With the advent of cloud computing technology, the development of mobile applications for use in several facets of life has been on the increase. This has been supported by the proliferation of mobile devices in the society which is also being used in utilizing the prowess of the cloud technology. Building a mobile education system that is platform independent is a major challenge since most of the popularly used ones are either software dependent or hardware dependent. In this work, a framework for mobile education system that is cross platform in nature with regard to operating system, hardware and web browsers using the 3-tier Client/Server mobile application architecture built on web standard was developed and fully tested. A first year computer science course offered by more than 1000 students was used as input to validate the framework. An integration of Short Message Services (SMS), virtual classroom and e-assessment components enable students and lecturers to communicate, create discussion forum and carry out e-testing using their mobile devices. This work is strongly recommended for higher institutions in Nigeria that need to explore the use of mobile devices that are available with the majority of students. Only registered users can access the developed app via the use of handheld devices (smart-phones & tablets). This can actually improve learning, research and collaboration between students and lecturers thereby enhancing learning experience.
Globalization created opportunities and challenges for learners in higher education to emphasis on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as Internet usages [
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Cloud computing, which has to do with the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet), there has been dramatic increase in the development of Internet applications daily for academic and non-academic purposes so as to utilise the proficiency of the cloud technology. Cloud computing could also be seen as a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet.
The proliferations of wireless networks and small portable computing devices have led to the emergence of the mobile computing paradigm with which the cloud computing technology provides the platform for their operation. Mobile and Nomadic users carrying laptops or hand-held computers are able to connect to the Internet through publicly available wire line or wireless networks [
Mobile application commonly called mobile app is a software application designed to run on Smart phones, tablet computers and other mobile devices.
The popularity of mobile applications has continued to rise, as their usage has become increasingly prevalent across mobile phone users. A May 2012 comScore study reported that during the previous quarter, more mobile subscribers used apps than browsed the web on their devices: 51.1% vs. 49.8% respectively [
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Mobile web applications, on the other hand, are created in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and run in the web browser on the mobile device. This means one code base to maintain; but mobile web applications still need to account for variations in web browsers across platforms.
The objective of this paper is to design a framework and develop a mobile application platform for education in higher institutions in Nigeria. The Mobile Application Framework for Higher Institution of learning (MAFHIL) developed will be capable of registering new students and their courses, give students access to course materials which are downloadable, allow students participate in virtual course-room discussion and e-as- sessment of students amongst others; consequently providing a platform for learning via the use of mobile devices.
Traditionally distance learning has been used to provide educational opportunities for the group of students for whom the usual educational system is not suitable. For example the people who work in different places, studying at home, living in isolated places or people with physical disorder [
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e-learning technologies delivered online courses, seminars, discussion forums and other approaches for an innovative way of learning to interact with instructors and other students. In addition, e-learning is viewed as an innovative method for delivering education electronically and interactive learning environments for anyone, from anyplace and anytime by utilizing the Internet and digital technologies. e-learning also involves the use of ICT infrastructures ([
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● Synchronous e-learning: This is when teachers and students communicate in real time by using webcams and microphones for instance. The communication is done live and thus it leaves some room for interaction in the form of students asking questions and getting answers to their questions shortly after. It is interesting to note that since synchronous e-learning is done in real time, it requires a relatively fast Internet connection, something that was not available ten years ago.
● Asynchronous e-learning: This on the other hand is when students can download or stream pre-recorded materials (lectures or written documents for instance). Asynchronous e-learning has its limitations when it comes to interaction between teacher and student [
However, it possess a great advantage in that it offers students more flexibility as students can download lectures and watch them at any point they wish [
For synchronous as well as asynchronous e-learning, the platform that is generally used is an intranet―where lectures and documents can be uploaded and made accessible for everyone within the intranet. However, due to technological development in recent years, new platforms for online learning have been made available.
In an educational context, e-learning platforms are also known as Learning Management Systems (LMSs) which are Internet based software. LMSs allow instructors to manage materials distribution, assignments, communications and other aspects of instructions for their courses [
The most popular LMS are Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (MOODLE), Online Learning and Training (OLAT), Claroline, eFront, Blackboard, Share Point LMS [
Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort. This cloud model is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models. Cloud computing isn’t so much a technology as it is the combination of many pre-existing technologies. These technologies have matured at different rates and in different contexts, and were not designed as a coherent whole; however, they have come together to create a technical ecosystem for cloud computing.
