Context-aware Ubiquitous Learning Environment Research Articles

A Literature Review on the Application of Ibeacon in Education Settings

With the advent of iOS 7, a new technology from Apple called iBeacon appeared, iBeacon made a significant step forward in the Internet of Things (IoT) (Townsend, 2023). As technology is becoming a more central part of people’s lives, people’s devices start to talk to each other more and iBeacon helps a device figure out what is nearby and what it can talk to. Currently, iBeacon is also widely applied in education settings, which promotes heated discussion on its potential in education sector application (Spachos & Mackey, 2018), many publications have also been issued in the academia on the application of iBeacon in education settings, but so far, there has not been any review on these studies. This article presents a literature review of the studies on the application of iBeacon in education settings published from 2016 to 2020, aiming to discuss the widespread application of iBeacon in educational contexts, and shed light on its innovative potential and revolutionary potential; the discussions on using iBeacon in smart green building courses, context-aware ubiquitous learning environments, flipped classroom learning, and smart campus classroom attendance system show that iBeacon can efficaciously support teachers’ instructional activities and students’ learning activities, help teachers quickly obtain students' learning situation in classroom and then may adjust their instructional approaches or contents, and help pupils effectually engage with their daily learning and develop their learning skills.

Impact of Authentic Learning on the Satisfaction, Knowledge and Skills of Distance Learners in Context-Aware Ubiquitous Learning Environment

This study was aimed to measure the impact of authentic learning on the satisfaction, knowledge and skills of the learners in context-aware ubiquitous learning environment. For this purpose an E-module based on authentic learning activities was developed. This was a single group pre-survey and post survey experimental study. All the students of M.Phil. DNFCE at AIOU in semester spring 2016 were taken as sample. The data was collected through questionnaires based on five point Likert scale. The descriptive statistical analysis (mean and Standard deviation) found suitable for the study and Pair T-test was used to compare the opinions of the learners of experimental group before and after the experiment. It is suggested that the activities based on authentic learning enhance students satisfaction, knowledge and skills so it may be practiced at the higher education level for better results and the students of AIOU may be prepared for 21st century in digital era.

A qualitative analysis of context-aware ubiquitous learning environments using Bluetooth beacons

ABSTRACTThe use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons is becoming widespread for context-aware learning environments. This technology can be used in indoor and outdoor settings such as museums, shops, home and schools in order to identify the location of learners and their contexts. Specifically, in the constructivist view of learning, learners can use such sensing technology for constructing knowledge and experiencing learning at any time, anywhere. However, exploration of such technology has been limited in the constructivist context-aware ubiquitous learning (U-learning) literature. For this purpose, the authors evaluated two android-based U-learning applications: one was an outdoor learning environment in a garden, the other was about locating books in a library. The applications were implemented and tested with school and university students. The qualitative results are presented in this article, and show how such sensing technology is promising for both pedagogical environments.

Development and Analysis of an Enhanced Multi-Expert Knowledge Integration System for Designing Context-Aware Ubiquitous Learning Contents

This article describes how in context-aware ubiquitous learning environments, teachers must plan a theme and design learning contents to provide complete knowledge for students. Knowledge acquisition, which is an approach for helping people represent and organize domain knowledge, has been recognized as a potential way of guiding teachers to develop real-world context-related learning contents. However, previous studies failed to address the issue that the learning contents provided by multiple experts or teachers might be redundant or inconsistent; moreover, it is difficult to use the traditional knowledge acquisition method to fully describe the complex real-world contexts and the learning contents. Therefore, in this article, a multi-expert knowledge integration system with an enhanced knowledge representation approach and Delphi method has been developed. From the experimental results, it is found that the teachers involved had a high degree of acceptance of the system. They believe that it can unify the knowledge of many teachers.

