase [125, 126]. A survey by iCrossing Inc. has found that
about 40% of Americans [126] use customer reviews and 32% use expert reviews to
conduct research before a purchase decision. It has been found that especially in case of
mass market products; consumer reviews are an important part of the purchase decision
[127]. This shows the potential uses online communities have; People react to online
discussion in the same way as they would to a physical interaction [23]. Virtual
communities usually grow out of people who often interact with each other through
computer networks and involve into discussions over common subject of interest. These
people tend to share their knowledge over several issues to seek advice from their online
fellowship which continues to grow as part of constant participation and expansion in the
web sphere [14]. Although building a community is not the motivation for such an
interaction, the continuous growth of knowledge sharing and communication over the
internet among a set of people with a sole purpose of virtual interaction eventually forms
a virtual community space [14, 58].
A community usually consists of people that can relate to each other sharing acosmology, a common cultural and historical heritage, social interdependence, and a
reproduction cycle [59]. In order to foster online learning and encourage virtual
interaction among students and teachers, many educators have started to introduce new
courses for professional development creating online communities that support learning
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[60]. Developing an online forum or discussion board is very simple given the readily
available advanced web-based conferencing system and technology [13]. The challenge
in creating an online community is to attract a group of people and maintain continued
interest in online discussion with the service of learning. Very often, people visit and
leave without posting messages and many others stay and only read public messages
acting like a passive learner in the community [61]. Unmoderated online discussion can
flame into hostile wars that can very easily go out of control [62]. Nonetheless, many
online discussions have been very productive and informative with sustained civil online
groups, some of which have important communal dimensions [60, 63].
2.1.2 Rationale
Computer Networks have presented a huge opportunity for communication andcollaboration in networked organizations [130]. Social networks are formed when
computer networks form the platform to link people as well as machines. Such networks
which link people, knowledge and organizations are called computer-supported social
networks (CSSNs) [132]. Literature categorizes CSSNs into three forms, which is based
on the members needs and research agendas [23]. The first category - the members of
virtual community; desire to link with likeminded people for information sharing, social
support and companionship from their PCs and workstations [23, 133]. This format of
networking is totally voluntary and research classifies it into two forms small groups
(like the Harley Owners Group and networks based. While the small groups have socially
close relationships and high interactions, the network based groups are socially dispersed,
and driven by utilitarian needs [134]. Research has shown that the informal network of
collaborators, colleagues and friends is one of the most successful communication
channel for information gathering and knowledge management in an organization
[131].This category the white-collar workers seek computer-supported cooperative
work (CSCW) independent of spatial distances[23]. From an employee point of view,
cooperative working not only helps achieve work objectives, but also provides a
psychological and social satisfaction to employees [128]. From the organizationsviewpoint, such networks reduce the burden of coordinating the complex organizational
levels of hierarchy, reducing cost and time. The final category is the workers who want to
telework from their homes, establishing a work-life balance [23]. From the organizations
viewpoint, this means a reduction in real estate, building rents and other overheads like
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electricity and greater levels of productivity. More employees participate in the private
organizational networks using either CSCW or teleworking, than on the Net. Subsequent
changes in technology, along with increased security should bring about this change.
In the text mode, communication is restricted primarily to emails and
computerized conferences, while video conferencing, video walls, video hallways are
other modes that have been utilized in the corporate context [100,135]. Recent trends in
community conferencing provide features like graphics and sounds, animations like
smileys and avatars, and videos in addition to the text mode of communication [135].
Other modes of communication used have been systems like video hallways [104, 105]
allow the members to check availability of others. The concept of video walls that link
spatially separated lounges using large screen videos that promote an informal
environment for conversation [23, 100] have also been explored. While these systems
provide an increased social presence through personalization, they require substantialcosts to ensure good hardware supports these communication modes [135]. The avenues
that have been explored in the formation of virtual communities have been File Transfer
(FTP), broadcasting and Podcasting, electronic newsletters, blogs, and the exchange of
data on-line [135,136].