There are five major essential characteristics of cloud computing which differs from one cloud computing researcher to another. The five major characteristics are: On-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity and measured service.
The cloud computing concept is also divided into three different service models also referred to as infrastructure models or services delivery models are generally categorized as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Cloud computing can also be divided on the basis of deployment, level of access, of the cloud services. The deployment models of cloud computing are Private cloud, Public cloud, Community cloud and Hybrid cloud ([
The application of the Cloud computing technology in educational system has undoubtedly brought a great change in the academic square as it has revolutionalized learning by introducing new paradigm in the field of learning. The Cloud technology has made information sharing and accesses very easy on the universal platform. With the use of a local area network, multiple users can work on the same file; but it can be more interactive, and all encompassing as students from around the globe can participate in the same exercise there by not limited by geographical location.
With the Cloud, documents are not physically hosted on the user’s computer; they can be retrieved from anywhere through an Internet connection. So, working in the cloud means that users don’t need to depend on a particular program or even a specific operating system any more. The only requirement to start working in the cloud is a device with an Internet connection.
Students can share/access a document online, simultaneously interact and discuss with one another on academic issues and equally carryout their test exercises on scheduled date and time. These are part of the collaborative and communicative environments supported by the cloud which creates an adequate educational environment for Students and Lecturers, to improve teaching and learning processes in higher institutions of learning.
Problems of the Existing Systems
The existing learning management systems or applications for academic purposes in most schools in Nigeria where they exist (from analysis) are associated with the following problems or challenges:
* Difficulty in accessing the application via mobile devices.
* Lack of up-to-date course materials for instruction and learning.
* Difficulty in students submitting assignment online and some do not have the platform or such task.
* The existing system is not patronized by the students and Lecturers as it’s time demanding on them, because it requires them to get to a café before accessing the application.
* Most of the existing learning management systems do not have an e-testing platform.
* Lack of available online platform in most schools for instruction and learning for the students.
* Some of the existing mobile applications are difficult to customize as most of them are tailored towards a particular device or operating system.
Functional Requirements
Based on the problems of the existing system, the proposed system should be able to achieve the following functional requirements:
● Downloading of academic e-books and other instructional materials.
● Uploading and submissions of student assignments.
● Serving as a platform for learning and information dissemination via short message service to students using their mobile phone numbers; and also use for advertisement purpose.
● Providing a platform for access control so that only registered students can have access to portal.
● Enabling the conduct of e-test (e-assessment) using the multiple choice question kind of testing and essay type.
● Creating a virtual course room via the Internet which facilitates communication among the participants by allowing students and Lecturer to meet virtually in forum discussion (asynchronically) in Chat. Each post in the forum is identified by its title or reference tag.
Unified Modelling Language (UML) can be seen as a modeling language that is used to model systems using object oriented concepts. A use case diagram is part of the UML set of diagrams and it describes externally the visible behavior of a system and provides a view of the users of the system and the functions that the system must perform; it shows the important actors and functionality of the system [
■ System Model/Architecture
The mobile application architecture considered for this work is the 3-tier Client/Server architecture for web app built on a cross-platform standard using the web, shown in
At the presentation services tier, Mobile/Handheld devices will be used by the user to access the application via a web browser. It’s at this layer that all information gathering from the user is done and sent to the business services for processing, results of all the business services processing are also received back.
The business services tier serves as the web server where all form of processing is done as inputs are received from the presentation layer. It also Interacts with the data services to perform the business operations and processed results is sent to the presentation tier. At the data services tier the application data is stored, retrieval and maintenance operations are carried out on the data, and integrity of data is also maintained.
■ Proposed System Framework
The mobile app developed is cross platform in nature with regards to operating system, hardware (i.e. handheld devices) and web browsers.
With regard to browsers the application will be no specific browser dependent, as it will allow the contents to be displayed/rendered in any browsers without the loss of originality. The mobile application framework adapted in this paper is shown in
With the app deployed on the Cloud; every wireless client accessed the app in the Cloud from their handheld devices through an Access point (which could be a GSM network, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), etc.).
The likely complexities that should be the focal point and has to be focused on at the course of building this framework are as follows:
● The use of development technologies (programming tools) that is not device dependent, web browser and operating system dependent.
● It should include most if not all learning activities obtainable at the traditional archetype of learning.
● Output Interface Design
The output generated from a system determines the reliability of the system. Output design refers to the format of the value to be generated or expected from the system.
● Input Interface Design
The Input design indicates the specification of the input data that the system requests from the user.
