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1. Introduction
2. What is M-learning?
The traditional education is made in classrooms where
Mobile learning is effectively a sub-category of the
teacher presents the learning material to a group of
larger concept of e-Learning. According to Clark Quinn
students. The educational technology depends mainly on
mobile learning is “the intersection of mobile computing
teacher and the students that must be physically present
and e-learning: accessible resources wherever you are,
to participate in the learning process. Regardless of the obvious
strong search capabilities, rich interaction, powerful
advantages of a direct contact between a teacher and
support for effective learning, and performance based
students; immediate feedback in the traditional
assessment – e-learning independent of location in time
classroom education has many disadvantages. For
and space”[5]. So we can define M-learning as the
example if a student has no ability to take part in some
intersection of Mobile Computing and e-learning as
lesson he or she will miss the training material. These
shown in figure 1. M-learning is also the combination of To highlight the advantages of M-Learning over E-
mobile technologies and appropriate pedagogy to allow Learning a comparison is given in the table below:
learners to interact with learning environments, and other
learners, at any time from any location. Table 1: Comparison of M-learning with E-learning.
M-learning E- Learning
It can be used everywhere at It cannot be used everywhere
E-Learning every time. at every time
Mobile Most mobile devices have Desktop (PCS) are more
Computing M-
Learning lower prices than Desktop expensive than mobile
(PCS). devices.
Mobile devices are smaller in Desktops are not portable.
size and lighter in weight than They are not easily carried
Desktops. Hence they are around due to their heavy
Fig. 1 M-Learing a subset of E-Learning portable. weight.
M-learning can provide E- Learning cannot provide
location dependent education location dependent education. multimedia files. The main operating systems
using GPRS technology used are Palm and Microsoft Pocket PC.
It is flexible to engage by It is not flexible. • Cellular phones: The low class devices mainly
learners on the move. can be used for voice communication and sending
One learner to more than one One learner to one computer.
and receiving of text messages (SMS). Some of
mobile device.
their disadvantages are low memory capacity and
low data transfer rate. The cellular phones from
3. Why M-Learning? the higher class can be used to Internet access via
WAP or GPRS technologies. They also can be
According to [1] M-learning is a natural extension of e- used to send and receive the multimedia messages
learning. It has the potential to further expand where, (MMS). Their prices continuously decrease.
how, and when we learn and perform in all aspects of our • Smart phones: They are hybrid devices which
life. A key benefit of M-learning is its potential for combine the abilities of cellular phones and PDA.
increasing productivity by making learning available They have smaller sizes than PDA and bigger than
anywhere and anytime, allowing learners to participate in cellular phones. Typically they haven’t full sized
educational activities without restriction of time and keyboard and can recognize handwritten text.
place. Mobile technologies have the power to make They use Symbian, Windows Mobile or other
learning even more available and accessible than we are operating system. As they have Internet browsers
used to in existing e-learning environments. M-learning they have potentiality to be successfully used in
can be just- in- time learning where learners can actually the mobile multimedia education. Today there are
access education and training at the place and time that several communication technologies which are
they need it. M-learning can be information seeking, used in mobile devices. Their abilities vary vastly
content delivery, adhoc questions and answers, notes, as well as data transmission range and range [2]
comments between learning community, or tasks related
to learning administration [3]. The development and 4.1 Mobile and Wireless Technologies
adoption rate of mobile technologies are increasing
rapidly on a global scale; there are numerous Global system for Mobile Communications
applications for mobile technologies in education; from (GSM): is one of the leading digital cellular
the ability to wirelessly transmit learning modules and systems. It uses narrow band TDMA (Time
administrative data, to enabling learners to communicate Division Multiple Access). Originally a
with instructors and peers “on-the-go” [4] European standard for digital mobile telephony,
GSM has become the world’s most widely used
mobile system in use in over 100 countries.