2.1.3 Role of virtual communities in education
Educational institutions are investing large amounts of money on computer
laboratories, for workstations and other infrastructural needs. There has been an
increasing use of IT in instruction and courses using internet and multimedia resources
are commonplace [86]. From the user perspective both the student and the instructors
have become more sophisticated or technology savvy [137,138,139,140]. This has
provided an excellent opportunity for institutions to use internet as a platform for
establishing a link between educators and students and in the process simplifying
interaction between different parties. Another factor which has supported the heavy
investments is the grants that most universities are receiving from the governments and
corporate [143, 145]. In the Indian context, University Grants Commission (UGC)disburses funds to top universities in the country for investment in technology [141, 142,
144]. Recent trends have shown a migration from just internet based support towards
mobile technology. Mobile technology has provided an opportunity for instructors to
deliver course content efficiently, for interaction among students and in facilitating a
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student-lecturer interaction. This mode of instruction is fast gaining popularity and has
generated considerable amount of interest from researchers and practitioners alike [86].
Educators and student both benefit from the opportunity that virtual communities
provide to interact with each other in a more comprehensive manner, encouraging
transparency and continued learning in the process. The individual attention that was
missing in the classroom methodology of teaching has been addressed through the use of
virtual communities and technology at large. Wachter, Gupta and Quaddus describe in
their paper the characteristics of virtual communities and their contributions toward the
educational process [106]. They explain about the implementation of virtual communities
including considerations for design, management issues, and requirements of resources. It
is interesting to learn how virtual communities grow and proliferate in a technically
advanced environment with people sharing their information over the internet. However,
sometimes, management of such virtual communities can be problematic due to onlinemalpractices by the people.
We look at the current literature on virtual communities and their potential
development using networked technology and remote collaboration, specifically with
respect to World Wide Web (WWW) communication tools. Most of the findings indicate
that online communities are becoming increasingly important in todays world. The
virtual communities meant for education and learning is the need of the current
educational system. Given the constantly changing demands and expectations of both
instructors and student communities, there is an increased pressure on institutes of higher
learning to offer more flexible modes of learning. This is augmented by the fact that
many universities offer courses in the distance learning mode. Online learning has been
put forth as a viable option for colleges and universities to address this demand gap [102].
One of the options employed by colleges and universities are to meet this demand
is online learning. An insight into online learning and development of online courses has
been given by Marguerita McVay Lynch, faculty member - Educational Instruction and
Research at Portland State University in Oregon in her book The Online Educator: A
Guide to Creating the Virtual Classroom. The book deals with the academic
environment and its changing landscapes and of how virtual learning has contributed tothese changes in the 21st century [102].
The growth of the internet has spurred the introduction of collaborative tools like
chat, P2P networks, video conferencing, news boards, and webcasts which have
significantly enhanced the academic delivery mechanisms (other than just classroom
delivery or lecture mode) and given the ability to interact, train and educate on the go.
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The web provides a platform for transmission and exchange of information whether the
materials are a purely stand-alone tutorial or fully fledged on-line workshops [109].
Mobile technology enabled with Podcasts are also finding large acceptance in view of
better portability.
Integration with tools such as Usenet newsgroups, listservs, and annotation
facilities has meant an increase in students level of involvement in the learning
experience. Examples of wireless classroom response systems being integrated into
classroom interactions have been explored in literature [86]. Such tools help in gathering
student responses as well as providing timely feedback and have been found to improve
classroom interactivity, enhance teaching effectiveness, and promote student learning
[86, pg2]. The Web makes the integration of such tools possible, enabling the
development of an effective learning platform and a single knowledge interface. Thus,
the Web is able to provide increased opportunities for leaning through alternative formatsof information dissemination. Virtual classrooms are being created today for educating
scientists, engineers and mathematicians, both researchers and faculty that provide
experience and basic knowledge for use with other student populations in the near future
[110].
Online education is being offered in many forms, across many topics. Studies are
being carried out to assess the impact of such offering both from a technical perspective
to the sociological aspects of learning. Like, take the case of distance learning. While this
mode of study presents an optimal utilization of scarce resources, ensures a fair and
timely distribution of knowledge, its effectiveness is largely dependent on the levels of
motivation of the student [31]. Also, from an instructors perspective, one needs to adjust
quickly to changing trends, which may take some time in case of instructors. Also, the
electronic course should have limited enrollments for the students to actually reap
benefits of the one on one interaction with the lecturer through electronic means. In
conclusion, while many benefits exist for online education and virtual communities, some
disadvantages exist and such systems need to be evaluated on basis of the relevance of
the pros and cons in the context of the educational institution.
