5 results
16 - Mobile wellness innovation: a Qi Gong app to improve wellness and cognitive resiliency in older adults
- from Part 3 - Mobile technologies enhancing information access and pursuing the Millennium Development Goals
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- By Colleen McMillan, University of Waterloo, Tony Tin, University of Waterloo
- Edited by Gill Needham, Ally Mohamed
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- Book:
- M-Libraries 5
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 08 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 10 June 2015, pp 147-158
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Summary
Introduction
This pilot project explored the utility of a mobile health and wellness app to older adults interested in using low-impact exercise as a protective factor against memory loss and mood swings. While it is known that exercise is a protective factor in preventing further cognitive regression, it is shown that adults aged 55 and older spend ten hours or more each day sitting or lying down, leaving them even more compromised (Cavill, Richardson and Foster, 2012). The piloting of a health and wellness self-management tool through a mobile app featuring the Chinese exercise of Qi Gong represents an innovative, visual and accessible tool that supports daily physical activity while fostering a sense of personal empowerment and enhancing the quality of life.
Relevance of exercise to Canada's aging population
Canada is facing a dementia epidemic, with approximately 500,000 Canadians experiencing Alzheimer's or an associated dementia (Hopkins, 2010). It is the most significant and widespread form of disability among Canadians who are aged 65 years and older (Hopkins, 2010). By the year 2050 there will be 115 million people worldwide afflicted with this progressive disease (Alzheimer Society of Canada, 2010). While there remains no cure, mild-to-moderate exercise has been clinically shown to reduce the risk of subsequent dementia as well as function as a protective factor. Studies demonstrate that modified exercise programmes can slow down the decline in health-related quality of life among heterogeneous older persons residing in institutions (Kwak, Um and Son, 2008; Dechamps et al., 2010). Equally, if not more important, it supports older adults who prefer to remain in their homes within a familiar community, representing an additional protective factor against age-related loneliness and depression.
Aside from the mental health component, increasing the general physical state of this population addresses the most prevalent risk, that of falling. A study conducted in British Columbia found that one in three adults over the age of 65 fall once a year, threatening their physical and emotional independence (BC Ministry of Health, 2014). Exercises that strengthen the core as a preventive measure of gait imbalance is key to fall prevention and overall stability in older adults, a health issue that is quickly gaining critical importance.
11 - The Athabasca University Library Digital Reading Room: an iPhone prototype implementation
- from PART 2 - TECHNOLOGY IN M-LIBRARIES
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- By Rory McGreal, Professor and Associate Vice President, Research at Athabasca University - Canada's Open University, Hongxing Geng, Library Services of Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada, Tony Tin, Head of Digital Initiative and Electronic Resources at Athabasca University Library, Darren James Harkness, Athabasca University
- Edited by Mohamed Ally, Gill Needham
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- Book:
- M-Libraries 2
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 08 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 12 May 2010, pp 109-114
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Summary
Introduction
The iPhone, with its ability to support various text and multimedia formats, provides a unique opportunity for libraries to open up access to their digital collections. At Athabasca University (AU) researchers have initiated a process for the implementation of the AU Digital Reading Room (DRR). The DRR was one of Canada's first digital libraries to open up access to library materials on mobile devices.
The iPhone presently represents the state of the art in mobile computing. With its touch screen, novelty of design, broadband access, visual display and multimedia capabilities, it offers enhanced possibilities for facilitating learning. As a first step in the deployment of any iPhone app, even for testing purposes, AU joined in the iPhone Developer Program.
The DRR is an online course reserve repository that provides service both to AU students (providing accessibility) and to the university and its various centres (providing protection). It comprises many digital reading files filled with course readings and other supplementary courserelated content. These are faculty-chosen learning resources, housed in a repository in various formats, including learning objects, e-books, ejournals, audio and video clips, websites and book chapters. The available resources have been organized by course and by lesson for the convenience of students and they provide learners with easy access to course materials via PCs and mobile devices. The DRR currently supports 251 online courses, with links to more than 24,000 online resources.
