2012 M-learning Standards
Review and Update
Report
E-standards for Training
August 2012
V3.0
Acknowledgement
flexiblelearning.net.au
Australian Flexible Learning Network
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2012 M-learning Standards Review and Update Report
Acknowledgements
The New Generation Technologies for Learning business activity, on behalf of the National
VET E-learning Strategy, wishes to acknowledge and thank the authors of this report David
Drinkall and Francis Kneebone from V2Training together with participants from across the
Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector, including the E-standards Expert
Group1 and the following key contributors:
Bronwyn Lapham
Chris Toselli
Chris Winter
Gregor McNish
Howard Errey
Ian Whitehouse
Jaci Ganendran
Kim Raschepkin
Kristena Gladman
Peter Higgs
Stephan Schmidt
With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the Department’s logo, any material protected
by a trade mark and where otherwise noted all material presented in this document is provided under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/) licence.
1
E-standards Expert Group (opens website)
New Generation Technologies for Learning
incorporating E-standards for Training
National VET E-learning Strategy
2012 M-learning Standards Review and Update Report
Table of Contents
1 Background ....................................................................................................... 1
1.1 National VET E-learning Strategy ............................................................................ 1
1.2 New Generation Technologies for Learning Business Activity ................................ 1
2 Purpose .............................................................................................................. 2
3 History of this review ........................................................................................ 2
4 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 3
5 Mobile Device Landscape ................................................................................. 3
5.1 Mobile Phones ......................................................................................................... 3
5.2 Tablets ..................................................................................................................... 4
5.3 Other Devices .......................................................................................................... 4
6 Mobile Device Usage Trends ............................................................................ 4
6.1 Mobile Apps ............................................................................................................. 5
7 About the VET M-learning standards ............................................................... 5
8 Key Standards Recommendations................................................................... 5
9 Learning Design Recommendations................................................................ 7
9.1 Content Design ........................................................................................................ 7
9.2 User Interfaces ......................................................................................................... 7
9.3 Applications (Apps) .................................................................................................. 8
9.4 Learning Activities .................................................................................................... 8
10 Infrastructure Issues ....................................................................................... 9
10.1 Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) ............................................................................ 9
10.2 Network Connections ............................................................................................. 9
10.3 Device Management ............................................................................................ 10
10.4 Data Capacity ...................................................................................................... 10
10.5 Using the Cloud ................................................................................................... 10
11 Future Trends in Mobile ................................................................................ 11
11.1 Near Field CommunicationTechnology................................................................ 11
11.2 Gesture Control .................................................................................................... 12
11.3 Augmented Reality............................................................................................... 12
12 Standards Review Process ........................................................................... 12
13 Key References: ............................................................................................ 12
Appendix A: 2013 M-Learning Technical Standards ........................................ 14
More Information ................................................................................................ 18
New Generation Technologies for Learning
incorporating E-standards for Training
National VET E-learning Strategy
2012 M-learning Standards Review and Update Report
New Generation Technologies for Learning
incorporating E-standards for Training
National VET E-learning Strategy
2012 M-learning Standards Review and Update Report
1 Background
1.1 National VET E-learning Strategy
The National VET2 E-learning Strategy (Strategy) aims to strengthen the Australian
training sector’s use of new learning technologies and leverage opportunities
provided by such projects as the National Broadband Network (NBN) to make major
advances in the achievement of government training objectives.
The Strategy seeks to build the capability of registered training organisations (RTOs),
industry and community stakeholders to create more accessible training options and
facilitate new ways of learning through technology. It also aims to stimulate elearning ventures to support individual participation in training and employment, and
the alignment of workforce skill levels with economic needs.
The Strategy is driven by the vision:
A globally competitive Australian training system underpinned by
world class e-learning infrastructure and capability.
and has the following three goals:
1. Develop and utilise e-learning strategies to maximise the benefits of
the national investment in broadband.
2. Support workforce development in industry through innovative
training solutions.
3. Expand participation and access for individuals through targeted
e-learning approaches.
1.2 New Generation Technologies for Learning Business
Activity
The New Generation Technologies for Learning Business Activity incorporates the
existing E-standards for Training activity and primarily contributes to Goal 1 of the
National VET E-learning Strategy. It has the following objective:
Support the capacity of the VET system to use broadband and emerging
technologies for learning, through research, standards development and advice.
