How to build m-learning applications with open source components was delivered at E-Learning Africa 2013 in Windhoek, Namibia

1. Building M-Learning Applications
With Open Source
●Context
● What is e-learning?
● What is m-learning?
● Why m-learning?
● Technical Terminology
●Application Development
● Native or not?
● Which native platform?
● Overview of frameworks,
● Back-ends
● Toolkits

2. Context

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What is E-Learning?
● Common understanding - use of the web
technologies to:
– Delivery educational content potentially independent
of face time,
– Enhance material with audio, video,
– Enhanced interaction between students, material
and teachers,
– Assist with course administration & management,
● Tends to be content heavy, sedentary, focused
attention I.e sit at a PC

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What is M-Learning?
● Common understanding - use of mobile
devices to assist with learning & teaching,
● Augments other learning/teaching
approaches such as instructor lead classes,
e-learning,
● Form factor dictates smaller content
chunks, shorter time focused on
device/screen
● Affordances still being established

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Why M-Learning?
● More people have mobile phones than PCs,
● Well know & much talked about high penetration,
● People have their devices with them all the time, low
“boot up time” to access applications,
● Common to have internet access with device
purchased airtime can be used for calls or data, I.e
perceived no “extra” cost,
● Opportunity to make use of unproductive time.
Standing in queues, travelling to work

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Why Open Source for M-Learning?
● Ability to adapt applications/tools to local
context - not only content i.e creative
commons
● Leverage existing work,
● Quality code - secure,
● No dependencies,
● Open source development is itself a
learning methodology
continued

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Terminology
● Mobile Platform – operating system, api,
application store I.e Android, iOS, Black
berry
● Software Stack
– SDK (Software Development Kit) – Usually
refers to “native” development from the vendors
of the mobile platform
– Development framework – 3rd party software
framework/stack to support development of
mobile applications

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Application Development

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Considerations for Software Stack
Selection
● Target users device demographics,
● Existing developer skills base,
● Flexibility -
– Rapid pace of change,
– People still experimenting with best practise, finding
out what works,
● Back-end system integration requirements,
● Affordability of devices for students,
● Type of coverage, internet speeds, data costs

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Native or Not?
What is native?
● Native use the sdk for the targeted platform
● Pros
– Native look & feel,
– Perception that native apps are better
● Cons
– Only runs on the target platform,
– Have to rewrite the app to target multiple
platforms

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What is non-native
● Not officially supported technology stack for the
target platform
● Pros
– Target multiple devices with a single code base
– Reuse existing knowledge
● Cons
– Non native look & feel,
– Perception of slowness,
– Feature lag,
– Check for sustainability

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Non Native Frameworks

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Which Platform for Native Development?

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Android Native Platform
● Android is the best choice
– Wide range of devices in terms of features and
prices
– Other platforms are aimed at the top-end of the
market
– Lower barriers to entry
● For IOS you need
– Mac book
– Enrol in iOS developer programme $99/year to be able to
deploy

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Non-Native Frameworks
● Frameworks based on language support”
– HTML5 +CCS3 frameworks
● Large skills base,
– PHP,
– Ruby,
– Python,
– ….

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Open Source Frameworks
Framework Languages
HTML 5, Ruby
HTML5,C++
HTML5
HTML5
HTML5,PHP

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Common Open Source Backends
● Popular open source projects provide
service for mobile integration
– Drupal – services module, provides oAuth,
– Moodle – different initiatives
● Apps,
● Extensions

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Toolkits
● Aris Games – platform for mobile games,
tours and interactive stories (augmented
reality)
● Molly – Mobile portal platform Django and
Python for developing a location-aware
mobile portal with particular emphasis on
Higher Education.
● OMLet – Open mobile learning toolkit

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Toolkits
● ICTWorks - The Mobile Learning Toolkit for
ICT4D Trainers

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Examle of Toolkit Architecture

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The End
E-Learning Africa 2013
Twitter @mxc4
G+ MClarke4@gmail.com
www.JumpingBean.co.za