Out and About

The portability of handheld devices lends them to be ideal for use in the outdoors and for a variety of activities that can take learners out and about in the community. Global Positioning System (GPS) offers a way to access dynamic information about the environment using the satellite-based navigation system.

This technology allows an ubiquitous computing or  ‘augmented reality’ where buildings or objects can ‘talk’ and offer information about themselves to PDA or mobile phone users who are passing by in a street or in a museum. This information can also be tailored to the user’s needs ie language, level or format.

Geocaching is an exciting new hobby developed with the advent of GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) handheld devices. Combining hiking and treasure hunting, geocaching involves hiking to a set of coordinates (longitude and latitude) to find a "cache." Caches are normally left in beautiful locations and contain a log book and "riches" to trade. If you like an adventure, geocaching is for you.

In Practice

Some work with GPS enabled PDAs has helped young people with learning difficulties understand map reading. When they can see their position plotted in real time on the map it becomes easier to relate the map to the features around them. The thin red line shows the learner’s route along with the doubling back that took place when they self corrected the route. The instant feedback and the encouragement to self-correct is very valuable for this group. Alistair McNaught, Senior Adviser, Techdis

 

Mudlarking was a Futurelab project in Deptford in 2004. This project is a re-imagining of the traditional guided tour which empowers young people to engage creatively with their built environment. Location-sensitive information is provided through a hand-held device with GPS capabilities that delivers information when the user walks into node areas that are indicated on a small paper-based map. Key Stage 3 students walked usually inaccessible and fenced off areas of Deptford, making imaginative connections between large and small scale relics that connect histories and stories embedded in the creek itself.

The Savannah Project in Bristol explored the use of a game using GPS to create a ‘mediascape’.  A Bristol playing field became an African Savannah where children moved around with PDAs attached to a GPS receiver. As they pretended to be a pride of lions, they encountered hotspots where they smelled, heard and saw various objects on their screens. Their PDAs told them where they were and what was happening in real time, so they could communicate with each other in a bid to catch their prey.

 

In Practice

Helsinki's virtual guidebook offers images and descriptions of Helsinki in the past and present.

A device with GPS satellite navigation system can receive mapping and unique location information to and from the device. Many mobile phones can utilise this GPS ‘positional awareness’ technology.

In Practice

Environmental Detectives was the first AR game created by the MIT TEP. It was targeted at high school and university students. In this game students play the role of environmental engineers who are presented with the following scenario at the beginning of the simulation:

During the construction of the underground garage of the new Stata Center significant amounts of water are pumped up from the ground in order to lower the groundwater table so that the garage can be constructed in a dry environment. As a matter of regulation the water is tested for the 25 most commonly found chemicals in groundwater at hazardous waste sites. As a result of the testing it is discovered that a toxin is present in the extracted water. You call the President of the University to report and he asks, “How dangerous is this toxin? Where did the contamination come from and how widespread is it? Does MIT need to take some action (and what action might this be)? What do you advise?” You promise to call him back within three hours with your advice on the problem.

The full Environmental Detective story

Virtual Guidebooks

A guidebook could be produced to allow a group to discover the local area of a town or city. Images of sites and signs can be previously stored on the devices and the learners can read text description or make notes about what hey can see or hear at that point of interest.  Alternatively the learners can take the photos and write text notes using the devices. The files can then be collated later at a computer or beamed to other devices to share and work collaboratively to produce a final guidebook.

Norwich has become the first UK city to boast its own revolutionary electronic guide book which can be viewed and listened to on your mobile phone. The guide, called Pocket Norwich, can be accessed from almost any mobile device

Oxford Brookes University scientists designed Wildkey interactive software to revive interest in biology-based fieldwork. Wildkey was produced for biological identification and recording for handheld devices using Pocket PC or Mobile Windows.  The software enables learners to identify species in the field through simple questions and images. Data that has been recorded can then be investigated in map or graph form on a handheld device to identify patterns in species distribution and behaviour.

 

GPS is made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day.

Convert your PDA/smartphone into a navigational assistant

A GPS received looks like a CompactFlashcard which slots into the CF slot in the Pocket PC or Smartphone with the aerial sticking out.  

Belkin Bluetooth GPS Receiver 12 channel GPS kit supports Pocket PC and Navman GPS 4470 Bluetooth Receiver for Palm.

Moblogging with location tagging.

Zonetag allows the mobile phone user to upload photos to their Flickr account with automatic location-specific tagging, based on their current cellphone tower.

 

Leonard Low's says in his blog:

''One of the greatest assets of mobile learning is that it allows you to bring the learning experience into the “real” world - making the whole world an “excursion,” or real-life learning experience that is, in fact, bigger than a book, computer screen or classroom.

To learn about an arboreal ecosystem, while walking in a forest; to have relevant learning materials at your fingertips in a real workplace; or to learn about art in a gallery… this is one of my visions for utilising mobile learning for its strengths.'

Quicklinks

In Practice

Using Text

Using Sound

Using Images

Using SMS (Text)

Using MMS (Images)

Using Planning Tools

Quizzes and Interactive activities

Getting Connected

 

 

Other sections

Choose the Right Device

What to look for when buying the devices, reviews and suggestions

Technical Tips

Troubleshooting, software and hardware solutions

FAQs for Organisations

Issues and questions that organisations experience

Making it Accessible

Ways to use the technology accessibly

The Future

The changing world of handheld devices

Glossary

An a-z glossary of mobile technology terms