2.1.4 Future trends
Distance education and online learning are providing many opportunities for
colleges to exploit [147]. The demand for the electronic mode of education has been
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rising at a rapid rate [146]. This is not only because of the efficiency of electronic
information dissemination, but also due to the comparatively lower costs involved from
both the user and the service provider perspective [148,149,150]. The demand though has
picked up only in the last decade though, with the realization that technology could be
used to provide greater opportunities for learning at lower costs than was possible in
traditional educational practices, and of course with the development of better
technologies [112]. Both private and public institutions have been trying to tap into this
demand by establishing a presence in the electronic marketplace (151) of online
learning and exploit the potential of the industry. This is true even in the Indian context
where many private and public players are offering courses through distance education
[152]. The proliferation of various virtual learning needs necessitates the institution of
required curriculum and regulations to examine the needs of the online learner and
respond accordingly [112]. Other areas of research may be assessing the impact of mediaupon the educational process, the equity of access of these systems and the ever
transforming roles of teacher, and the student in the distance learning process [113].
Newer technologies are hitting markets at regular intervals. These have not only
necessitated the educators to learn their usage but also have increased the resources
available at the disposal of a lecturer. Currently, the focus is shifting towards the opinions
of these educators regarding the goals and methods of the technology. While some view
this change as a secular shift in learning trends, others view technology as a support and
argue for a proper prioritization of educational goals. The view of the social and
educational needs of the changing society has also been expressed as an important factor
influencing the educators standpoint [112].
While many fields of study are being impacted by the introduction of newer
technology, a few challenges exist. A primary challenge is to develop strategies that
focus on planning, student understanding, interaction and teaching to ensure a
successfully delivered course [114]. Another challenge that needs to be addressed is
regarding the technical aspects. When a group is interacting in real time, limitations in
synchronous communication possibilities hinder the interpersonal experiences that one
associates with classroom teaching and learning. While real time video conferencing andvoice messaging have advanced to better levels, some of the technical concerns still
remain to be addressed [112, 113].
To overcome these limitations, it has been suggested that the next developments
in communication would focus on opportunities for more interpersonal interaction
between participants through synchronous voice, data and visual imagery, which will
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simulate the real time learning through the virtual experience. Creating a lifelike virtual
learning environment will be the next challenge to be addressed through research.
Incorporation of presence and personal interaction will be crucial to the development and
acceptance of the virtual learning environment [112, 115]. Some aspects of the future
direction of virtual learning have been captured below.
Redefining the student and instructor roles
Assessing the impact of student characteristics
Addressing operational issues, management and regulatory issues
Ensuring equity and accessibility for learners across the globe
Assessing the cost benefit tradeoffs between virtual learning programs and classroom learning
Continuously developing technology and adapting to changing needs of student and instructors
Adapted from: Sherry L, Issues in Distance Learning and Planning and Implementing Open and Distance
Learning Systems: A Handbook for Decision Makers
Fig. 2.1 Future direction of virtual learning
A set of criteria has been developed by the Western Governors which would
characterize the future virtual university [116]. Some of the parameters that they envision
for a virtual university are: market oriented, client centered, degree-granting, accredited,
competency based, non-teaching, high quality, cost effective, regional and quickly
initiated [112]. While they recommend that initially, tech-savvy faculties teach online
courses, that is, those who are comfortable with computers and genuinely enjoy spirited
interaction and expecting the unexpected [116]. At a later stage though, advancement
of technologies has been sought in the field of smart systems so as to do away with the
need for a technocratic faculty and participants. Faculty would be contracted by the
universities on the basis of factors like expertise, experience, and availability without
worrying about the location of the faculty which is currently the case. Learning and
teaching would turn to the desktops from the classrooms. Development of intelligent
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systems would ensure that research by both faculty and participants becomes much easier
and less time consuming with the availability of information being just at a click away.
Secondary issues such as time, payment, credentials and class size can also be addressed
along with the concerns raised earlier to establish a virtual university [112].
2.2 Technology in India
India has a rich tradition of Science and Technology that is over 5000 years old
[65]. India has moved to becoming a technology hub attracting talent, ideas and
technologies from around the world. The reasons for this are obvious. With the second
highest population worldwide, India produces graduates (2.5 million per year in IT,
engineering and life sciences) at an undefeatable rate every year [66]. As newer
technology hits the market, Indians have increasingly shown interest in early adoption ofhigh quality niche technology. India has witnessed increased usage of broadband internet
wireless technology.
