A mobile learning platform for new skills acquisition

Researchers on the project EDUMOTION (Education on the move – Mobile access to educational content) combined the proven success of location-based experiences for education with the concept of education through field experience. Partners built on existing technologies and their own new contributions to develop a software platform for informal learning. Its collaborative nature benefits teachers and providers of corporate learning and training.

Making use of different wireless communications networks and social networking tools, educational institutions and professionals the world over can use EDUMOTION’s software platform to share content and activities. Users can modify and enrich these for other users as well as their students. Specifically, the system targets any bodies that organise outdoor and indoor educational activities, providing access to particular skills and knowledge.

By allowing students to contribute with content generated by them during the activity, they become consumers and producers. This further enhances the learning experience of the wider group involved, making it a pro-active and inter-related knowledge cell.

EDUMOTION comprises a centralised content management system, a location and navigation system, a collaborative learning methodology, and a system to share user-generated content. The project team drew up learning strategies to maximise the platform's use and its benefits for all users and stakeholders.

The project consortium was made up of five partners (three small-to-medium sized enterprises and two research and technology development institutions) from four European countries. By leveraging their wealth of relevant expertise and resources, the project advanced the use of technology in the field of education.

Work carried out in EDUMOTION has made an important contribution to the integration of information and communication technologies in education. Its application supports enhanced learning experiences and provides a repository that facilitates new skills acquisition for success in an increasingly globalised workforce.