Mobile learning and commuting: Contextual interview and design of mobile scenarios

Abstract

This paper presents a case study on the design of mobile applications for on-line learning, based on the needs of its potential users. From the User-Centered Design (UCD) perspective and based on a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews have been held with students who carry out learning-related tasks in a commuting context, together with ethnographic observations of this context. The objective of this research was to understand the needs and requirements of students who learn on-line and who take advantage of their travel time to study or to carry out study-related tasks. Through the content analysis of the data gathered, the tasks carried out by students in a mobile context are contemplated, detecting their inconveniences and needs. From this analysis m-learning application scenarios have been built based on the potential users' requirements. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.