Location-based media

Reflecting back, looking forward: the challenges for location-based learning

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, E., Sharples, M., Wishart, J., Tangney, B., Taylor, J., Beddall-Hill, N., Glahn, C., Börner, D., Clough, G., Wijers, M., Jonker, V., Cook, J. and L. Lyons (2010) Reflecting back, looking forward: the challenges for location-based learning. In: Brown, E. (ed) Education in the Wild: A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series. University of Nottingham: Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI). ISBN 9780853582649: pp. 62-63.

This final section of the report has been reproduced from “D3.1 The STELLAR Rendez-Vous I report and white papers”,... more This final section of the report has been reproduced from “D3.1 The STELLAR Rendez-Vous I report and white papers”, published in 2009 by the STELLAR Network of Excellence. It is included here for completeness; we, as co-authors, felt that it was important to look back at the main contributions to theworkshop and also where the challenges lie for the future.

This chapter addresses 2 critical questions:

- What has been learned from this workshop, especially in respect to the STELLAR Grand Challenges (“Connecting learners”, “Orchestration” and “Contextualisation”)?

- What are the new research questions and issues for location-based learning, with respect to the Grand Challenges (“Connecting learners”, “Orchestration”and “Contextualisation”)?

AnswerTree – a collaborative mobile location-based educational game

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Moore, A., Goulding, J., Brown, E. and J. Swan (2009) AnswerTree – a collaborative mobile location-based educational game. Proceedings of the mLearn 2009 Conference, Orlando, Florida, 26-30 Oct 2009, pp 199-202.

In this paper we present AnswerTree, a collaborative mobile location-based educational game designed to teach 8-12... more In this paper we present AnswerTree, a collaborative mobile location-based educational game designed to teach 8-12 year olds about trees and wildlife within the University of Nottingham campus. The activity is designed around collecting virtual cards (similar in nature to the popular Top Trumps games) containing graphics and information about notable trees. Each player begins by collecting one card from a game location, but then he or she can only collect further cards by answering questions – whose solutions are obtainable through sharing knowledge with other cardholders. This ostensibly allows each player to become a subject expert at the start of the game, encouraging collaborative interaction for the game to be successfully completed. In this initial paper we will outline the structure and background of this location based game. AnswerTree has been authored within the Hyperplace framework, and is a first implementation of a wider process to develop a flexible, multi-purpose platform for both individual and group location-based mobile learning.

Introduction to location-based mobile learning

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, E. (2010) Introduction to location-based mobile learning. In: Brown, E. (ed) Education in the Wild: A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series. University of Nottingham: Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI). ISBN 9780853582649: pp 7-9.

The distinguishing aspect of mobile learning is the assumption
that learners are continuously on the move. This... more The distinguishing aspect of mobile learning is the assumption
that learners are continuously on the move. This is not just their physical mobility, but also how learners are active in different contexts and how frequently these might change, depending on an individual’s location.

Pedestrian monitoring system for indoor billboard evaluation

by Thomas Liebig

co-aouthored with Zhao Xu published in Jounal of Applied Operational Research

Recent event monitoring, safety planning and location evaluation applications require models of pedestrian movements... more Recent event monitoring, safety planning and location evaluation applications require models of pedestrian movements as well as monitoring of their presence. These indispensible insights have to be integrated in larger software systems seamlessly. In this work we propose a pedestrian monitoring system which supports these applications by a novel, robust analysis method based only on few empirical measurements. The gathering of empirical data on pedestrian movement and its analysis are combined via Open Geographic Consortium (OGC) compliant protocols. This utilizes usage of heterogeneous movement sensors, as well as fast integration of the analysis results in other applications. We demonstrate our novel method in an industrial billboard performance evaluation use case. Whereas for billboard evaluation a handful of pioneer countries trace personal mobility now via GPS devices, GPS technology has the drawback that it cannot be applied indoors due to signal loss. In Switzerland and Germany many valuable posters are situated in public buildings such as train stations or shopping malls and their evaluation is of high interest. In this paper we therefore present a new approach for the evaluation of mixed indoor-outdoor campaigns. Our pedestrian monitoring system is applied to denote at once quantities and trajectories of the people in restricted spaces based on empirical movement observations. Our approach has been implemented for 27 major train stations in Switzerland and was integrated in a system which evaluates performance of billboard mixed indoor/outdoor advertisement campaigns.

