Mobile Learning
If given the task to create a corporate instructional site for mobile-based learning, I would be certain to follow a few important design principles as a means of getting the best performance and navigational efficiency out of the proposed mobile site. Due to the limited and somewhat cost prohibitive nature of 3G/4G services for mobile devices, streamlining the site's content for quick access should be at the very top of the consideration list. An effective way of achieving a mobile site with quick download speeds would be to ensure that each web page does not exceed 20 kilobytes in size. The best way to do this would be to limit or eliminate all forms of graphic images (i.e. navigational icons, photos, et al). This barebones approach will help to increase site performance speeds while reducing large data downloads, which would benefit those individuals who do not have unlimited data plans.
On my site, I would incorporate the use of the CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) markup language. This would help to have better control and flexibility of the presentation characteristics of the mobile site. Design elements such as format layout, text alignment, fonts, borders, spacing, and colors are fully configurable and well-suited for mobile devices. I would create a navigational menu that looks like a vertical list of options with different topics (Fig 1). My mobile viewers would be able to click on a selection and it would either take them to a secondary sub-menu with additional options or open up a page with instructional content specific to the selected topic (Fig 2). Every navigational menu would have a "back" button for simple upward drilling back to the top of the navigational tree.
The advantage of a bareboned mobile site is that it provides the learner with quick access to information content that is primarily text based. With the use of CSS controls, I am able to provide a simple yet intuitive environment that does not require the need to pan side-to-side and or zoom in-and-out as a means of viewing the different content on the webpage. In essence, the layout of the site is already fixed for optimal navigation and viewing for a handheld mobile device. If there are any images or weblinks that need to be viewed, the use of small thumbnail icons will allow the viewer to click on it at their own discretion (Fig 3). Since I am using CSS controls, I can also provide the viewer the ability to switch to the original website layout for use over a fast Wi-Fi connection (Fig 4).
In addition to slower speeds and ancillary cost factors, another disadvantage to mobile-based learning is the lack of interaction that many sites provide via web application platforms such as Web 2.0, HTML5, and Flash. Unless the learner is utilizing a 7" or 10" tablet, the current handheld mobile form factor is much too small to appreciate the dynamic graphical interface that these platforms provide. Based on inference and professional experience, the absence of this widely popular interactive element makes for a less than interesting educational experience, which could translate into lessons that are not clearly understood and or retained.
On my site, I would incorporate the use of the CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) markup language. This would help to have better control and flexibility of the presentation characteristics of the mobile site. Design elements such as format layout, text alignment, fonts, borders, spacing, and colors are fully configurable and well-suited for mobile devices. I would create a navigational menu that looks like a vertical list of options with different topics (Fig 1). My mobile viewers would be able to click on a selection and it would either take them to a secondary sub-menu with additional options or open up a page with instructional content specific to the selected topic (Fig 2). Every navigational menu would have a "back" button for simple upward drilling back to the top of the navigational tree.
The advantage of a bareboned mobile site is that it provides the learner with quick access to information content that is primarily text based. With the use of CSS controls, I am able to provide a simple yet intuitive environment that does not require the need to pan side-to-side and or zoom in-and-out as a means of viewing the different content on the webpage. In essence, the layout of the site is already fixed for optimal navigation and viewing for a handheld mobile device. If there are any images or weblinks that need to be viewed, the use of small thumbnail icons will allow the viewer to click on it at their own discretion (Fig 3). Since I am using CSS controls, I can also provide the viewer the ability to switch to the original website layout for use over a fast Wi-Fi connection (Fig 4).
In addition to slower speeds and ancillary cost factors, another disadvantage to mobile-based learning is the lack of interaction that many sites provide via web application platforms such as Web 2.0, HTML5, and Flash. Unless the learner is utilizing a 7" or 10" tablet, the current handheld mobile form factor is much too small to appreciate the dynamic graphical interface that these platforms provide. Based on inference and professional experience, the absence of this widely popular interactive element makes for a less than interesting educational experience, which could translate into lessons that are not clearly understood and or retained.