Needs analysis for an ESP case study developed for the context-aware ubiquitous learning environment

The integration of context-aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) into English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learning has become increasingly widespread due to the enhanced interaction between learners and situated contexts. Using an authentic learning site on environmental protection and its related discourse-specific English as target knowledge, this study analyzed the learning needs for developing ESP knowledge and skills through the use of smartphones and QR codes. Different need choices of the four language skills, requirements of CAUL system design, and effective audio–visual materials for social interaction are discussed. Based on previous reviewed arguments and current empirical arguments, the quantitative results reveal significant findings in ESP material design, content knowledge, and effective methods for CAUL. Further, qualitative interview results are classified into technological viewpoints and practical infield viewpoints. Consequently, identified themes and contradictions among three target groups—experts, students, and guides—are explained in terms of different pursuits of context-specific English learning needs.

SROR: designing a social-based routing protocol for context-aware ubiquitous learning

Social-aware routing in delay-tolerant networks (DTNs) are a recent emerging technology that addresses intermittent connection issues, and has the potential to better support context-aware ubiquitous learning and create a social learning community without the infrastructure. This study proposes a novel social-based routing protocol called the Social Relation Opportunistic Routing (SROR) algorithm for mobile opportunistic networks, based on the three properties of social relations, social profiles, and social mobility patterns. The time complexity of finding an optimal routing solution is NP-Complete. Thus, our objective is to compute the optimal relay node for routing the data so that the delivery ratio is maximised heuristically. We demonstrate that the SROR algorithm outperforms the existing benchmark routing protocols and achieves the highest data delivery ratio with maximised routing efficiency under the dynamic social environments. With this advanced technology, an authentic and seamless context-aware ubiquitous learning environment can be realised and supported in the future.

SROR: designing a social-based routing protocol for context-aware ubiquitous learning

Social-aware routing in delay-tolerant networks (DTNs) are a recent emerging technology that addresses intermittent connection issues, and has the potential to better support context-aware ubiquitous learning and create a social learning community without the infrastructure. This study proposes a novel social-based routing protocol called the Social Relation Opportunistic Routing (SROR) algorithm for mobile opportunistic networks, based on the three properties of social relations, social profiles, and social mobility patterns. The time complexity of finding an optimal routing solution is NP-Complete. Thus, our objective is to compute the optimal relay node for routing the data so that the delivery ratio is maximised heuristically. We demonstrate that the SROR algorithm outperforms the existing benchmark routing protocols and achieves the highest data delivery ratio with maximised routing efficiency under the dynamic social environments. With this advanced technology, an authentic and seamless context-aware ubiquitous learning environment can be realised and supported in the future.

Blended context-aware ubiquitous learning in museums: environment, navigation support and system development

With the rapid development of wireless networks, mobile technology and sensing technology, context-aware ubiquitous learning (u-learning), which allows anytime and anywhere learning, has been widely discussed and investigated in recent years. It has been proven by several studies that situating students to learn from the real world, such as in museums, with u-learning systems is beneficial to them. However, the traditional context-aware ubiquitous learning environment suffers from some physical limitations. For example, the capacity of the learning targets is limited, and moving time for reaching the learning targets is required. These physical limitations may affect students' learning efficiency. To create a more efficient ubiquitous learning environment, a novel learning framework, namely blended context-aware ubiquitous learning (b-learning), is proposed in this paper. A navigation algorithm, B-MONS, is also proposed for the novel learning framework to guide students to learn efficiently in the b-learning environment. Based on the proposed b-learning framework, a blended context-aware ubiquitous learning system, BCAULS, with a navigation support mechanism based on B-MONS was designed and developed. To compare the efficacy of this new proposed framework with other learning platforms, a field experiment of the learning activity, "Rocks and Fossils," was conducted in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan. The experiment results indicate that the students performed better in the b-learning environment than in the u-learning and e-learning environments.

Development and application of a repertory grid-oriented knowledge construction augmented reality learning system for context-aware ubiquitous learning

The rapid advance of wireless communication and sensor technologies has encouraged researchers to engage in the research issues of context-aware ubiquitous learning u-learning. However, it is still not certain whether the new learning scenario is beneficial to students in a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment. In this study, a repertory grid-oriented mobile knowledge construction augmented reality learning system was developed for context-aware ubiquitous learning. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted to probe the feasibility of the proposed learning strategy in comparison with learning strategies of different learning systems. The results reveal that the proposed approach can facilitate the acquisition of conceptions; moreover, incorporating AR technology had a potential positive effect on the learning achievements of the students in comparison with the conventional approach. Such findings offer good references for those who intend to design and conduct augmented reality technique based mobile learning activities.

