5 results
14 - Mobile applications and services in academic libraries: a survey of the university libraries of New Delhi
- from Part 2 - Challenges and strategies involved in embracing mobile innovation for libraries
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- By Seema Chandhok, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Parveen Babbar, Jawaharlal Nehru University
- 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 129-138
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Summary
Introduction
Mobile devices are everywhere and they have changed the way we live. Today the new society is a mobile society, in which the mobile devices have become the remote control for our lives. Mobile devices are connecting, communicating and sharing knowledge and information to make our lives easier. The mobile society of today works on a new logic and a new way of thinking, not only in the fields of health, business, commerce, industry and education but in almost all spheres of life. It is also seen that mobile devices have brought about a breakthrough in education all over the world. They have transformed and influenced the learning preferences of students and faculty, both within and outside the classroom and libraries (Moore, 2008). The use of personal devices by both teaching staff and learners has blurred the line between formal and informal learning. With more digital books than print books in circulation, academic activities are being influenced by mobile technology. Cloud computing and cloud space are also driving the use of more digital educational materials. Mobile devices are becoming the student's backpack (BLE Group, 2011), and so a survey was carried out in six major academic libraries of New Delhi, the capital city of India, to explore the applications and services provided and needed in these academic libraries.
Mobile devices in education
Mobile technologies are playing an increasingly important role in education and academic lives. Devices such as smartphones, tablets, iPads and e-book readers connect users to the world instantly, increasing access to information and enabling interactivity with others. Mobile devices are playing a great role in all these activities by providing many benefits to students, teachers, parents and universities themselves. Applications that run on these devices let users not only consume but also discover and produce content (Dahlstrom, 2012). The changing educational technology theory, research, and pedagogy are re-conceptualized to provide better opportunities and learning to the students and academic fraternity. Mobile devices are now being used as research tools and e-book readers, for SMS chat rooms, group chat rooms for classes, photo sharing for academic documents and mobile diaries, and to set reminders, make notes and organize schedules, connect with guest speakers in classrooms via Skype and scan QR codes for use as a reference point for assignments and projects (Lepi, 2014).
9 - M-education reaching the unreached: a Government of India initiative
- Edited by Mohamed Ally, Gill Needham
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- Book:
- M-Libraries 4
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 10 September 2022
- Print publication:
- 23 April 2014, pp 75-84
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Summary
Introduction
Mobile devices are playing a significant role in delivering education in India through the use of mobile and wireless technologies. The importance of this medium is steadily being realized by the Government of India, which is working towards mobile education (m-education or mlearning). The government is encouraging m-education by means of distributed peer collaboration over wireless devices, tablets and desktop computers, so as to create opportunities for discovery and education.
The government is working to meet learners’ needs to acquire knowledge and skills for life in a complex and globalized world. Steps are being taken to create active m-learning communities and to target models and solutions for mass training in the use of m-education. Various plans are afoot to transform schools, universities and other educational institutions using interactive, personalized and distributed learning resources delivered via mobile devices.
Following the UNESCO plan of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), the government has launched a low-cost tablet computing device. The device has been developed as part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NME-ICT), which aims to link 25,000 colleges and 400 universities on the subcontinent in an e-learning programme via the Sakshat portal. The tablet is known as Aakash (Sanskrit for ‘sky’). The aim in launching this cheap tablet, which is cheaper than other tablets and affordable for many millions of Indians, is to boost education and make rural students familiar with new technology. The Human Resource Development Ministry has floated a Cabinet note to get approval for the procurement of 5 million Aakash tablets for distribution among college students by the end of the year 2012, at a cost of over US$20 million. The commercial version of the tablet will be retailed under the brand name UbiSlate. With the launch of this tablet PC, Indian schools and colleges will be able to discover and leverage global educational content.
This chapter looks at the innovative use of wireless and mobile technologies in education. The launch of the Aakash tablet will be explored, and its spread and significance in contributing to m-education in India will be highlighted.
16 - India's mobile technology infrastructure to support m-services for education and libraries
- from PART 3 - FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY
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- By Seema Chandhok, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Parveen Babbar, Indira Gandhi National Open University
- Edited by Mohamed Ally, Gill Needham
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- Book:
- M-Libraries 3
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 08 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 23 January 2012, pp 139-150
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Summary
Introduction
The growing need for high mobility and to stay connected is the prime driver of increasing mobile use in the world today. This is true for people of different age groups and occupations. The youth segment, in particular, comprises 30% of the total mobile handset market. This segment requires high mobility and connectivity, and the same is true for business and other professionals. This innate need, coupled with the availability of handsets and connectivity at affordable prices, has triggered the growth of mobile use in India.
The mobile phone has evolved from being a mere communication device to being an access mode with an ability to tap into a plethora of information and services. This is the reason why it is now being referred to as the ‘fourth screen’, after cinema, television and computers.
M-resources and m-library services have become the ‘pull effect’, and students and researchers increasingly asking for more than just basic telephony in order to access them, driving the development of mobile value added services (MVAS). Today most of the students and faculty in universities and research institutions are seeking more from their communication devices and they are two of the prominent groups that have become increasingly reliant on mobile internet services for research, m-resources, m-educational literature searches and projects.
