15-06-2013, 12:26 PM
MOBILE VIRTUAL BLACKBOARD
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ABSTRACT
Distance Education System (DES) is commonly used to increase effectiveness of educational process.
Mobile devices imply additional changes in the way students interact as a society. Mobile learning (m-
Learning) offers solutions that address the shortcomings of the traditional classroom.
The mobile virtual blackboard is elaborated in this paper. It is a mobile communication service
integrated within our existing DES. It serves for consultations purposes and it is especially suitable for
acquiring small and exact pieces of knowledge that can be immediately used. In that way, it creates an
ideal environment for collaborative learning.
The feasibility of using mobile virtual blackboard within educational process was performed with
the survey done with the students at the last year of undergraduate studies. We found that functions of
the mobile virtual blackboard were effective in cooperative learning. The feedback from the students
proved that the virtual blackboard system was viable for use within any project based curriculum.
INTRODUCTION
Development of mobile communication devices and standards in wireless communication and
networks has enabled people to use the devices in many different ways. Novel educational
practices stimulated by the new information and telecommunication technologies enable
almost instant access to latest educational materials. The requirement for low cost mobile
networks to facilitate such a dynamic environment is obvious. That environment triggers the
need for new approaches in providing both educational and administration services to the
student. One of the most honorable utilizations of this new mobile technology is mobile
learning.
MOBILE VIRTUAL BLACKBOARD SYSTEM
ARCHITECTURE
The mobile virtual blackboard is made for attending consultations on mobile devices,
precisely on pocket PCs. The mobile virtual blackboard was inspired by the necessity to
exchange information as soon as it is needed. When compared with other kinds of distance
learning methods, mobile learning should give fast and exact answers to needed questions.
Consultations in a group create implicit collaboration among students, which increase quality
of obtained knowledge, because students can find answers to certain questions that arise from
different real life scenarios.
Our Wireless mobile virtual blackboard, consultation system is implemented using a client
- server architecture that requires less communication load on the client applications. That is
done because mobile devices have limited memory and processor power. The server part is
implemented as desktop PC application, since servicing clients might demand system with
high performances and data throughput. The entire communication among the clients is
carried out through the server application. The architecture is presented on Figure 1.
The client user’s interface has controls that enable chat, drawing, feature for file
upload/download, authority control (who should use the blackboard). The virtual blackboard
consultation system also contains features for audio conversation with means of VoIP. The
significance of this feature is obvious. Talking enables more precise discussion to be led in
less time.
WIRELESS MOBILE VIRTUAL BLACKBOARD DESIGN
Interactivity is very important issue in mobile learning systems. The technology limitations
should not interfere with the student-professor interaction and discourage the users of the
system. On contrary, we have opinion that the technology has grown enough to accomplish
this kind of a task, and even provide better conditions for consultation process. Many
messengers available today, have practiced people to use this kind of tools in communication
and collaboration. Implementing consultations on pocket PCs provides convenience by
making people more available.
CONCLUSION
This paper presents our approach for incorporating m-Learning services into our existing web
based DES. The mobile services will provide help in building of learning environments. In
our opinion, most needed services for that purpose are communication services and services
that ease access to educational materials.
The Wireless consultation system is designed to provide maximum interactivity; to ensure
all the benefits that consultation “face to face” provides combining with the facilities that the
modern technology and telecommunications can offer today.
The client side components are intended to deliver all aspects of communication at one
time and high quality user interface so that usage of the system becomes easy and intuitive.
Since the client application is intended for pocket PCs, a great concern is taken over spacing
of the visual components.
General opinion among student examinees was that the mobile virtual blackboard is
effective and useful tool in helping the students acquire the exact pieces of knowledge they
need.