Creating user-generated content for location-based learning: an authoring framework

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

FitzGerald, E. (2012) Creating user-generated content for location-based learning: an authoring framework. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 28 (3) pp 195-207. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2729.2012.00481.x

NB - the PDF here is a pre-print copy. For an official 'journal' version please email me and I'll send you the PDF.

Two recent emerging trends are that of Web 2.0, where users actively create content and publish it on the Web and also... more Two recent emerging trends are that of Web 2.0, where users actively create content and publish it on the Web and also location awareness, where a digital device utilises a person’s physical location as the context to provide specific services and/or information. This paper examines how these two phenomena can be brought together, so that user-generated content on mobile devices are used to provide informal learning opportunities relevant to a person’s location. However, the generative process of such media does not always have much guidance on how or what to create, so the quality of such information can be highly variable. To overcome this, a framework has been designed to guide the authoring of user-generated content so that it can be used for informal learning about one’s immediate surroundings (particularly in an outdoor setting), combining pedagogical aspects with those from human-computer interaction and environmental aesthetics. The framework consists of six dimensions that include aspects such as curriculum area (e.g. science; art); type of communication; use of language/media related to the landscape; knowledge level of content; contextual aspects and types of interaction. In order to test the framework before it could be used to scaffold new content, it was first used to analyse and evaluate over 200 items of existing user-generated content, to investigate the appropriateness of the proposed dimensions and the items contained therein or if any were missing. This paper presents the findings of this initial testing phase, together with a discussion of how the framework can be improved, in order to help scaffold the creation of new user-generated content in the future.

Encouraging museum visitor engagement using spontaneous talk-in-interaction audio guides

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Elliston, B. and E. FitzGerald (2012) Encouraging museum visitor engagement using spontaneous talk-in-interaction audio guides. Long paper accepted to the 4th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2012), 16-18 April, Porto, Portugal.

We describe the building and testing of a museum audio tour with content recorded as spontaneous interactive dialogue... more We describe the building and testing of a museum audio tour with content recorded as spontaneous interactive dialogue between two curators as they walked around an art gallery. The aim was to produce a guide which would increase the amount of topically relevant talk shared by people visiting a museum in groups of two or more. Conversation analysis is used to show how a pair of visitors engaged more with the content of the guide than they would have with audio produced as traditional scripted monologue. Examples of a variety of engagement types are detailed and a supporting rationale drawing on Goffman's theory of 'footing' is discussed. The approach potentially offers a low cost way for organisations involved in informal learning to produce flexible in-house audio content for mobile and e-learning, which improves visitor engagement both with the content and with one another, and leads to a more enjoyable visitor/learner experience than traditional forms of audio.

MobiMissions: the game of missions for mobile phones

by Lyndsay Grant

Sense of place in the daily newspaper

by Carrie Buchanan

The daily newspaper in North America has long been a locally based medium that offers an opportunity for media... more The daily newspaper in North America has long been a locally based medium that offers an opportunity for media geographers to explore concepts of place and locality. I explore how newspapers create a sense of place about the locality they serve. I review some of the major geographic theories of place and the local and also the work of communications scholars on how newspapers construct reality in their pages. I apply these ideas to the notion that newspapers construct a sense of place using both the form and the content of the newspaper. I also include a content analysis that examines how the newspaper’s constructed sense of place changed from the late 19th century to the early years of the 21st century.

This is not for you? Reading and Remediating "House of Leaves" as an Alternate Reality Game

by Lauren Burr

Master's Research Essay, Carleton University, 2011

Evaluation of Location-Aware Travel Guide

by Mohammad Hafiz Ismail

In proceedings of 2009 International Conference on Computer Technology and Development

The paper describes a location-aware travel guide prototype that was implemented into a Nokia Symbian Series 60 phone... more The paper describes a location-aware travel guide prototype that was implemented into a Nokia Symbian Series 60 phone with Location API (JSR-179) support. It contains relevant travelling information that could assist users while they are travelling or when they arrive at a particular destination. The objectives of the study were to discover user preferences towards fisheye and list style menus in the user interface as well as user satisfaction on the prototype. A field test to evaluate the prototype was done with participants ranging from 10 to 39 years old. The results indicated that the fisheye style and the prototype itself were easily comprehended and accepted by the participants.