Literature review
Waycott and Kukulska-Hulme (2003) focused exclusively on students’ experiences with reading course materials and taking notes using mobile devices. They found that students were able to make notes only with great difficulty. However, this early investigation was conducted using a relatively affordable first-generation mobile device with limited capabilities. According to Clyde (2004), the challenge was ‘to identify the forms of education and training for which Mlearning is particularly appropriate, the potential students who most need it and the best strategies for delivering mobile education’ (46). Lippincott (2008), Cheeseman and Jackson (2009) and Ally et al. (2008; 2009) have all focused on delivering m-library services to the next generation of students, recognizing the social changes being wrought by the ubiquity of mobile devices. Researchers have already begun investigations into the use of iPods (Coombs, 2009), and now of iPhones, in providing library services (Sierra and Wust, 2009).
12 - Mobile access for workplace and language training
- from PART 3 - APPLICATION OF M-LIBRARIES
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- By Mohamed Ally, Director and Professor in the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University, Canada, Tracey Woodburn, BA from the University of Northern British Columbia, and is a Researcher with Athabasca University, Tony Tin, Head of Digital Initiative and Electronic Resources at Athabasca University Library, Colin Elliott, Digitization Coordinator for Athabasca University
- Edited by Mohamed Ally, Gill Needham
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- Book:
- M-Libraries 2
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 08 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 12 May 2010, pp 117-124
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Summary
Introduction
The ‘Workplace English’ site was created for English language learners to study grammar and vocabulary that can be used every day at work. Vocabulary and workplace-specific situations are used to teach useful, everyday English. The site was designed to be accessed by mobile devices, allowing learners to choose their own classroom and their own study schedule, e.g. on the bus or in their lunch break at work. The site created in this project can be duplicated for other library applications that will allow learners to access information and course materials at any time and from anywhere. The information and course materials are stored in the library repository.
Athabasca University (AU) created the Mobile ESL (English as a second language) site in 2007 (www.eslau.ca). It was pilot tested with several ESL groups, with successful results. The students found the site to be useful, but wanted more listening practice, and situations that they could watch and use as models for functioning in an Englishspeaking world. Students also asked to see vocabulary that they might face in workplace situations. This resulted in the creation of the Athabasca University Workplace English site, www.wpeau.ca (see Figure 12.1).
The course content consists of over 80 lessons and related exercises teaching the basics of the English language, ranging from the difference between ‘is’ and ‘are’ to verb tenses, countable nouns and other aspects of basic grammar. These digital lessons have been adapted into reusable multimedia learning objects which are accessible to anyone on the internet either as stand-alone lessons, as groups of lessons in units or as full course modules. The content materials are in digitized form, with interactive elements added to enhance flow and motivation. Specifically, the content has been rendered interactive using a variety of multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, matching/ ordering or filling-in-the-gap exercises on the world wide web and it has been specifically formatted for output using small mobile devices.
Explanation of content
Before creating some of the content for this site AU spoke with ESL students living and working in Northern Alberta. They asked to see content that reflected their life situations more clearly and to learn vocabulary they were hearing everyday in the workplace. Specialized vocabulary from eight different career fields was added to typical grammar lessons.
10 - Designing a mobile device automatic detector to support mobile library systems
- from PART 2 - TECHNOLOGY IN M-LIBRARIES
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- By Yang Guangbing, Systems analyst and programmer at the School of Computing and Information Systems, Athabasca University, Canada, Tony Tin, Head of Digital Initiative and Electronic Resources at Athabasca University Library, Colin Elliott, Digitization Coordinator for Athabasca University, Maureen Hutchison, Manager of Learning Services for the Centre for Innovative Management in Athabasca University's Faculty of Business, Rory McGreal, Professor and Associate Vice President, Research at Athabasca University - Canada's Open University
- Edited by Mohamed Ally, Gill Needham
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- Book:
- M-Libraries 2
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 08 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 12 May 2010, pp 97-108
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Summary
Abstract
Content providers cannot ensure that digital material will be reformatted and accessed by any mobile device correctly, due to mobile device limitations. A mobile device automatic detector can provide accurate information about devices accessing mobile library systems. This information can be used to properly render content for the specific device. This chapter proposes an approach to designing a detector that will support mobile library systems so as to render web content dynamically and adaptively. The overall architecture of the detector is also discussed in this chapter and follows from a simple experimental study to evaluate the design proposed here.