Demand4.57 million broadband users in IndiaWorlds 2nd largest wireless market40 million Mobile internet users - 2007
OpportunityLowtele-density ofIndia - Only 28.33%Mobile penetration 14 times that of broadband internetLow prices Internet enabled phone at $ 11
Courtesy: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
Fig. 2.2 Demand and Opportunity for mobile and wireless market in India
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has reported 4.57 million
broadband users in the country, a figure which has doubled in the past year [67]. India
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has also surpassed US to become the worlds second largest wireless market, a TRAI
report said [68]. The potential can be visualized from the low tele-density of the country
which stands at only 28.33% [69]. The service providers are providing more data
bandwidth and increased data speed in rural and urban areas. While internet may not be
the best way of connecting people in India due to cost and limited resources, mobile
technology has certainly become the lifeline of the people in India. Mobile phones have
access to regions where internet connections have found penetration difficult. TRAI put
the number of mobile internet users at 40 million at the end of 2007, a figure which was
14 times the penetration levels achieved by broadband internet [70]. With rapidly
dropping mobile handsets prices and internet equipped mobiles available for as low as
$11 per piece [71], the growth potential of the wireless market in India is immense.
2.2.1 Telecom Sector in India
A study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) shows that the Indian Telecom sector is one of the most rapidly growing telecom
markets in the world with a monthly addition of 6 million connections. With the highest
FDI inflows in the country, the sector is all set to ensure India becomes a telecom
manufacturing hub [72]. In the context of making mobile based learning and healthcare a
viable option in a developing economy like India, it is important that mobile usage be
cheap in the country so as to have a wider reach. The massive growth in the telecom
sector has been fueled by the positive regulatory framework adopted by the government
[153]. Thus, an analysis of the regulatory framework bears relevance to this paper
because the changes introduced in the regulations have ensured a competitive market,
thus making mobile usage cheaper in India. India has adopted a phased approach to the
reform process in the sector. Initially, privatization was introduced in the Value Added
Services (VAS) segment, which was followed by the liberalization of cellular and other
services [73]. A few highlights of the changing regulations have been presented below:
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Introduction of the National Telecom Policy (NTP) in 1994
Independent Regulator, TRAI established in 1999
NTP 1999 Revenue Sharing Model Established
Additional Licenses and License Fee Reduction-2001
Introduction of CDMA Technology and Internet Telephony - 2002
Elimination of Specific Licensing; Unified Access Licensing (UAL) established - 2003
Broadband Policy 2004 Formulated Target 20 mill ion broadband users by 2010
FDI Limit raised from 49% to 74% - 2005
Number Compatibility Issues Addressed, 3G Guidelines Issued - 2008
Introduction of WiMax Data and Voice Services - 2008
Adapted from: Telecommunication - Market & Opportunities: An IBEF Report, July 2008
Fig. 2.3 Changing regulations in wireless and mobile services in India
The telecommunications sector has witnessed a lot a transformation in recent
times through regulatory changes as depicted above. The foundation was laid by the
introduction of the National Telecom Policy (NTP) Act in 1994. Subsequently, TRAI was
established to ensure the development of a competitive environment. The preamble of the
TRAI Act shows the commitment towards developing the telecom sector and protecting
consumer interests [155]. The next step taken was the New Telecom Policy, 1999, which
was set up to create an environment that would encourage investment in the sector and to
develop communication infrastructure by implementing the latest technology [155]. The
next major development in the regulatory environment came with the issuance of
additional licenses which ensured a migration from a state owned monopoly to a duopoly
in each region [76]. Subsequently, many players being allowed to operate in a single
region (called circle in Indian Telecom parlance). Both these steps helped in achieving
the broader objective of providing affordable telecom services to all. By increasing the
FDI limit from 49% to 74% in 2006, a more competitive environment was created which
would benefit the consumers [156]. The impact that these policies have had on the Indiantelecom sector; both on the subscriber base and the tariff rates has been shown below
[76].
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Source: Telecommunication - Market & Opportunities: An IBEF Report, July 2008
Fig. 2.4 Impact of Policy change on Indian Telecom Industry
The lower tariffs have ensured a large growth in the customer base as can be
observed from the graph. Another factor that has propelled this growth is the considerable
reduction in the cost of mobile handsets, information about which has been already
shared. The large accessibility that mobile communication has achieved in India is
important in the context of developing a mobile learning system so that a broader base
can have access to it.