Development and Evaluation of an Active Learning Support System for Context-Aware Ubiquitous Learning

Situating students to learn from the real world has been recognized as an important and challenging issue. However, in a real-world learning environment, there are usually many physical constraints that affect the learning performance of students, such as the total learning time, the limitation of the number of students who can visit a learning target, and the time needed for moving from one learning location to another. It is essential to guide the students along an efficient learning path to maximize their learning performance according to the current situation. In this paper, an active learning support system (ALESS) for context-aware ubiquitous learning environments is designed and developed. ALESS can provide learning guidance when conducting ubiquitous learning activities. A great deal of context information is used in ALESS, including the location, the current capacity of the learning object, the time available, etc. ALESS is able to actively provide the required learning support to individual students when they approach the corresponding real-world learning targets. To evaluate the performance of ALESS, an experiment was conducted in the National Science Museum of Taiwan. The experimental results showed that, with the help of ALESS, the students learned more efficiently, and achieved better learning performance.

Dedicated design and usability of a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment for developing receptive language skills: a case study

There has been little informal learning research concerning the issues and learning factors for students who are engaged in receptive language skills reading and listening development in a Context-Aware Ubiquitous Language Learning CAULL context. Therefore, the researchers first developed a CAULL environment for students to learn the surroundings of Cheng Kung Lake with the use of the handheld PDA, the wireless internet, and RFID readers and tags. There were three sections in the learning content about Cheng Kung Lake, including the reading units, scenario-based conversations, and RFID-generated Q&A in the reading and audio clips. Further, there were 47 intermediate-proficiency-level graduate students participating in this study. The results indicate that most students benefited from using this kind of CAULL and improved their receptive language skills, as well as demonstrate students' positive attitudes towards the implementation. Finally, design and development issues, affecting learning factors, problems and suggestions in such a CAULL environment were discussed.

Developing a context-aware ubiquitous learning system based on a hyper-heuristic approach by taking real-world constraints into account

In a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment, learning systems are aware of students' locations and learning status in the real world via the use of sensing technologies which provide personalized guidance or support. In such a learning environment that guides students to observe and learn from real-world targets, various physical world constraints need to be taken into account when planning learning paths for individuals. In this study, an optimization problem is formulated by taking the relevance of real-world learning targets and the environmental constraints into account when determining personalized learning paths in the real world to maximize students' learning efficacy. Moreover, a hyper-heuristic approach is proposed to efficiently find quality learning paths for individual students. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, the teachers' feedback was collected and analyzed based on the learning activities conducted in an elementary school natural science course; in addition, the performances of the proposed algorithm and other approaches were compared based on a set of test data.

The use of mobile technology and ubiquitous computing for universal access in online education

