Phone Browser Research Articles

Tele-Neuro-Ophthalmology During the Age of COVID-19.

Tele-Neuro-Ophthalmology During the Age of COVID-19.

Ubiquitous mobile use: student perspectives on using the VLE on their phone

With the rapid increase in the use of smart phones (and other mobile devices), students in Irish and international higher education institutions are increasingly accessing virtual learning environments (VLEs) using their phones via an app or their browser. This brings both welcome flexibility for the students’ digital learning experiences and wider opportunities to support both asynchronous and synchronous learning in innovative ways. However challenges exist, initially regarding the functionality, user interface, reliability and speed of mobile use of the VLE (specifically via a VLE app as well as a phone browser) but also how best to empower students and lecturers to harness the potential benefits. This article explores the 2017 results of the #VLEIreland student survey in one higher education institution, expanded to include questions about student experiences of using a VLE app. Almost all students have smart phones, with the VLE app used by 7 in 10 students surveyed and, despite the many limitations of the VLE app, two-thirds found it useful. Student comments highlighted the benefits of notifications on the student’s phone and the convenience of easy, flexible access to the VLE. Barriers to the use of the VLE app included poor design and working of the app, and limitations of the student’s own phone. A major implication of increasing mobile access is that the VLE design needs to be more responsive for users, that the VLE itself be fully functional and user-friendly on smart phones and the challenges to design, develop and deliver a rich functional VLE app are met. There is potential for flexible mobile access to the VLE outside of class to be complemented by increased in-class use to enrich innovative approaches to engage learners. Increased mobile VLE usage has consequences for how lecturers use the VLE; they need to be conscious of this mobile use when designing, creating and using their VLE course as well as utilising appropriate digital pedagogies.

A Mixed Method Study on Usability Evaluation of Smartphone Web Browsers

The advancement in communication technology has reshaped the idea of mobile phone. Mobile phones are transformed into smart phones and their capabilities are enhanced far beyond the level of a phone. Almost all information seeking and communication tasks can be efficiently done by using smart phones. People remain connected and access information to perform their tasks even while travelling, meeting friends and having family dinners. One of the key components that make it possible; which is installed on billions of devices around the world is 'web browser'. Web browser provides a gateway to the information access. Now, every smart device whether it is a TV, Phone or Tablet, is equipped with a web browser. The user experience or usability is one of the important quality characteristic in smart phones. The increased use of smart phone web browsers and distinguished characteristics of smart phones (screen size, input method and display resolution etc.) compels to investigate their usability. In this research a model is developed to evaluate the usability of smart phone browsers. The research presented here will help to understand that how users interact with the smart phone browsers. A model is proposed and frequent tasks are identified to develop a scenario (consist of frequent tasks) to assess browser's usability. The model is applied on four android based web browsers. The results of this study will be helpful for the practitioners and industry to evaluate and improve the usability of browsers.

A Software Platform for Water Environment Monitoring

This paper describes a software platform for water environment monitoring. The main monitored parameters are temperature, turbidity, PH, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus, total nitrogen, nitrogen ammonia (NH) and heavy metal such as Pb, Zn and Cu etc. This platform was designed using java language and java web technology, which are widely used in many software platforms including water environment monitoring. Low cost and lightweight framework are the major aspects of the software platform because free software (Tomcat and MySQL) and SSH framework are adopted in this software platform. People can view water quality data in a computer or a smart phone browser in the form of table and chart. The water quality data transmitted from General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) wireless network are stored into the MySQL database automatically once the software platform is started. Data collected by this platform is real-time, once a record is out of limits, a message will be sent to mobile phone. Through data collected, environment protection administrators can predict and get the conclusion whether the water is polluted or not.

MCHOIS: An Application of Mobile Technology for Childhood Obesity Surveillance

Abstract New mobile computing devices including smartphones and tablet computers have emerged to facilitate data collection in realtime at the point-of-care. Earlier, we developed a web based Childhood Obesity Informatics System (CHOIS) and deployed it for obesity surveillance by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). In the process, a school nurse collects data on an individual's height and weight for determining Body-Mass-Index (BMI), which is conventionally used for determining at-risk and obese patients. However, this process is often limited by the internet access at the site. This paper describes a solution by demonstrating a smartphone-based mobile application, mCHOIS. The application developed in this project enables a field worker to input or modify the data and store it locally in the phone. Once internet connection is available either through the broadband or through the built-in wifi, data can be sent to the remote database of CHOIS. Updating the data and visualization of the report are also available through the phone's browser. This application has been successfully field tested and is now under deployment for use by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) for its School Health Program.