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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 64 (2012) 297 - 305
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
IETC2012
Bridging E-Gaps at PNU by Using Alternative Energy
S. A.A. AlKuhaimia and E.S.AlMogaita
aPhysics Department - School of Science Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University _A lkuhaimis@yahoo. com_
Abstract
In the last decade eLearning has proven to be a flexible and time-efficient means of studying and achieving continuing professional development. Shift from the traditional instruction paradigm to a learning paradigm is needed in higher education and lifelong learning. These days learning and development professionals are therefore continuously looking for new ways of mobilizing and sharing information and knowledge between colleagues and communities in an online environment. Many Saudi higher education institutions have adopted e-learning in some form as part of their curriculum offering. According to 2011 Webometrics ranking King Saud University ranks first in the Arab world, 21 among all Asian universities and 212 worldwide with regard to Web visibility and impact.
Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) is the first women's university in Saudi Arabia and largest women-only university in the world. Science school at PNU is moving to a new campus next summer, the existing old building and time limit are not suitable for building e-classrooms within the old campus.
However, Mobile learning can form another online learning option overcoming the perceived inadequacies of the existing infrastructure of conventional e-learning. mobile network also provides unique advantages or features such as the position or location of the device and personalization (both user preferences and device capabilities). When wireless or mobile phone networks combined with renewable energy systems such as photo-voltaic solar panels or solar chargers they can be stand alone systems. The exploitation of ubiquitous handheld technologies, together with wireless and mobile phone networks enable faculties and students at science school at PNU to construct mobile learning within an old campus.
The purpose of the present work is to design and implement Mobile-classrooms at PNU old campus using renewable energy resources, and then to study the effect mobile learning has on academic student learning
achievements.
© 2012Publishedby ElsevierLtd. Selectionand/or peer-reviewunderresponsibility of TheAssociationScience EducationandTechnology
Keywords: e-gap, m-learning, e-learning, renewable energy, wireless network.
1. Introduction:
Bridging the e-learning gap is not easy and requires several steps and adjustments. First of all we have to implement a wireless platform for mobile learning. Mobile learning has been described as 'paradigm-
Corresponding Author: S. A.A. AlKuhaimi
Alkuhaimis@yahoo. com
1877-0428 © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of The Association Science Education and Technology doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.11.035
shifting', particularly when its focus is on learning overcoming the perceived inadequacies of existing e-learning infrastructure. Mobile learning eliminates the need to have special computer rooms and offers teachers full freedom to let students work with online applications whenever and wherever they need to. The second step is to implement a stand-alone photovoltaic PV system. Standalone PV system is used to convert solar energy into electrical energy which is used as an electrical energy source for charging mobile computing device batteries.
Mobile technology is a rapidly evolving mobile communication technology which includes local area wireless networks by Wi-Fi, Third and fourth Generation (3G & 4G) mobile networks, and related mobile computing devices such as mobile phones, pocket PCs, Tablet PCs, and various Personal Data Assistant (PDA) handheld devices. It provides people with " wearable " computing ability to conveniently participate in learning environments at anytime and anywhere.
Several studies found that m-learning did generate strong interest among the students (Rogers et. al, 2010; Venkatesh et. al, 2006; Wang et. al, 2009). In the majority of the studies, students reported having a strong, positive reaction to integrating m-learning into the classroom (Clarke et. al 2008, Al-Fahad, 2009; Wang, 2009; Garrett & Jackson, 2006; Cavus & Uzunboylu, 2009; Uzunboylu et. al, 2009; Manair, 2007; Maag, 2007). Moreover, learners found that learning with mobile devices was enjoyable (Clarke et. al, 2008; Rogers et. al, 2010, Shih et. al, 2010). Students also recognized the potential for future m-learning opportunities as new technologies are integrated into education (Bottentuit Junior, 2008; Uzunboylu, et. al, 2009; Wyatt, et. al, 2010; Wang, et. al, 2009; Maag, 2007) and wanted to use devices in an educational setting in the future (Maag, 2007).
The affordable availability of mobile devices has led to an increased interest in both mobile and informal learning environments. Mobile devices offer the potential to link learning activities inside and outside of formal settings. Our work attempts to utilize that potential by providing students with a consistent environment to explore, comment upon, create, share, and document learning contents using PDAs both inside and outside the classroom.
2. Mobile-Learning framework
The Mobile learning system development is based on three domains, Mobile usability, wireless technology and e-learning system. Fig. 1 presents an overview of different domains in the mobile learning system.
The unique feature of the m- learning system is the mobility, teacher is mobile, learner is mobile, device is mobile and content is mobile. Fig.2 shows mobile learning environment.
Fig. 1(a) The domain of mobile learning system, (b)m-Learning framework.
