edutainment in the field using mobile location based services
The explorer project provides educational tours and activities to schoolchildren using existing low cost technologies. The activities take place in environmentally sensitive and remote locations and are based around a proven curricula developed in collaboration with Queensland schools. To undertake the activities, smart phones are provided to students that are pre-loaded with GPS driven software that guides them through each task. Tasks are triggered by the student's proximity to field locations (using GPS coordinates). Students are directed to observe, collect, analyse and report data by utilising the features of the device, such as the in built camera, location services, text, handwriting and sketch entry, and the audio and video capabilities of the device. Data collated by students is uploaded to a secure server on completion of the tasks. All data is made available to students via the server for inclusion in reports, assessment items and for sharing and blogging on social networking sites. The project will assess changes to learning outcomes, and student attitudes and values towards the environment, comparing the experience of students using the explorer device with traditional paper-based descriptions and reporting. Results of the explorer project will help inform the development of future location-based technologies for field-based education.
smart phones education and hci remote environments context and location awareness