Innovative modes of learning integrated with information and communication technologies (ICT) and mobile technology have emerged in recent years and become increasingly used in schools [6, 11]. Mobile devices, such as smartphones, have become ubiquitous parts of our existence in industrialized societies [13]. In a recent study of the top technologies to incorporate into the classroom [10], educators and researchers recommend greater inclusion of online and mobile technologies by teachers whenever possible [2]. With the emergence and development of information technologies, the world is becoming a ‘‘mobigital virtual space’’ where people can learn and teach digitally anywhere and anytime [9]. Because of the high cost of computer laboratories and technological devices in schools, many schools have an unfavorable student-to-computer ratio, and students can only access computer laboratories or use such devices once or twice a week [7]. Learning with mobile devices and ubiquitous computing technology promises ‘‘new opportunities and could improve the learning process’’ [5] and can help to achieve educational goals if used through appropriate learning strategies [4]. Therefore, educators should make more effort to facilitate learning by using mobile and ubiquitous computing technologies and integrate them with appropriate learning strategies for both teachers and students [12]. The authors in this special issue present several approaches and applications of mobile technology and ubiquitous computing in online education. In this special issue, four papers were collected. Each of the four papers went through three rounds of review. In the first paper entitled ‘‘Developing a context-aware ubiquitous learning system based on a hyper-heuristic approach by taking real-world constraints into account,’’ an optimization problem for determining personalized learning paths in the real world to improve students’ learning efficacy is formulated by taking into account the relevance between real-world learning targets and the environmental constraints. The authors, Peng-Yeng Yin, Kuo-Hsien Chuang, and Gwo-Jen Hwang, also propose a hyper-heuristic approach to efficiently find quality learning paths for individual students. In their study, a context-aware ubiquitous learning (u-learning) environment was developed for an elementary school campus to measure this proposed approach. They found that this u-learning approach is able to enhance students’ learning efficacy and motivate them. Moreover, the authors also indicate that their proposed approach could be applied in other fields, situations and environments, such as temples, museums, or ecology parks. Bernardo Tabuenca, Marco Kalz, Stefaan Ternier, and Marcus Specht, in their paper entitled ‘‘Mobile authoring of open educational resources for authentic learning scenarios,’’ identify a set of barriers for ubiquitous and mobile authoring of educational resources, and ten key shortcomings of current approaches. In addition, they also provide a design for a mobile environment in which to author educational resources. In this article, the authors report on a usability evaluation they carried out, confirming that the designed tool has above average usability. The findings in this study are reinforced by the hedonic quality evaluation conducted. The authors further suggest that the measures of ‘‘usability’’ and ‘‘hedonic quality’’ elaborated in the paper can be taken as a reference for future developments of authoring tools, serving as a base for quantified and qualified comparisons. C.-W. Tsai (&) Ming Chuan University, Taipei, Taiwan e-mail: jawen12b@gmail.com

Definition, framework and research issues of smart learning environments - a context-aware ubiquitous learning perspective

The rapid progress of mobile, wireless communication and sensing technologies has enabled the development of context-aware ubiquitous learning (u-learning) environments, which are able to detect the real-world learning status of students as well as the environmental contexts. Accordingly, appropriate information can be provided to individual students in the right place and at the right time. However, researchers have indicated that, to support students to learn in real-world contexts in smart ways, more factors need to be taken into account when designing and developing learning systems. In this paper, the definition and criteria of smart learning environments are presented from the perspective of context-aware ubiquitous learning. A framework is also presented to address the design and development considerations of smart learning environments to support both online and real-world learning activities. Moreover, some emerging technologies that might facilitate the development of smart learning environments as well as the features and criteria of smart learning are addressed. Finally, research issues related to smart learning are provided.

Development and evaluation of a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment for astronomy education

In recent years information technology has been integrated into education to produce a series of trends, beginning with “electronic learning” (e-learning), through “mobile learning” (m-learning) and finally to “ubiquitous learning” (u-learning), which aims to improve learner motivation through overcoming the conventional limitations of time and location. U-learning practices are still being developed, and learners frequently experience difficulty focusing on learning objectives, and effective learning strategy tools are still lacking. This study reports the design of a context-aware astronomy learning system. The system integrates several technologies, including radio frequency identification, wireless communication networks, handheld mobile devices, and databases to help students learn astronomical concepts. Two content modules were developed in the context of natural science education for fifth-grade elementary school students in Taiwan. Indicators of user experience with the system were collected for further phenomenographic analysis, based on four perspectives of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model to assess learner willingness to use this novel u-learning approach. Results show that ease-of-use and the availability of immediate operational or technical support are key factors in increasing learning motivation and performance.

A context-aware video prompt approach to improving students' in-field reflection levels

Engaging students in reflection during real-world observation and inquiry activities has been recognized as an important issue for improving students' learning achievement and motivation. Many studies in the literature have adopted text-based reflection prompts as an important strategy to promote learning performance, this study argues that using videos as a reflection prompt would be more effective for improving learners' ubiquitous learning experiences and can provide a more sensible scenario that is better fitting the real-world contexts than the text-based prompts. In this study, a context-aware video-based prompt approach is proposed for improving students' reflection levels and satisfaction by providing timely and personalized guidance using mobile, wireless communication and sensing technologies. An experiment was conducted for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed video-based prompt strategy with 70 participants in two groups. The results show that learners' reflection levels were significantly improved with the use of the proposed approach and that positive attitudes were observed toward the use of video-based prompts in the context-aware ubiquitous learning environment.