Introduction
The rapid adoption of mobile devices with internet capabilities has allowed users to work or study at any time, in any place (Motiwalla, 2007). There have also been descriptions of implementations of library access via mobile devices (Needham and Ally, 2008; Yang et al., 2006). However, there are many limitations to mobile devices, which greatly restrict the relevant applications of mobile technology (Ally et al., 2006; Kojiri et al., 2007). Although some content providers have designed purposely digital material for mobile learning, providers cannot ensure that content is able to be correctly reformatted and accessed by any mobile device. This is due to the diverse characteristics among devices, which are not taken into account by most ubiquitous learning systems (Yang, 2007; Motiwalla, 2007). Some early attempts made effective use of proxy servers (Cheung et al., 2007)
In any case, either with proxies or by other detection methods, it is essential to provide adaptive content based on the characteristics of mobile learners and mobile devices. In this chapter an automatic mobile device detector for mobile library systems is proposed to support content designers. This detector will provide adaptive content based on the capabilities of different mobile devices. This investigation concerns and is limited to the characteristics of the mobile devices. Learners’ characteristics may also affect adaptive content.
The aim of this research is to construct an architecture that detects features of mobile devices, create RDFS (Resource Description Framework Schema) formatted mobile device profiles and provide content designers with services that are relevant to the mobile device profile. Constructing the mobile device profile is a great challenge for mobile library systems, the most difficult part being the immediate and accurate collection of mobile device features when content is accessed via the world wide web.
9 - A tale of two institutions: collaborative approach to support and develop mobile library services and resources
- from PART 2 - TECHNOLOGY IN M-LIBRARIES
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- By Hassan Sheikh, Head of the Systems Development team at the Open University (UK) Library, Tony Tin, Head of Digital Initiative and Electronic Resources at Athabasca University Library
- Edited by Mohamed Ally, Gill Needham
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- Book:
- M-Libraries 2
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 08 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 12 May 2010, pp 85-96
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Summary
Introduction
The Open University (OU), UK and Athabasca University (AU), Canada are both world leading distance-learning institutions. The OU currently has more than 200,000 students studying various undergraduate and postgraduate courses, while AU serves over 37,615 students and offers over 700 online courses. For distance learning, it is very important for online resources to be made accessible to as wide a range of users and devices as possible. It is essential that both existing and emerging technologies be implemented for effective deployment, delivery and support to remote students. In order to keep up to speed with mobile learners’ needs, several mobile learning initiatives have taken place within AU and OU. Both AU and OU libraries have initiated a strategic partnership to share expertise, knowledge and development work about mobile library services and resources.
This chapter will focus mainly on the mobile services development work at the Open University, UK but will also highlight the collaborative work being undertaken between Athabasca University and the Open University and the benefits, opportunities and challenges in developing mobile library services and resources.
Mobile learning and mobile library services
Mobile learning has for some time now had a high profile within the OU, as evidenced by the work of colleagues in our Institute of Educational Technology, and because mobile access to our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) was planned from the beginning of the project to implement Moodle (the open-source VLE used by the OU). As we are a distance learning institution, mobile access to course materials seems like a natural extension of our online course offerings. Seventy percent of OU students are in full-time employment. Many of them have families and other responsibilities as well. Giving students the opportunity to access their course materials or library resources anytime, anywhere may assist them in scheduling study time into their busy lives. We also offer a range of workbased learning opportunities, where students can benefit from being able to review learning materials or reflect on practice at work.