Most personalised learning systems are designed for either personal computers (e-learning) or mobile devices (m-learning). The integration of hand-held devices like the mobile phones and tablets in the educational setting is radically transforming how we access educational content. With the mobile technology gaining momentum, mobile tools such as personal digital assistants, tablet computers, and mobile phones have begun to gain more importance in education.
M-Learning solutions can tap into the existing educational reservoir and be made accessible via mobile phones and on low cost tablet devices like the Aakash. An immense advantage is the elimination of the constraints of time, space and place; the main hurdles in the learning process. A ubiquitous learning environment offered by this technology, keeps the students engrossed in the learning process. The popularity of handheld devices and their constantly lowering costs had brought the technology in education to the point where it can be held in hand.
Our research is focused on a cloud-based adaptive learning system that incorporates mobile devices into a classroom setting. This system is fully integrated into the formative assessment process and most importantly, coexists with the present e-learning environment. Its scalable and extendable architectural framework includes the server-side pedagogical recommendation of content adaptation based on the user’s knowledge- levels and preferences.
Content is also automatically adapted to the end device that is being used by taking into account the screen size, resolution and orientation, bandwidth, processing, storage, diverse phone platforms,and so on. This context-aware delivery allows users to switch between e-learning and m-learning and between devices, without any loss in personalised content. The e-learning content has been ported onto the Android platform, making in available on the low cost Aakash tablet.