● File Design
Relational database was used to keep the proposed system’s importunate data.
● Program Architecture
The program architecture of the proposed system is depicted in this work using a class diagram. A class as a set of objects that share common attributes and behaviour. The purpose of a class diagram is to depict the classes within a model [
* Testing
The application prototype was developed using PHP, jQuery Mobile, HTML5 web development tools, with the help of NetBeans 7.1 as the PHP code Editor that support the use of Cascading Style Sheet (CSS3). The system backend was developed using MySQL as the database, with XAMPP as the local host server via TCP/IP. A
first year computer science offered by a larger number of students from different departments was used as input.
The system prototype was deployed on the Cloud and the application was duly tested for hardware compatibility, software compatibility (i.e. with regards to device operating system and mobile web browsers) and usability as specified in the functional requirement of the system.
Figures 8-19 give a vivid representation of the different test cases and some sample test data used.
Other test cases are: Test case 12: hardware compatibility, test case 13: Operating System compatibility and test case 14: Web browser compatibility.
● Results
The result of the different tests carried out on the system is shown in
● Discussion of Results
When the application was deployed on to the Cloud, the entire system was meticulously tested with the required test cases supplied at different stages and on different platforms in order to ascertain that the system meets its set objectives. Invariable and valid results were obtained from the test which showed that the system is working as expected and that it’s cross-platform in nature.
This work provided a framework for mobile education/learning system using the Cloud computing technology. The developed mobile web application prototype can be accessed mainly via handheld devices and can be seen
Test case | System testing type | Testing objectives | Result | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Test case 1a | Usability | Valid user authentication | Passed | Appendix ( |
Test case 1b | Invalid user authentication | failed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 2 | To test for user account creation | Passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 3 | To test “Post” creation in forum | Passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 4 | To test users commenting on post | passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 5 | To test for course material upload | passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 6 | To test for course material download | passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 7 | To test for sending SMS notification to lecturers & students | passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 8 | To test for messaging amongst users | passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 9 | To test for “Test” creation | passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 10 | To test for setting e-test questions | passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 11 | To test for answering e-test questions | passed | Appendix ( | |
Test case 12 | Hardware | To test for hardware compatibility | Passed | Appendix (Figures 14A-16A) |
Test case 13 | Software | To test for operating system compatibility | passed | Appendix (Figures 14A-16A) |
Test case 14 | Software | To test for web browsers compatibility | passed | Appendix ( |
System testing type | Discussions |
---|---|
Hardware (i.e. hardware compatibility) | The following handheld devices were used in testing the application: Samsung Galaxy S Duos phone, Apple iPad, Tecno N7 smartphone, Nokia C7 Smartphone and Blackberry. The result obtained showed that the application can run on handheld devices not limited to the above mentioned, these therefore make the application hardware independent as it could run on any mobile device that can access the Internet via a web browser. The application is hardware compatible. |
Software (i.e. mobile browser compatibility) | The web application was available on a running web server. It was accessed from different handheld devices with different mobile web browser for example Safari Mobile web, Opera Mini, Firefox, Next browser, Dolphin and one browser. The result obtained showed that the application can run on all mobile browsers as no inconsistencies were noticed apart from the user interface being rendered slightly different amongst different web browsers. The application is mobile browser compatible. |
Software (i.e. operating system compatibility) | The application was tested on handheld devices running different operating systems. It was ran on Samsung Galaxy S Duos phone running version 4.0.3 of the Android operating system, an Apple iPad using the iOS operating system, Nokia phone with Symbian operating system and Blackberry phone with the Blackberry operating system. The application is operating system compatible. |
Usability (i.e. meeting the objective of the system) | The application was successfully loaded in the web browser and students were able to register courses successfully, download materials, attempt tests, Forum discussion, messaging and other functionalities as specified. Lecturers were able to upload course materials, set test question and send SMS notifications to students. The testing was successfully done in record time. The results of test and Assignment uploaded were saved in the database as specified in the architecture. |
as a viable alternative to some existing applications. The advantages are the same as for any other web application where the user avoids the hassle of installing an application as it is with native applications and will always run the latest version, and it is believed that the differences between browser implementations are less compared to other environments in which an application would run, for example Android operating system specific environments. Implementing this framework in academic institutions in Nigeria will significantly transform and help in the activities carried out in both regular and distance learning programmes as it equally provides quicker means of communication and collaboration amongst participants and information dissemination from lecturers to students.