Rodrigo Hahn

Mobile and ubiquitous computing in an innovative undergraduate course

The increasing use of mobile devices and the dissemination of wireless networks have stimulated mobile and ubiquitous computing research. In this context, education is being considered one of the main application areas. This paper proposes the use of mobile and ubiquitous computing to support and improve learning in a new kind of academic structure called Undergraduate Course of Reference (nicknamed GRefe). The GRefe was proposed in Unisinos, a university located in south of Brazil. Currently, there are four GRefes. These courses are organized in Learning Programs and Learning Projects. They use a practical and multidisciplinary approach to stimulate the learning. We proposed the use of mobile and ubiquitous computing technology to articulate and improve the academic activities of a specific GRefe called Computer Engineering. We believe that GRefe organization simplified and stimulated the use of these technologies in a learning environment.

Local: a model geared towards ubiquitous learning

The increasing use of mobile devices and the dissemination of wireless networks have stimulated mobile and ubiquitous computing research. In this context, education is being considered one of the main application areas. New pedagogical opportunities are created through the use of location systems to track learners, and through context awareness support. This paper proposes a model to explore these opportunities using location information and context management as learning support tools. This model, called LOCAL, was conceived for small scale learning environments, but can be applied in large-scale as well. The model was implemented and the initial results show its utility to assist the teaching and learning processes.

A ubiquitous learning model focused on learner interaction

Ubiquitous learning refers to learning supported by the use of mobile and wireless communication technologies, sensors and location/tracking mechanisms, that work together to integrate students with their environment. In this paper, we present a ubiquitous learning model called location and context-aware learning (LOCAL). The model is self-sufficient since it does not require complement of an ubiquitous middleware. Moreover, LOCAL uses location information and learner profiles in a generic approach, it was not designed to any specific kind of learning application. The main goal of the model consists in stimulating interaction among learners. The model was implemented and the initial results attest its usefulness. Two functionalities tests proved that LOCAL can be used to stimulate the learner interaction and to distribute contextualised learning objects. In a third test, LOCAL usefulness was positively evaluated by 20 individuals of a computer engineering undergraduate course.

A Framework for the Design of Ubiquitous Learning Applications

The article presents a framework for the design of ubiquitous learning applications that considers four main elements: the knowledge about learners profile and needs; the context (physical, temporal and social) that surrounds mobile learners; the educational paradigm or model considered and the possibilities and limitations of mobile and wireless technologies. The proposed framework is applied in the analysis of a case of development of a virtual learning environment designed to support the competence development of mobile workers. The design experience is detailed, showing lessons learned and indications for future research.

Evaluation of a Large-Scale Ubiquitous System Model through Peer-to-Peer Protocol Simulation

The ubiquitous computing scenario brings many new problems such as coping with the limited processing power of mobile devices, frequent disconnections, the migration of code and tasks between heterogeneous devices, and others. Current practical approaches to the ubiquitous computing problem usually rely upon traditional computing paradigms conceived back when distributed applications where not a concern. In this paper we propose UbiHolo, a new end-to-end model oriented to development and execution of applications over large- scale ubiquitous computing systems. UbiHolo is based on the Holoparadigm (in short, Holo), a new software paradigm oriented to the development of distributed computer systems. After that we show that UbiHolo is scalable, and that it is possible to create and manage execution of applications over large-scale ubiquitous environments without a great impact on application s user response tunes. Our results are obtained through a simulation of a Holo system with up to 950 nodes, which was implemented over the p2psim simulator.

Learning in Small and Large Ubiquitous Computing Environments

GlobalEdu is a generic model created to support learning in ubiquitous computing environments. This model has the necessary support to implement learning-related functionalities in ubiquitous environments. The basic ubiquitous computing support must be supplied by a middleware where GlobalEdu lays atop. This paper proposes the integration of GlobalEdu with two middlewares: ISAM and LOCAL. ISAM supports the creation of large-scale ubiquitous systems. As such, its integration with GlobalEdu results in large-scale ubiquitous learning environments. On the other hand, LOCAL is dedicated to create small-scale, location and context-aware ubiquitous learning environments. The integration between GlobalEdu and LOCAL results in a local ubiquitous learning system. We created a practical scenario, where our proposal was evaluated.