Breaking Reality: Exploring Pervasive Cheating in Foursquare

by René Glas

Think Design Play - DiGRA Conference 2011 Proceedings. Utrecht School of the Arts, 14-17 September, Hilversum.

This paper explores the notion of cheating in location-based mobile applications. Using the popular smartphone app... more This paper explores the notion of cheating in location-based mobile applications. Using the popular smartphone app Foursquare as main case study, I address the question if and how devious practices impact the boundaries between play and reality as a negotiated space of interaction. After establishing Foursquare as a prime example of the gamification phenomenon and pervasive gaming, both of which require us to rethink notions of game and play, I will argue that cheating in location-based mobile applications challenges not just the boundaries of play, but also of playful identity.

E-Tower and the Public Sphere

by Dave Colangelo

Co-authored with Patricio Davila for Large Displays In Urban Life, CHI, Vancouver 2011.

In this paper we describe the theoretical background of E-Tower, a mobile phone based interactive installation with... more In this paper we describe the theoretical background of E-Tower, a mobile phone based interactive installation with the CN Tower for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche 2010.

Public Data Visualization: Dramatizing Architecture and Making Data Visible

by Dave Colangelo

Co-authored with Patricio Davila for International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), Istanbul 2011.

In this paper we explore emerging modes of digitally-mediated participation in urban space that engage bodily and... more In this paper we explore emerging modes of digitally-mediated participation in urban space that engage bodily and architectural relationships with data rich environments. We contend that the combination of data visualization, public space, and digital display technologies represent an important aesthetic and technical challenge that engage new dimensions of presence in a social and material environment characterized by networks and data.

Thomas Dreher: Participation with Camera: From Video Cameras to Camera Phones

by Thomas Dreher

Published in: IASLonline Lessons in NetArt: Theory 2007 (German version: Lecture, Summer University 2006, Hans-Böckler-Foundation, Goethe-Hall in the Harnack-House, Tagungsstätte of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Berlin, 9/13/2006. German print version: Sanio, Sabine (ed.): Kunst und Technik in medialen Räumen. Saarbrücken 2010, p.59-84).

The development of the camera´s technology (video camera, WebCam, camera phone) and its context had and has... more The development of the camera´s technology (video camera, WebCam, camera phone) and its context had and has consequencies for the development of strategies to integrate participative uses of cameras into projects. The article outlines the camera´s use as a subject of change from video and net projects to collaborative mapping with locative media.

Indeterminate Hikes: New Media Happenings and the Performance of Everyday Wilderness

by Leila C. Nadir

This hybrid art-theory article discusses "Indeterminate Hikes," a smartphone app and performance created by... more This hybrid art-theory article discusses "Indeterminate Hikes," a smartphone app and performance created by ecoarttech, my interdisciplinary eco-art and theory collaborative. The work was originally conceived for a Whitney Museum of American Art exhibition and subsequently performed on the High Line in NYC and the M.I.T. Media Lab, among other places. My essay theorizes the ways in which "Indeterminate Hikes" contributes to discussions of new media art, environmental thought, and performance art, including its relationship to Fluxus "happenings." Excerpts from this text have been presented at the M.I.T. Media Lab, University of North Texas, Indiana University, and--forthcoming in 2012--at the annual College Art Association conference in Los Angeles.

A General Pedestrian Movement Model for the Evaluation of Mixed Indoor-Outdoor Poster Campaigns

by Thomas Liebig

Co-authored with Hendrik Stange, Dirk Hecker,
Michael May, Christine Körner, and Urs Hofmann

Over the last few years new measurement technology has
revolutionized the performance measurement in outdoor... more Over the last few years new measurement technology has
revolutionized the performance measurement in outdoor advertising. A handful of pioneer countries trace personal mobility now via GPS devices,which allows for precise performance results of arbitrarily positioned outdoor
poster campaigns. However, GPS technology has the drawback that it cannot be applied indoors due to signal loss. In Switzerland and Germany many valuable posters are situated in public buildings such as train stations or shopping malls and their evaluation is of high interest. In this paper we therefore present a new approach for the evaluation of mixed indoor-outdoor campaigns. Our approach consists of a general pedestrian movement model in restricted spaces which can be integrated into standard trajectory evaluation. Our approach has been implemented for 27 major train stations in Switzerland.