Learning in a u-Museum: Developing a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment

Context-awareness techniques can support learners in learning without time or location constraints by using mobile devices and associated learning activities in a real learning environment. Enrichment of context-aware technologies has enabled students to learn in an environment that integrates learning resources from both the real world and the digital world. Although learning outside of the traditional classroom is an innovative teaching approach, the two main problems are the lack of proper learning strategies and the capacity to acquire knowledge on subjects effectively. To manage these problems, this study proposes a context-aware ubiquitous learning system (CAULS) based on radio-frequency identification (RFID), wireless network, embedded handheld device, and database technologies to detect and examine real-world learning behaviors of students. A case study of an aboriginal education course was conducted in classrooms and at the Atayal u-Museum in Taiwan. Participants included elementary school teachers and students. We also designed and used a questionnaire based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) theory to measure the willingness for adoption or usage of the proposed system. The experimental results demonstrated that this innovative approach can enhance their learning intention. Furthermore, the results of a posttest survey revealed that most students' testing scores improved significantly, further indicating the effectiveness of the CAULS.

Semantic retrieval: multiple response model for context-aware learning services

With the consistent adoption of pervasive computing thoroughly integrated into our daily learning activities, seamless learning services can be provided for learners corresponding to their needs at any time and any place. The adapted learning service is delivered to learners based on learning situations and learning response/feedback, which are success and failure in practice. But because the learning needs are changing under available rich contexts, learning services generally make the learners ‘cognition overloads’ and ‘disoriented’ under context-aware ubiquitous learning environments. In order to deliver the most suitable learning service, this paper proposes a multiple response approach to realise context-aware learning services under pervasive learning environments. Based on six learning statuses from sharable content object reference model (SCORM), six responses of learning feedback are used to reward or penalise the preferred learning service according to the learning context. Experimental results show that the proposed methods perform well in practice and the prototype system can successfully deliver the learning services adapted to the learning contextual situations of learners.

Using ubiquitous games in an English listening and speaking course: Impact on learning outcomes and motivation

This paper reports the results of a study which aimed to investigate how ubiquitous games influence English learning achievement and motivation through a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment. An English curriculum was conducted on a school campus by using a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment called the Handheld English Language Learning Organization (HELLO). HELLO helps students to engage in learning activities based on the ARCS motivation theory, involving various educational strategies, including ubiquitous game-based learning, collaborative learning, and context-aware learning. Two groups of students participated in the learning activities prescribed in a curriculum by separately using ubiquitous game-based learning and non-gaming learning. The curriculum, entitled ‘My Campus’, included three learning activities, namely ‘Campus Environment’, ‘Campus Life’ and ‘Campus Story’. Participants included high school teachers and juniors. During the experiment, tests, a survey, and interviews were conducted for the students. The evaluation results of the learning outcomes and learning motivation demonstrated that incorporating ubiquitous games into the English learning process could achieve a better learning outcomes and motivation than using non-gaming method. They further revealed a positive relationship between learning outcomes and motivation.

A Heuristic Algorithm for planning personalized learning paths for context-aware ubiquitous learning

In a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment, learning systems can detect students’ learning behaviors in the real-world with the help of context-aware (sensor) technology; that is, students can be guided to observe or operate real-world objects with personalized support from the digital world. In this study, an optimization problem that models the objectives and criteria for determining personalized context-aware ubiquitous learning paths to maximize the learning efficacy for individual students is formulated by taking the meaningfulness of the learning paths and the number of simultaneous visitors to each learning object into account. Moreover, a Heuristic Algorithm is proposed to find a quality solution. Experimental results from the learning activities conducted in a natural science butterfly-ecology course of an elementary school are also given to depict the benefits of the innovative approach.