4. Mobile Devices GSM networks operate on the 900 MHz and
1800 MHz waveband in Europe, Asia and
Mobile learning is impossible without the use of the Australia, and on the MHz 1900 waveband in
mobile devices. They vary significantly in their abilities, North America and in parts of Latin American
sizes and prices [2]. The common ability which united and Africa. It provides integrated voice mail,
them is their mobility and possibility to make wireless high – speed data, fax, paging and short
connections. The main types of mobile devices used in message services capabilities, as well as secure
the education process are: communications. It offers the best voice quality
• Notebook computers: From one hand they have of any current digital wireless standard.
such abilities as desktop personal computer; from Wireless Application Protocol (WAP): This is a
the other hand they have small sizes and support free, unlicensed protocol for wireless
wireless communications. Their prices are still high. communications. It makes possible creation of
• Tablet PC: These are one of the newest mobile advanced communications services and access
devices. They also have full range of abilities as to Internet pages from a cellular phone. WAP
personal computers. Some of them haven’t devices understand the WML language (an
keyboard but have software to recognize XML application) that is optimized for small
handwritten text. It is relatively expensive. screens and navigation without a keyboard.
• Personal Digital Assistant (PDA): They have WAP also supports WML script scripting
small sizes and significant processor power. New language.
models support more than 65000 colors, recognize General Packet Radio Service (GPRS): A
handwritten text and can play different types of packet linked technology that enables high
speed wireless internet and other data
388 IJCSNS International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, VOL.8 No.11, November 2008
communications. GPRS provides about four Table 3: Wireless technologies and associated characteristics
times greater speed than conventional GSM Technology Services/ Coverage Limitations Example
Features Area Systems
systems. Currently 288 operators around the
world have commercial GPRS services. Cellular Voice and Continuou Very low Cellular
Bluetooth: Wireless technology is a short range data s bandwidth Phones,
radio technology. Bluetooth makes it possible to through Coverage PDAs,
hand held Palm
transmit signals over short distances between phones Pilots
telephones, computers and other devices and Wireless LAN Traditiona Only in Limited NCR’s
thereby simplify communication and (WLAN) l LAN local range WaveLA
synchronization between devices. with environm N,
wireless ent Motorola’
IEE 802.11 is a type of radio technology used interface s
for wireless local area networks (WLANs). It is ALTAIR
a standard that has been developed by IEEE GPS Determine Any place Expensive GNSS
(Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers). s three on Earth NAVSTA
dimension R
Wi-Fi (802.11) is composed of several al position GLONAS
standards operating in different radio and S
frequencies: 802.11b is a standard for wireless velocity
LANs operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum with a Satellite-based Mainly Almost Expensive Iridium,
PCS for paging any place Teledesic
bandwidth of 11 Mbps; 802.11a is a different on Earth
standard for wireless LANs, and pertains to Ad hoc Group of Similar to Very limited Bluetooth
systems operating in the 5 GHz frequency range networks come local area range
with a bandwidth of 54 Mbps. Another together networks
standard, 802.11.g, is for WLANS operating in for shot
time to
the 2.4 GHz frequency but with a bandwidth of share data
54 Mbps. Sensor Tiny Small Very limited Defense
Infrared Data Association (IrDA): This networks sensors terrain range and
association defined a suite of protocols for with civilian
wireless applicatio
infrared (IR) exchange of data between two capabilitie ns.
devices, up to 1 or 2 meters apart (20 to 30cm s
for low – power devices). IrDA devices
typically have throughput of up to 115.2Kbps or GPS-based Applications
4Mbps. Smart phones, many PDAs, printers and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) [10] are space-based
laptop computers use IrDA protocols. radio positioning systems that provide 24-hours, 3D
position, velocity, and time information to suitably
The comparisons between parameters of existing equipped users anywhere on the surface of the Earth. The
wireless technologies are given in the Table 2 [2] NAVSTAR system, operated by the U.S. Department of
Defense, is the first GPS system that allows intelligent
Technology Data Range Frequency vehicle location and navigation. It has many military
Rate (meters) Band applications such as intelligence and target location,
(Mb/s) command and control mine laying and detection, testing
Bluetooth 1-2 100 2.4GHz combat aircraft, missile guidance, and artillery pointing,
IrDA 4 1-2 Infrared to name a few, GPS can be used for surveying and can be
IEEE 54 20 5GHz done in almost all weather conditions. GPSs are useful in
802.11a agriculture for precision farming as well as for search
IEEE 802. 11 100 2.4GHz and rescue operations.