India is the third most deregulated telecom markets in the world [72]. Private
participation has been allowed in all services like international long distance (ILD),
domestic long distance, basic, cellular, internet, radio-paging, and a number of value-
added services [73].
Recently, mobile phone connections in India have crossed the 250-million mark,
which means about 1 in 4 Indians have a mobile phone [74]. There are two different
technologies deployed by the mobile operators in India namely GSM and CDMA. TheGSM service providers are Bharthi Airtel, BSNL, Vodafone, IDEA, Aircel, Reliance,
Spice, and MTNL whereas the CDMA service providers are TATA Indicom, HFCL,
Shyam, and Reliance. Figure 2.5 shows the market share of each service provider in India
[75]. Reliance India had come out with a Rs. 480 ($10) priced internet enabled mobile
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phone. With mobile phones getting so cheap and consequently pervasive, India is
around the corner for implementation of mobile technology for the benefit of consumers,
operators, content providers and government. It promises to be a USD 1 billion industry
by 2010, if roadmaps are created and implemented properly [76].
Courtesy: Academic Open Internet Journal, Volume 21, 2007
Fig. 2.5 Market Share of mobile & wire line service providers in India
2.2.2 Need areas for mobile practices in India
Mobile technology has been embraced equally in all parts of India [157]. The
sheer number of mobile applications that are currently being used by the people is
astounding. The mobile phones are being used for several kinds of application in a wide
range of fields. Mobile Commerce is the field which deals with adapting mobile
applications for commercial purposes. Tiwari et al define Mobile Commerce as
business with ubiquitous mobile services is commonly referred to as Mobile
Commerce, which in a simplified definition may be regarded as an extension of
Electronic Commerce to wireless mediums [77].
Some of them are illustrated below. The list is not exhaustive but can be thought
of as a primer that discusses applications of mobile technology.
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(a)Banking and TradingMobile Banking refers to provision and availment of banking and financial services
with the help of mobile telecommunication devices. The scope of offered services may
include facilities to conduct bank and stock market transactions, to administer accounts
and to access customized information [78].
The paper by Tiwari et al categorizes mobile banking services into three broad
categories Mobile Accounting, Mobile Brokerage, and Mobile Financial Information.
Mobile Accounting includes activities like money remittances and transfers, changing
operative accounts, blocking lost cards, check book requests etc. Mobile Brokerage
broadly includes services like selling & purchasing financial instruments like securities.
Mobile Financial Information like balance inquiries / latest transactions, foreign
exchange rates, interest rates, stock and commodity prices, other account/bank relatedinformation [78].
In the Indian context, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently come out with
guidelines regarding the implementation of mobile banking in India [79]. Many Indian
banks like ICICI Bank, Axis Bank are offering mobile banking solutions to their
customers [80, 81]. Currently, there are several micro-financing applications that are
developed by nationalized and private sector banks for facilitating people to access
account information over mobile phones. In southern part of India, there are villages that
are running mobile trading businesses, purchasing and selling stocks over their cell
phones. In a collaborative effort with University of California, Berkeley, Tapan Parikh
has proposed a mobile banking system [82] that uses integrated camera cell phones for
capturing information and sending via mobile phones to banks and financial institutions
to perform transactions on personal bank accounts remotely.
(b)AgricultureIn the rural sections of the Indian society, very few people have access to internet
[158]. Due to limited wireless and wired internet services, people are deprived of onlineand distance learning programs that are popular in the urban areas. While most people
are not able to afford a computer and internet services, many people these days own a
cheap mobile phone with affordable monthly tariff plans that connect them to other parts
of the country. Indian service providers like Airtel have already partnered with agencies
like Indian Farmers' Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) to set up communities like
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IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (Farmer Communities) in states like Rajasthan [83]. In
the international context, mobile technology is being used in precision agriculture, and
data surveying used in crop production and horticulture [84]. In the Indian context,
opportunity exists in providing agricultural services like updates on prices and weather,
pesticides and insecticides information, subsidy allotment etc.