Trajectory Regression Model for Indoor Pedestrian Flow Analysis on Billboard Evaluation

by Thomas Liebig

Over the last few years new measurement technology has revolutionized the performance measurement in outdoor... more Over the last few years new measurement technology has revolutionized the performance measurement in outdoor advertising. A handful of pioneer countries trace personal mobility now via GPS devices, which allows for precise performance results of arbitrarily positioned outdoor poster campaigns. However, GPS technology has the drawback that it cannot be applied indoors due to signal loss. In Switzerland and Germany many valuable posters are situated in public buildings such as train stations or shopping malls and their evaluation is of high interest. In this paper we therefore present a new approach for the evaluation of mixed indoor-outdoor campaigns. Our approach consists of a pedestrian movement model denoting quantities and trajectories of the people in restricted spaces. The model is supported by empirical traffic observations and can be integrated into standard trajectory evaluation. Our approach has been implemented for 27 major train stations in Switzerland.

i think therefore i-phone

by Dermott McMeel

Presented at CAADFutures 2011, Liege: Belgium.

This paper is concerned with the ongoing usage of mobile computing and cellular phones for collaboration. In... more This paper is concerned with the ongoing usage of mobile computing and cellular phones for collaboration. In particular it focuses on the inter-disciplinary thresholds found within design and construction. Through participation in a building project we analyze the subtleties of interaction between analogue communications, such as sketches and digitally sponsored communication, such as e-mail and mobile phones. An analysis of the communications between the designer and builder during construction suggests the distinctions between design and construction processes are complex and often blurred. This work provides an observational basis for understanding mobile computing as a dynamic ‘tuning’ device—as hypothesized by Richard Coyne [1]—that ameliorates the brittleness of communication between different disciplines. Within multidisciplinary collaboration individual communiqués have different levels of importance depending on the specific topic of discussion and the time and place of the contributing participant. This project expands upon what mobile computing is and enables us to infer how these emergent devices affect collaboration. Findings suggest the synchronous and asynchronous clamor of analogue and digital communications that surround design and construction are not exclusively inefficiencies or disruptions to be expunged. Observational evidence suggests they may provide contingency and continue to have value attending to the relationships within complex systems such as design and construction. Finally we briefly discuss a current follow up investigation, ‘digital fieldnotes’ (dfn) is a bespoke iPhone/iPad application designed to test further suppositions regarding the influence mobile computing exerts upon group working.

Education in the wild: contextual and location-based mobile learning in action. A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series.

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, E. (ed) (2010) Education in the wild: contextual and location-based mobile learning in action. A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series. University of Nottingham: Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI). ISBN 9780853582649.

The LSRI has added to its collection, a new report: "Education in the Wild: contextual and location-based mobile... more The LSRI has added to its collection, a new report: "Education in the Wild: contextual and location-based mobile learning in action. A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series", published by the University of Nottingham: Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) - ISBN 9780853582649.

The report follows on from a 2-day workshop funded by the STELLAR Network of Excellence as part of their 2009 Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series and is edited by Elizabeth Brown with a foreword from Mike Sharples. Contributors have provided examples of innovative and exciting research projects and practical applications for mobile learning in a location-sensitive setting, including the sharing of good practice and the key findings that have resulted from this work. There is also a debate about whether location-based and contextual learning results in shallower learning strategies and a section detailing the future challenges for location-based learning.

The 56-page PDF is available FREE for download from the IAmLearn and TELearn websites, also from http://tinyurl.com/edwild

Guidelines for the design of location-based audio for mobile learning

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
FitzGerald, E., Sharples, M., Jones, R. and G. Priestnall (2011) Guidelines for the design of location-based audio for mobile learning. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning 3(4), pp. 70–85.

In this paper, we discuss the value of location-based and movement-sensitive audio for learning. We distinguish three... more In this paper, we discuss the value of location-based and movement-sensitive audio for learning. We distinguish three types of audio learning experience, based primarily upon differing levels of narrative cohesion: audio vignettes, movement-based guides and mobile narratives. An analysis of projects in these three areas has resulted in the formulation of guidelines for the design of audio experiences. We offer a case study of a novel audio experience, called "A Chaotic Encounter", that delivers an adaptive story based on the pattern of movements of the user.