11b Automobile manufacturers have introduced GPS-based
IEEE 54 50 2.4GHz navigation in cars, with a four-inch monitor asking
802.11g
travelers their destination, displaying a color map of the
area and scrolling down a list of preselected points of
From Table 2 we can make conclusions that these interest, such as hotels, convention centers, or a specific
technologies can be used to provide different data street address. Another example of GPS-based
transmission rates with ranges less than 100 meters in the applications is the use of mobile notebooks in sporting
area of the universities or so called “hot spots”. To competitions, including sailboat races, where progress is
achieve higher ranges the cellular phones supporting recorded and communicated wirelessly to servers.
WAP and/or GPRS technologies must be used.
IJCSNS International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, VOL.8 No.11, November 2008 389
Internet % (%)
Internet
Population Users, Mobile Users Use Growth
AFRICA Users
( 2007 Est.) Latest Market in ( 2000-2007 )
Dec/2000
Data 2005 Africa
South
43,997,828 2,400,000 5,100,000 25.0 % 11.5 % 112.5 % Figure 3: Comparative Analysis of the 10 largest Mobile Markets in
Africa
Algeria 33,333,216 50,000 2,460,000 10.0% 5.6 % 4,820.0 % Africa
Egypt 80,335,036 450,000 6,000,000 10.0% 13.6 % 1,233.3 % Then one may want to ask, how well connected is
Nigeria 135,031,164 200,000 8,000,000 14.0 % 18.1 % 3,900.0 % Nigeria? According to figure 4 below, the data for 2007
Morocco 33,757,175 100,000 6,100,000 9.0% 13.8 % 6,000.0 % show that 5% of Nigeria’s 148,090,000 inhabitants
(nearly 16 per cent of Africa’s population) had access to
Kenya 36,913,721 200,000 2,770,300 3.0% 6.3 % 1,285.2 %
the Internet, 3% have access to main telephone lines,
Tunisia 10,276,158 100,000 1,618,440 2.0% 3.6 % 1,518.4 %
while 20% are mobile subscribers.
Ghana 22,931,299 30,000 609,800 2.0% 1.4 % 1,932.7 %
Tanzania 39,384,223 115,000 384,300 4.0% 0.9 % 234.2 %
Congo,
Dem. 68,008,922 500 180,000 2.0% 0.4 % 35,900.0 %
Rep.
Others 437,280,388 868,900 11,139,100 19.0% 24.8%
TOTAL
941,249,130 4,514,400 44,361,940 1000% 100.0 % 882.7 %
AFRICA
through e-learning. M-Learning takes it further and useful in education both as administration, organization
makes it possible to learn while you earn on-the-go. and teaching aids for practitioners, and also as learning
Mobile technologies such as mobile phones allow for support tools for students. M-learning fulfills the
synchronous audio communication with much greater growing demands for life-long learning opportunities
ease and at a relative lower cost than online technologies, that enable learners to “learn while you are on the go”
especially in areas where bandwidth is still a limitation M-learning has already started to play a very important
as in Nigeria. role in e-learning in Nigeria. It should be noted that M-
Why M-learning in Nigeria? learning has brought e-learning to the rural communities
Well the answer is quite interesting. Because of lack of of Nigeria- to learners that we never imagined as e-
infrastructure for ICT (Cabling for internet and telecom) learning learners just a few years ago. M-learning is the
in Nigeria, the growth of wireless infrastructure is gateway to e-learning for most learners in Nigeria as the
enormous. [18] Reported that the adoption rate of mobile rapidly growing wireless infrastructure increasingly
technologies in Africa’s developing countries is among fulfils their access needs. Nigeria is actually leaping
the highest rate globally and forecasts estimate almost forward from an unwired, nonexistent e-learning
200 million mobile users in Africa by 2007. infrastructure to a wireless e-learning infrastructure. The
statistics in this regard are already significant proof of
6.1 A Model for m-learning in Nigeria by way of this process.
Mobile Phone- 2007: The role of m-learning in the future of e-learning in
Nigeria should not be underestimated. M-learning in
Learners have periodic access to the internet Nigeria is a reality that will continue to grow in form,
using PCs at learning or community centers. stature and importance. It will become the learning
During these periods of access, the focus is on environment of choice.
-downloading of content
-access to articles/study materials/resources References
Learners use mobile phones on a daily basis
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392 IJCSNS International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, VOL.8 No.11, November 2008