(c)EducationMobile education or m-education is the use of mobile technology in
education [85]. Mobile technology has provided an opportunity for instructors to deliver
course content efficiently, for interaction among students and in facilitating a student-
lecturer interaction. This mode of instruction is fast gaining popularity and has generated
considerable amount of interest from researchers and practitioners alike [86]. In theIndian context, a service provider Tata Teleservices, a part of the TATA conglomerate,
has started an initiative called Mobile Education (M-Education) in the country. Thiswas
done to aid learning in remote rural areas and to support the physically challenged [87].
In this model, the mobile is being used to offer educational content and take mock tests
on the move.
(d)CommercializationSoftware giants and mobile application vendors are considering numerous
applications for mobile phones that can be used for advertising and commercialization
purposes. Cisco Systems and Apple together have started a project to design a Mobile
Concierge for guest services in a commercial complex that can provide and one stop
portal for accessing all the information about the shops and services available within a
commercial complex plaza [159]. Another such example is that of the Japanese
departmental store Mitsukoshi which has introduced a mobile concierge service using
active RFID tags to improve customer service and access purchase histories [88].
(e)Public Health and MedicineIn the healthcare domain, mobiles have made an astounding impact. They have
been found to be useful for services like Mobile Telemonitoring, supporting working
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processes in hospitals, solutions for doctor calls and IT prosthetics among many others
[89]. Mobile Health Care Services provide a good alternative to people living in remote
locations and for those with little time.
In the Indian context, this technology addresses the larger issues of delivering
healthcare solutions to the millions in inaccessible regions. Mobile major Ericsson has
teamed up with Apollo Hospitals in India and introduced a mobile healthcare platform
[160]. Telemedicine is being delivered using technology like HSPA which is expected to
help in providing affordable and accessible healthcare to many [90]. A study by Dr.
Surya Bali et al found that Indians were quite receptive to the idea of mobile healthcare
even in rural regions. The authors suggest the use of mobile enabled services for
prescriptions, doctor appointments, and emergency mobile services among other benefits
[91]. Recently, ZMQ Software Systems, a mobile gaming company, also launched
system that would help rural women in prenatal care through SMSs and send tips onnutrition and food to ensure good health of the baby [92].
(f) TransportationMobile technology can be used in a wide range of applications such as enabling
paperless travel, self-service, online payments and check in, in flight entertainment, and
facilitating passenger flow management. Other applications include using mobile devices
as a channel for one to one marketing [93]. Many passenger support systems based on
mobile technology have been developed recently [94]. In the Indian context, mobile
based services like the eBusGuide which aims at improving public bus occupancies and
user satisfaction have been suggested [95]. The positives of using mobile technology in
transportation in the Indian have been documented in the Mobile Development Report
released by the Centre for Knowledge Societies (CKS) and commissioned by Nokia [96].
Another significant addition to this domain is through the use of Google Maps.
Accessing such services through mobile phones would make them ubiquitous; enabling
ease of navigation through local traffic updates and alerts.
(g)Linguistic InterfacesSDL, the world's leading provider of translation services and technology
solutions, has implemented the Volantis Intelligent Content Adaptation solution to
make FreeTranslation.com available to any mobile browser that can access the Internet
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[161]. The most popular language translation portal, FreeTranslation.com provides
mobile subscribers and international tourists with translations over a wide range of
languages [97]. Even Nokia has developed an application shoot-to-translate that
translates one language to another using image recognition mechanism. The application
translates text from one language to another using a photo taken by the mobile phone
camera. This shows another potential market for the use of mobile technology [98].
India is a multi-lingual country with over 30 different languages and each with
several dialects. There is immense need for portable translation services to enable people
from different regions to interact with each other. Linguistic mobile interface is a concept
that can be introduced to address this gap. Users can get mobile support for translation
into local languages. Such an application can be developed with a custom module of local
language word processor that can provide a known language conversion and assistance
on mobile phones.
2.2.3 Mobile communities in India
As discussed in the previous sections, the rapid acceptance of mobile phones and
equally fast development of mobile applications in several sectors in India clearly
indicates that mobile phones have become the most common mode of communication
among the people of India [157]. The wide use of cheap SMS and Voice calls by the
people for exchanging work and personal information over phones is routine among the
people of all generations. Students discuss class homework and examination material,
working professionals exchange business items and others share personal information
using mobile phones sitting in cars, buses, schools, hospitals, offices and homes. Just as
virtual communities are formed by the online interaction of people, mobile communities
are formed by the people who use their mobile phones for information exchange. In
India, various types of mobile communities are being formed that hold discussions on
mobile phones in the form of SMSs, voice based chat rooms and mobile forums [161].