2
Vocational Education and Training
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2 Purpose
The purpose of this review was to examine the existing vocational education and
training (VET) mobile technology standards and associated documentation to ensure
that the formats, specifications and equipment identified reflect the needs of VET elearning practitioners.
Approaches to mobile content, devices and standards were also considered, to
ensure optimum content interoperability in the context of the increasing numbers of
devices with incompatible, platform-specific operating systems.
The review includes recommendations for an efficient process to update and
maintain the mobile technology standards. These recommendations take into
consideration the tendency for rapid developments in the area of mobile technology
and the high rate of uptake by the Australian population which is reflected in the VET
sector.
3 History of this review
The m-learning standards evolved from the VET E-standards for Training as it
became obvious that a new category of device was being used in education. In
2006, a research project was conducted to investigate sources of information on
standards for mobile learning (m-learning) and to develop recommendations on
technical standards to support the creation, storage, discovery, delivery and usage of
mobile enabled content. The outcome was a set of technical standards for mobile
devices, and advice for teachers, trainers and content developers seeking to create,
select or use m-learning content and technology for teaching and training with
consideration to the educational purposes it may support.
Reviews and updates were undertaken in 2008 and 2010, however the subsequent
rapid proliferation of mobile devices and operating systems rendered that information
out-of-date and necessitated an additional update.
This research report, together with the companion 2012 M-learning Teacher and
Trainer Guide, has been commissioned to ensure that the m-standards and guidance
are up-to-date. Current versions of the documents can be found at the following
locations:
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Mobile technology research
Mobile platform standards
Mobile content standards
M-learning Teacher and Trainer Guide
Certain of the Emerging Technology Trials3 funded in 2010, 2011 and 2012 have
also documented new ways of utilising m-learning in VET and may be of additional
interest.
3
Emerging Technology Trials (link to website)
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4 Methodology
The research included:
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an examination of existing m-standards and associated teacher guides for
required updates and additions
a review of applicable worldwide standards and requirements for mobile
devices including the W3C Mobile Web Application Best Practices4, and
WCAG 2.0 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)5
a review of documentation and outputs from the Emerging Technology Trials6
a literature review of key research, papers and reports such as the ‘Horizon
Report (Higher Education Edition) 2012’7 The referenced reports are
footnoted on their first usage in the report and are also listed the Key
References section of this document
consultation with stakeholders from various public and private VET providers
and the m-learning standards reference group
canvassing suggestions for keeping recommended mobile standards current
and sustainable into the future.
5 Mobile Device Landscape
At the time of publication of this report, operating systems with the greatest market
share in the mobile device market are iOS from Apple and Android by Google.
Microsoft’s Windows8 will reportedly debut in late 2012 and will provide a third major
player in the market.
5.1 Mobile Phones
The rapid transformation of the Australian mobile phone ‘fleet’ toward smartphones
with operating systems, touch-screens and large application markets continues to
accelerate. In the 2011 AIMIA - Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index, 67% of
respondents claimed to have a smartphone.8
The share of the operating system space for the two main players in smartphones is
Apple’s iOS (40%) and Google’s Android (32%), with the latter gaining market share
quickly and likely to at least draw level in the next six months. The other players such
as Blackberry (Research in Motion), Symbian (Nokia) and Windows7 (Microsoft) are
trending toward insignificance9. However Microsoft is planning to launch Windows8 in
2012. This new operating system is designed from the ground up for touch-screens
and will operate across desktop and mobile platforms, making it an exciting future
competitor, particularly in the corporate and government spaces. This may extend to
education with the promise of seamless integration to existing local networks.
4 W3C Mobile Web Application Best Practices
5 WCAG 2.0 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
6 Emerging Technology Trials
7 NMC - Horizon Report - Higher Education Edition
8 AIMIA – Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index
9 State of the Media: Mobile Media Report Q3 2011
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5.2 Tablets
The Horizon Report (Higher Education Edition) 2012 refers to tablet devices as a key
trend in educational technology, stating that tablet devices should be considered to
be distinct from mobiles. According to a recent study from comScore, “the iPad now
accounts for 97% of all tablet-based web traffic in the U.S. and 46.8% of all mobile
web traffic.”
The Nielsen State of the Media Report found that tablet ownership, such as the
Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy, is now at 18%, having more than doubled during
2011. This strong trend towards tablet ownership in Australia is also shown in the
AIMIA Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle index report. Half of the respondents who
own a smartphone also either have a tablet (eg iPad, Galaxy Tablet, T-Hub) or plan
to purchase one within the next year.