3. Mobile classroom network :
Mobile classroom electronic circuit was built using laptop, PDA( and/or external portable USB hard drive), Broadband modem ( and/or wireless router, printer, projector, smart board ) as shown in Figure(3). Student laptops can be connected to instructor laptop either by cables or wireless connection such as Ad-Hoc Wi-Fi connection as shown in Fig.(3).
Fig. 2. Mobile learning environment.
4. Charging systems : Stand-alone Solar Photovoltaic Charging System One of the most popular non conventional energy sources is solar energy. Standalone PV system was used to convert the solar energy into electrical energy. The component of this system is shown in Fig.4(b) . The stand alone system is also known as an off grid system. Fig.4(a) shows schematic diagram of the PV system while Fig, (4-b) shows components of a standalone solar PV system used in this work, its solar panels produce 500 watts in direct sunshine which is enough to run m-classroom circuit.
Solar Gorilla Laptop Charger has also been used to charge student laptop. The Solar Gorilla has clever electronics built in, and its solar panels produce a staggering 10 Watts in direct sunlight, which is enough to run almost any portable electronic device including a laptop, notebook, mobile phone, iPod, and more. Fig(4-c) shows Solar Gorilla Laptop Charger. Students can charge their mobile device batteries either by using a stand-alone PV system or Solar Gorilla Laptop Charger.
Fig.3. Classroom network.
5. Network Configuration and software: Moodle as learning management systems: LMS software:
In this work Moodle was used as a learning management system. Moodle, a popular open source Learning Management System (LMS), has become the central point for learning activities for many schools and organizations. Moodle (abbreviation for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a free source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Moodle was originally developed by Martin Dougiamas to help educators create online and offline courses with a focus on interaction and collaborative construction of content, and is in continual evolution. (William H. Rice IV2007). Moodle has several features considered typical of an e-learning platform, plus some original innovations like Moodbile which is a PHP application that plugs into Moodle web-service connectors and adjusts the look of Moodle to fit small screen devices, such as mobile phones. We believe that adding a mobile, location aware component to Moodle could provide teachers with new tools that could increase student engagement and make Moodle more relevant to the increasingly mobile world we all live in. Moodle also provides an "offline" testing and development environment. There are an offline application that could be loaded onto instructor laptop or portable memory , it would be possible for students, even without internet access to engage the content and assignments. Student laptops can be connected to instructor laptop either by cables or wireless connection such as Ad- Hoc Wi-Fi connection. Fig.5(a) Shows offline PNU Moodle homepage while Fig.5(b) Shows online PNU Moodle homepage.
Fig.5 (a) Shows offline Moodle homepage, (b)Shows online Moodle homepage.
6. The Effect of m-learning Approach on Students' Achievement in basics of electromagnetism Course at PNU
The mobile revolution is finally here. Wherever one looks, the evidence of mobile penetration and adoption is irrefutable: cell phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), MP3 and MP4 players, portable game devices, handhelds, tablets, and laptops abound. From toddlers to seniors, people are increasingly connected and are digitally communicating with each other in ways that would have been impossible to imagine only a few years ago. The heightened interest in mobile possibilities for teaching, learning, and research can be attributed to a number of factors: the continuing expansion of broadband wireless networks; the explosion of power and capacity of the next generation of cellular telephones; and the fact that mobile telephones, a familiar tool for communications, are already fully ingrained in contemporary life as part of our social practice. Various mobile devices have been used in mobile learning, such as wrist-worn devices, mobile phones, handheld computers, web pads, pen tablet computers and laptop computers (Sharples & Beale, 2003). Many studies have reported achievements in the investigation of learning interests and the effectiveness of mobile learning (Rieger & Gay, 1997; Roschelle, 2003; Tatar, Roschelle, Vahey & Penuel, 2003; Zurita & Nussbaum, 2004). For an effective integration of mobile learning into a digital classroom environment, it is important for all students in a group to have their own computing device equipped with wireless communication capability to conduct learning tasks (Chan et al., 2006; Liang et al., 2005; Soloway et al., 2001). This study compared student learning achievement in Phys221 course, which is given to second year physics student at PNU, mobile learning (ML) based class versus a traditional (TT) class. The study was conducted over a two-year period (2009- 2010).
Phys 221 is a basics of electromagnetism course which provide an understanding of the basic principles and applications of electromagnetic fields for physics students. Allen and Tanner (2005) have assembled a set of seven strategies ranging from simple, easily implemented approaches to complex restructurings of the entire course based on student-centered learning ( SCL) .Table. 1 illustrate strategies and learning activities used in this work.
Students' academic achievement was measured by looking for any significance difference in the mean scores between the pre- and post-intervention tests and student portfolios for the ML class and at any significance difference in mean scores for the post-intervention tests and student portfolios between the ML and the TT classes.
7. Results and Discussions
There are several impediments to the successful use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education at PNU. Various obstacles are found in implementing e-learning involving electric power infrastructure and limited access to the Internet. The field of e-learning is rapidly growing both in acceptance and variety. Within this variety, the
Table 1. Illustrate strategies and learning activities used in this work.