In the past year, mobile communities like TSKBreakingNews, MutualFundGuru
and LIAFI have been created on the smsgupshup community site [162] and have gainedprominence. They currently have large active user lists and such instances show the
potential for mobile communities in urban India. A common thread found across all these
communities has been that these are primarily need based groups and have been started
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by people passionate about the community topic [161]. While such success has been seen
in urban India, rural India presents many challenges.
Regardless of the fact that mobile technology has been embraced in all parts of
India [157], rural people still lack the understanding of mobile communities and their
significance in everyday life [179]. Owing to the regional, economical, sociological and
demographical diversity in India, some areas utilize mobile technology more than the
others. Inherent advantage of quick accessibility of information, connectedness and
efficient communication has been a primary motivation for mobile phones use in urban
areas. Some people like school and college students have started using mobile phones for
socialization but the talks are limited to personal messages and chats. Although this is
one form of mobile community, people interact over mobile phones with no intentions to
build any kind of mobile discussion forum.
In order to widely accept a mobile culture in Indian democracy, it is important toemphasize the need of building mobile communities in various sectors of the society.
With the advent of ubiquitous mobile applications and services, India can be a mobile
economy in the coming future. Mobile communities can result into new business and
enhance existing businesses with low infrastructural costs. Such communities can provide
a good platform for teaching and learning, a way to gain social and emotional support
anytime and anywhere.
It is, therefore, important to explore ways of building sustainable mobile
communities in India.
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3. THEORY AND FRAMEWORK
3.1Mobile teaching communities
In this study, I research some of the barriers for the acceptance of mobile phones
for developing mobile communities for education in India. I define a model that
incorporates various aspects of building mobile communities and use it for educational
sector in India with the focus on educational communities in Health Care and Medicine.
It has been observed that even if a community is built, which itself is a very slow process,
it might not remain as productive and informative over a period of time. Sustainability is
therefore a major concern for online communities as well as mobile communities. Using
a Mobile Teaching Community (MTC) model, I suggest ways of building sustainable
mobile communities dedicated for teaching and learning. This model uses the Human
Performance Technology (HPT) model and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to
design a step by step approach to build mobile teaching communities. A brief overviewof Human Performance Technology model and Technology Acceptance Model is
provided in the following sections.
3.1.1 Human Performance Technology (HPT) Model
Educational technologist often associate education technology with performance
technology [103]. Tiem, Moseley and Dessinger envisage a Human Performance
Technology (HPT) Model that uses several aspects of instructional system design. In this
model, they describe a systematic approach in identifying and overcoming all the barriers
in performance by an individual or an organization [101]. It takes a systemic view of an
organization the success of which depends on the effective functioning of each unit and
how they fit into the whole. It takes into consideration all the environmental parameters
and constraints to lead to an outcome that is in line with the organizational goals,
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objectives and vision of the system. It focuses on the procedures that achieve desired
productivity, efficiency and quality with the required workforce skills [101].
In a business or an organization, HPT requires assessing the intermediate goals
such as quality improvement, customer retention and cost reduction as well as the final
outcome like sales, profits and market share. The performance improvement is critical for
HPT and is measured in terms of its level of meeting the intermediate and business
outcomes based on a collaborative effort of all the partners, clients and specialists. An
organizational improvement is highly based on collaborative working and sharing
responsibilities [101].
Like the ADDIE Model [167] that consists of five phases; Analysis, Design,
Development, Implementation and Evaluation/Control for Instructional Systems Design,
Human Performance Technology model also goes through similar rigor for any project
that aims to meet performance based on organizational behavior. HPT model is,therefore, applicable to a system which aims at continual performance improvement.
Mobile teaching communities also aim to develop and build mobile based educational
communities with a vision to improve teaching and learning in the society which is why
HPT process model is inherent to any model for building mobile educational community.
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3.1.2 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
Many researchers have used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to validate
their theories on application usage and acceptance behavior of users [108]. TAM
considers parameters such as ease of use and usefulness as perceived by the user for
evaluating the acceptance of a technology. It is a behavioral model that analyzes several
factors for gauging the ease of use a