The growth of MVAS is based on four pillars: access devices, content, technology and infrastructure. This chapter analyses these four pillars and mobile network services in India with regard to the availability of mobile broadband; and mobile service providers with regard to MVAS and their cost-effectiveness for mobile users. The chapter will also present data about the types of mobile content and applications available through different mobile service providers and how it is used and valued by learners in different real-life study contexts. An overview of the mobile web, its potential use with Web 2.0 tools (including screencasts, podcasts, vodcasts and YouTube) and how it is beginning to be employed to support our education system, especially libraries, is also presented.
The total number of mobile subscribers in India as of July 2010 was 652.42 million. Since its liberalization in 1991, the telecoms sector has seen unprecedented growth. It is currently valued at $100 billion dollars, contributing a very significant 13% to GDP.
20 - M-libraries in distance education: a proposed model for IGNOU
- from PART 4 - M-LIBRARIES AND LEARNING
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- By Seema Chandhok, Deputy Librarian at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi, India, Parveen Babbar, Assistant Librarian in Indira Gandhi National 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 183-200
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Summary
Introduction
The mobile revolution has swept around the world. During the last decade, due to enormous changes in the mobile industry, mobile usage has become a necessity for the common person. The introduction of a range of advanced features and convergence of all forms of media, such as internet, radio, television, etc., have increased the potential of mobile devices, which can now perform a variety of functions in every sphere of life.
India is the second-largest mobile market in the world and it is expected that the mobile base will expand to 500 million subscribers by the year 2010. It currently has 320 million potential mobile subscribers, with an average of 10 million new subscribers per month (Siliconindia News Bureau, 2008).
Mobile technologies have made a real-time contribution not only to human life generally, but also in the teaching and learning experience, making their value both self-evident and unavoidable. Mobile learning methods offer valuable possibilities for learners in remote and distant parts of the world. Distance education institutions in India are now in the process of adopting mobile electronic equipment and communications technologies to bring the new phenomenon of mobility to distance learners. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has the motto of ‘Education anywhere and anytime’ and, to achieve this, the university has introduced the concept of ‘m-education’ and is developing mobile compatiblecontent for students.
M-learning in distance education
Distance education in its present form has undergone a transition from print, to e-learning, to m-learning. E-learning was the stage of moving towards total automation in teaching and learning processes, using Learning Management Systems (LMS). E-learning has facilitated the development of programmes that utilized internet-based technologies for colleges, universities and research institutions embracing both open source and proprietary LMS tools. E-learning models are already functional in various open universities such as the UK Open University, Hong Kong Open University, Athabasca Open University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, etc. With the wide use of mobile technology, m-learning is becoming an extension of e-learning, and has the potential to make learning more widely accessible to distance learners than was previously possible in distance learning environments. M-learning is a rapidly growing development and has the advantage of allowing learners to learn ‘on the move’. As technology has become more widely available, educational options are continuing to expand.
2 - Mobile technology in Indian libraries
- from PART 1 - M-LIBRARIES: DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE WORLD
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- By Parveen Babbar, Assistant Librarian in Indira Gandhi National Open University, Seema Chandhok, Deputy Librarian at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi, India
- 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 13-26
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Summary
Introduction
The total number of mobile phone users has risen to 350 million since the inception of mobile use in the country, and India is one of the most attractive markets for mobile telephone operators and wireless equipment vendors. The Indian government is targeting 500 million telephones, both fixed and wireless, by 2010. The market is growing by about ten million new mobile users per month, and with this pace of growth India will probably be close to 450 million subscribers by the end of 2009. Four factors have driven the growth of the mobile subscriber base in India. These include footprint expansion by existing operators, especially in rural areas, launch of operations by newer operators, issuing of 3G licences – which opens up a new world of data services – and cheaper handsets, which will lower entry barriers even further (Jain, 2008).
Libraries and documentation centres in India are keeping this proliferation in view and have also initiated some mobile learning (mlearning) services. E-learning has been successful, and now m-learning represents the next stage in an ongoing continuum of technology mediation. It will require new digital communication skills, new pedagogies and new practices. It will also foster young people's interest in their mobile phones and other hand-held communications/entertainment devices to deliver exciting and unusual learning experiences and related messages.
M-learning, especially its main delivery system, mobile-phone learning, is under observation, and in coming years will be effectively and extensively used or accepted for learning purposes by either educators or the general public in India. The goal of modern digital libraries in India is to support ‘nomadic’ computing by providing appropriate wireless networking ‘hotspots’ and access to information through mobile devices to support flexible learning space and mobile learning.
The proliferation of mobile technology over the past decade has made librarians face issues that were previously the responsibility of software designers and specialists in the field of human–computer interaction (HCI). In this chapter, we will describe the weaknesses inherent in, and some non-viable factors of, mobile phone learning. We will describe how libraries can combine the technologies of mobile communications with any electronically delivered material to impart support services, and will discuss the new PDA technologies, smart phones and wireless connections available in India. This chapter will also present strategies for delivering educational resources to mobile devices through libraries in India.