Strategy Activities , Learner Outcomes and Assessment Student's mean score
ML TT
Pre% Post% Pre % Post%
Bookend Lectures Faculty members insert short interactive sessions (think-pair-share, student writing) after every 10-20 minute lecture session (Bonwell & Eison, 1991; Ruhl et al., 1987). They begin with an advance organizer and finish with a classroom assessment technique, such as a minute paper, they create a bookend lecture (Smith, Sheppard, Johnson, & Johnson, 2005). (Pre/Post concept tests) 45 65 47 53
Immediate Feedback via Classroom Technology Various technologies from scratchable scantran sheets (Allen & Tanner, 2005) to personal response systems (Fies & Marshall, 2006 ) were used to provide students immediate feedback through questions on their preparation for class or concepts that arise during class.( In- class observations via field notes; practical testing; student portfolios) 58 77 60 63
Student Presentations and Projects: Faculty members assigned projects and reports to actively engage students in explorations of the course material.(project assessment worksheet) 40 80 45 55
Learning Cycle Instructional Models Faculty members used different learning cycles to construct classes that move students through a sequence of questions about the material in a class (Why, What, How, and What if) (Harb, Durrant, & Terry, 1991). See Ebert-May et al (1997) for a model that moves students through engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. (In-class observations via field notes; quizzes; student portfolios) 39 69 39 51
Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL): Students facilitated one or more cooperative learning groups in course to guide exploration of problem solving, inquiry, or discovery. (Student portfolios; interviews; tests) 40 75 46 66
Incorporating Inquiry into Courses (In-class observations via field notes; practical testing; student portfolios) 52 87 46 66
Problem-Based Learning and Case Studies Problem-based learning (PBL) is focused experiential learning organized around the investigation and resolution of messy, real-world problems. With case-based teaching, students develop skills in analytical thinking and reflective judgment by reading and discussing complex, real-life scenarios (Midterm and final exams.) 56 78 55 60
technological evolution of wireless/handheld (W/H) computing devices is opening new possibilities in the so called mobile learning (m-learning). M-learning opens new learning opportunities, both in the physical and virtual 'classroom' spaces. It affords various opportunities for teaching and learning,
This work explores both the potential advantages obtained through the m-learning education and the technological challenges faced in the process. In order to illustrate the challenges, we focus our work in three main areas, The first has to do with electric power supply, the second considers those who cannot access their material online ( pupils who cannot access the internet) while the third is to do with the way that m-learning affect student academic achievements.
Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system which is used as an alternative energy source, was used as an energy supply Fig.4 shows a diagram of a typical stand-alone PV system used in this work.
E-learning revolutionized the learning experience by making vital learning material available on-demand via the web and a classroom's intranet as shown in Fig.5 (a) and (b). Now the same content can be offered using familiar wireless tools, making the learning experience even more convenient and flexible. Unlike so many technologies that are foreign to an IT novice, or require a person to learn new skills to operate, m-learning uses tools that most faculties and students already have in their pocket— mobile phones, PDAs, and Smartphone handhelds. M-learning is a solution that opens new possibilities to already existing technologies. M-learning allows student to benefit from accessing existing online resources including course material they may otherwise ignore. Fig.5 shows online and offline Moodle homepages.
Moodle was used as an LMS for Phys 221 course materials. The results of mean score of academic achievements of mobile learning group (ML) and traditional group (TT) are given in table.1.Table (1) presents a brief summary of the results of this study. First column gives teaching and learning strategies used in this work. Second column gives activities , learner outcomes and assessment, while third column gives the average mean score of the ML group and TT group (of both pre and post) .
The results show that there were significant differences between ML group and TT group. It is clear that mobile learning can make a positive and significant difference in the outcome performance as measured by average mean score and activity assessments for students using PDAs (ML). The handheld PDAs were used successfully by instructors for personal support with timetabling, records of meetings, observations, students' attendance and grades, images, and just-in-time information from the Internet, thus fulfilling the enabling person-plus vision for information and communications technology (ICT) . Moreover, PDAs were used by students and instructors to find support through;
• Internet access
• taking photos
• class administration
• diary scheduling in particular
Instructor can asks a question about subjects that have yet to be assigned or discussed in class. Students can use the devices at their disposal to access information themselves in a matter of seconds-all without leaving their desk. And, as was the case in this current study, practice material for an exam can be made available so students can truly study, review and prepare for tests using a wide array of delivery options that will allow them to do this virtually anywhere at any time. Conclusions:
The goal of the present study is to bridge e-gaps, the energy gap and e-learning gap, at PNU old campus. Stand-alone Photovoltaic (PV) system was used as an alternative energy source, while m-learning was used as another online learning option to overcome the perceived inadequacies of the existing infrastructure of conventional e-learning.
We can conclude that m-learning system has good efficiency in learning and improves students' academic achievement using the new technology based on PDA tools.
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