The unique form and function of tablets allows for portability, with touch-screens that
are ideal for one-to-one learning as well as workplace learning. Tablets are also
easily shared between peers, allowing for content to be used in group learning
scenarios.
Like smartphones, the leading operating systems on tablets are Apple iOS and
Android. Both iOS and Android do/will not support Flash technology into the future,
with the trend towards tablet computing being followed by a trend towards apps and
web content to allow tablet users access to learning content.
5.3 Other Devices
In 2011, 13% of online Australians owned an eReader, a figure up from 7% in 2010.
This trend may continue with the eReader as a separate class of device or, as tablets
become lighter and eReader features develop, the two may merge into one category
of device.
6 Mobile Device Usage Trends
Device usage patterns are also changing dramatically, with just over half (54%) of the
survey respondents having visited websites on their mobile phones a minimum of
once a week. This is up from 38% in 2010.
Although the average user is now accessing content from a diverse range of mobile
device platforms, the ‘first-access’ is increasingly done through the mobile phone.
The workflow of a learner may be to first access content from a phone and then
multi-task with dual screens via other devices such as laptops and tablets.
Access to social media activities via mobile devices was up from 43% in 2010 to 54%
in 2011.10 This includes reading content, contributing to content and updating social
status.
10
The Australian ONLINE CONSUMER LANDSCAPE (Nielsen, 2012) pg 10
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6.1 Mobile Apps
Mobile “apps” are content and/or small software applications installed on a mobile
device. Each mobile operating system has its own app technology and app
repositories. Apps for each different operating system are therefore not compatible
with one another.
With stronger mobile device use in Australia comes a larger volume of app use
across all operating systems. The AIMIA - Australian Mobile Lifestyle Index report11
found that 26% of respondents who used their phone more than five times a day
were using mobile apps.
According to recent estimates from Xylogic12:
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Australians downloaded 66.8 million apps in the month between March and
April 2012
Broken down by platform, the device spread is Android 44%, iPhone 46%,
iPad 9% and Windows 1%
Per head, Australians are the fifth biggest downloaders of apps globally
7 About the VET M-learning standards
The purpose of developing and maintaining standards is to set a baseline as both a
guide and a measure for those developing and deploying content with the intent of
maximising the viability and optimum interoperability of that content. The m-learning
standards evolved from the e-standards13 as it became obvious that a new category
of device was being used in education.
In more recent times the range and capability of mobile devices has exponentially
increased to the point where there are few discernible differences between browserbased delivery on mobile devices and desktop devices. This recognition by the mstandards reference group and E-standards Expert Group in 2011 prompted this
research, and was echoed in the responses received in 2012.
8 Key Standards Recommendations
The m-learning standards review undertaken in 2011 highlighted the fact that these
standards are a subset of the e-learning standards and advocated the merging of the
two sets wherever possible. This approach has been successful thus far with the
publication of combined content format standards for all devices in 201114.
In 2012, the standards review has sought to merge the mobile standards and
desktop content formats to make it simpler to develop interoperable content that will
operate on all platforms. In doing so it has been noted that whilst there is still a broad
distribution of feature phones, they are not widely used for the delivery of content and
AIMIA – Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index
Xylogic App Data
13
E-standards for Training
14
http://e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au/technical_standards/content_formats.php
11
12
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they require formats which are not compatible with other supported devices and
decrease the feasibility of an approach that seeks to have maximum device coverage
and interoperability.
It is therefore recommended that feature phones aren’t considered a typical delivery
platform, and formats specific for those devices are not part of the current estandards. It’s recommended that the device specific formats are listed in a legacy
section that would facilitate the identification of applicable standards for developers of
content whose audience will/need to utilise feature phone devices.
It is recommended that the following updates are made to the standards:
1. Remove LC-AAC as an audio format as it is not supported on all platforms
and adds little functionality to the MP3 format
2. Move WML 1.3 and XHTML 1.1 Basic Profile (W3C 2008) to the legacy
mobile formats. Advances in HTML support on mobile devices and the crossplatform compatibility of XHTML 1.0 mean that the other standards are only
applicable to feature phones and older devices
3. Move CSS 1.0 to the legacy mobile formats as the mobile standard as most
mobile web browsers support CSS 2.0 and/or 3.0
4. Move JAVA ME to the legacy mobile formats as this is primarily an approach
for feature phones which are rapidly decreasing in the population
5. Add a clearer explanation that the SWF format is only acceptable in publicly
funded content until December 2012 in accordance with the decision of the Estandards Expert Group in November 201115. This will ensure that developers
of projects for completion in 2013 do not commence work using SWF,
including recipients of the current round of Strategy funding.
