Anytime, Anywhere Learning Behavior Using a Web-Based Platform for a University Lecture.pdf

1 Abstract—Web-based educational platforms offer a broadly accessible interface to foster information dissemination and interaction-based learning anytime and from anywhere. Accomplished by the availability of a wireless communication infrastructure like IEEE 802.11b or GSM/GPRS and the use of mobile devices, University students are able to make the first steps towards ubiquitous learning. To stay abreast with the adaptation of learning styles using new media, we created and used a Web-based online-learning platform in our lectures. The platform offers guided discussions, integrated access to content information and tracking of the individual student’s status. To allow just-in-time feedback and a variety of communication styles, synchronous and asynchronous means for interaction is provided. The main objective in this paper is the evaluation of the effective students’ behavior using our learning platform based on qualitative students’ feedback and quantitative analysis of the students’ self-assessment. To conclude our evaluation, we show the actual user behavior by analyzing database access and Web server log files. Index Terms—e-Education, Web-Based Learning, Ubiquitous Learning, Case Study and Evaluation. I. INTRODUCTION Ubiquitous computing refers to a situation in which a multitude of connected and embedded systems and devices work together to build an ambient computing environment. Not only business and private life will change using ambient intelligent environment, it is as well expected that University education will change significantly towards a more situated and context aware educational style. Being connected to a computing infrastructure allows both to access learning content from anywhere at anytime, and to communicate with colleagues or lecturers synchronously and asynchronously much more frequently. Thus, lectures enhanced with accompanying e-Learning facilities are favorable compared to traditional lectures.