Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research

Mwanza, D., &, Brasher, A. (2003). Content and metadata requirements for a mobile e-learning environment. To appear in conference proceedings of M-ICTE 2003.

The concept of e-learning is currently widely used to describe various types of computer based tools and systems used to support learning activities in various spheres of life. Consequently, e-learning environments are increasingly being heralded for their effectiveness in enhancing learning practices and facilitating increased access to learning resources in both formal and informal settings. Crucial to the successful deployment of these systems is the mechanisms employed to manage and distribute learning content or subject matter to be supported using these resources. However, in order to promote acceptability and increase in the usage of these systems, it is vital to consider both the pedagogical and contextual appropriateness of managing and distributing learning content using e-learning environments. This requirement entails employing appropriate mechanisms for identifying and collecting learning content or subject matter to be supported through the use of these resources. In practice, this entails exploiting the connectivity of psychological and pedagogical concerns whilst taking into consideration technological capabilities of the e-learning environment. Notably, broader concerns emerge as a result of the increased need to integrate cultural and pedagogical perspectives with technological considerations into practical design features and functionalities of an e-learning system.

Given these considerations, the use of metadata schemas can be utilized as effective mechanisms for organizing the access and distribution of e-learning content for targeted users of the system [1]. In this regard, metadata descriptions enable the structuring of computer based e-learning content so as to enhance accessibility and usefulness by identifying instances of usage and relevance to users needs. However, the effectiveness of using metadata schemas to structure e-learning content should be considered in relation to the extent by which metadata descriptions are associated with established cultural and pedagogical practices. In the meanwhile, such practices are evident in interaction mechanisms of the context in which the e-learning environment is to be deployed. Towards this end, descriptors for learning object metadata schemas can be associated with pedagogical and cultural descriptions of the context of deployment and also the operational aspects of technological resources contained in the e-learning environment [2].

In this paper, we reflect on our experiences of abstracting requirements and metadata to support informal learning about health related activities through the use of a mobile environment. The paper will present an outline of methods used to account for both pedagogical and psychological practices of the targeted context of deployment whilst abstracting learning content and metadata requirements for a mobile e-learning environment. In conclusion, we will comment on the effectiveness of our approach to abstracting content and metadata requirements for a mobile e-learning environment.