6. Include a note on the short support timeframe for SWF in the video standards
section
7. Remove ‘mobile only’ from the QR code format as QR codes are also used
on desktops
8. Remove datamatrix as a 2D barcode standard. QR codes have the potential
to hold twice as much information and are much more widely used
9. Amend the following comment so that it applies to all screen sizes, not just
mobile, in the images section of the standards: “Mobile: Specify image size
(both width and height as percentage of parent element) in web page mark-up
for all images.”
The proposed technical standards resulting from the incorporation of changes from
the 2012 M-learning review are detailed in Appendix A. These standards are pending
ratification by the E-Standards Expert Group within their annual review of the Estandards for training, which will define the official stance for 2013.
“As a result, at their meeting in Melbourne on 29th November 2011 the E-standards Expert Group decided that as
of 2013 it will no longer recommend Flash (swf) as a content format for delivery of learner content in the VET sector,
because it can no longer be deemed interoperable across the existing recommended devices.”
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9 Learning Design Recommendations
9.1 Content Design
There are some key design choices to be made when delivering content for the
range of devices students are using. The reference group outlined common
approaches that aim to maximize the accessibility of content for mobile users.
Broad approaches include:
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Responsive design – development of a single learning object that is
accessible on a wide variety of devices
Adaptive design – development of multiple formats or versions of an object
that are accessible on specific devices
Progressive enhancement – development of content that functions well on
baseline specifications (eg a lower end mobile phone) and then progressive
addition of functionality for users accessing it with more capable devices
Progressive disclosure - Progressive disclosure as necessary at the point of
need. Also used in broader web design, this approach enhances mobile
learning experiences.
A recommended workflow for developers is to maximise interoperability through a
responsive design and choice of interoperable formats and, where this is not possible
in the first instance, to provide adaptions/alternative formats of the content.
An additional consideration when developing content is whether it will be ‘consumed’
online or offline. Where students would benefit from accessing content offline,
formats such as ePUB and to a lesser extent PDF may be employed.
For more detail please refer to M-learning Teacher and Trainer Guide.
9.2 User Interfaces
Designing accessible content for mobile devices should take into account the fact
that the interface on a touch screen device does not respond in the same way as that
on a mouse or keyboard controlled device.
The main differences and considerations for touch devices are:

‘clickable’ content including buttons and links require single or multiple tap
actions to perform an equivalent ‘click’ action
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there is no equivalent to the hover state (mouse rollover) event on touch
devices
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alternative text (“alt text”) labelling dependant on a hover state will not display.
Therefore other methods of providing that labelling should be implemented for
mobile content, for example providing captions under images
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Flash will not display on mobile devices for which there is no Flash player (the
majority), and interactivity built in JavaScript does not respond to touch
actions in the same way as mouse actions, creating issues with consistency
and access to navigation in sites that utilise Flash and JavaScript for that
purpose
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some browser based content and mobile apps may include non-menu based
actions, for example “swipe” to change page, or “tap” to scroll. Some mobile
navigation gestures, although intuitive, are not recognised by accessibility
software
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Apple recommends the average finger tap space of interactive content is
about 44x44 pixels (many smart device icons are 33x33 pixels but have
added padding to 44x44 pixels). This allows users to comfortably and
accurately tap on content.
9.3 Applications (Apps)
A significant design choice for learning designers is whether to build native apps for
the variety of operating systems on mobile devices or to use browser-based platform
neutral delivery. The primary advantage of creating an app is to leverage the
capability of the device over and above the standard web interface. An app can
access various interactive features such as the touchscreen, control buttons,
gyroscope, accelerometer, camera, microphone and more. Apps can also operate
offline and provide some immersive interactions that are not possible via the
browser-based web delivery.
Disadvantages of choosing to build a native app include the lack of interoperability
and the need to potentially develop for a variety of operating systems, the associated
development costs and maintenance cycles, and the barrier of requiring the user to
download the app.
Learning designers choosing to build a native app should consider the target user
group, their devices and the broader market share in order to determine which
operating systems they need to author the apps for.
Apart from custom apps, there are a wide variety of apps that can be used in
education and training to facilitate learning. Choosing an app based on the target
user group and their devices could facilitate a facsimile of interoperability, as many
app developers offer apps on all major platforms (including desktops) making them
excellent choices for learners.
9.4 Learning Activities
Previous m-learning standards have focused on content delivery platforms and
formats, however many of the reference group have referred to the use of mobile
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devices in other aspects of learners’ experience. These include learning
management, enrolment, scheduling, student support, feedback, reporting and more.
Another important category for consideration is learning activities such as student
interactions and use of mobile device capabilities in field measurements, gaming and
assessment.
It is recommended that learning designers be aware of the capabilities of mobile
devices and focus on assigning tasks rather than prescribing tools that learners
should use to complete the task. Where possible a list of cross-platform tools should
be provided to students along with instructions or access to tutorials on how to use
the tools. Some students will ignore the suggestions and use another method to
complete the task.
The great advantage of personal mobile devices is that although there is an unending
variety of models and types, most owners can use their own devices. For example, it
would be impossible to provide detailed instructions on how to use every mobile
phone camera, but owners generally know how to use the camera on their own
phone and could use it to provide an image to a trainer.
10 Infrastructure Issues
The explosion in the uptake of mobile devices is putting a great deal of pressure on
the network infrastructure for many registered training organisations (RTOs).
Bandwidth limits are being pushed, with students often having multiple devices
connected continuously on campus. Some respondents reported that over 50% of
total bandwidth on campus was being consumed by access to social media sites
alone, leading to a network policy change limiting access during business hours. This
has the unfortunate consequence of limiting legitimate social networking activity for
work and learning activities.
10.1 Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
A ‘Bring Your Own Device’ culture is emerging in workplaces and educational
organisations, effectively disrupting current practices of providing common devices in
a computer lab. This trend looks set to continue as increasingly learners upgrade
their technology and add more mobile devices, and means that the range of devices
in use may be quite diverse.
10.2 Network Connections
Many users on RTO networks are employing 3G capable devices and bypassing the
local Wi-Fi infrastructure. As capacity and speed of the backbone connections
increase, loads on local Wi-Fi networks should decrease except in media rich
environments.
While the rollout and take-up of the National Broadband Network (NBN) will provide
the backbone bandwidth for RTOs as well as further lifting user expectation, access
speeds on local area networks will still be protocol, congestion and device speed
limited.
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However even the wireless access to the NBN will be significantly quicker than much
of the current 3G mobile device access. It should be noted that when most devices
label themselves as 4G, what they really mean is 3.9G (2008 to present). Real 4G
devices are not yet available, with most devices using Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access (WiMax), Long Term Evolution (LTE) or HSPA+, none of which
are technically 4G. Under recent advertising laws technology that is a significant
advancement to the 3G standard can be called “4G”. The best “4G” speed under real
world conditions is about 14.4 mbps down, 1 mbps up, which is suitable for the NBN
fixed wireless speeds.
As faster broadband becomes ubiquitous in Australia, students will expect to be able
to consume media rich content in their education, participate real-time in experiences
without being physically present and complete remote assessments. Much of this will
involve devices we currently classify as ‘mobile’ making it a business advantage for
providers able to adapt quickly.
10.3 Device Management
Where devices are supplied by the RTO, owners of the hardware must face both
technical and administrative management issues. The wide variety of devices makes
recommendations on management and procurement impossible. However, solutions
exist for remote application installation, device tracking, device security policies, data
resets and locking, and remote access should RTOs want to employ them.
10.4 Data Capacity
With the increasing use of mobile devices in e-assessment, data transfer and storage
capacities are being tested. Users expect to be able to deliver media rich files such
as audio, video and annotated PDF files as evidence of competence. Most rely on
either email or cloud storage to deliver their files, with the former causing problems
for many organisations with restrictive email size policies. Employees need larger
inboxes to receive student work and then require vast evidence storage capacity to
allow for assessing, moderation and retention of records. Whilst this is not a unique
mobile device issue, it is brought into focus by increasing use of mobile devices in
evidence collection.
10.5 Using the Cloud
Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted
services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories:
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-aService (SaaS)16
The ‘Cloud’ facilitates storage, transportation and collaboration with server based
web applications accessed remotely by an app or browser. The Cloud is
complementary to local mobile storage and also increases the capacity of mobile
devices to become interoperable with other devices such as desktop computers.
16
Cloud computing definition (link to website)
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An example of the Cloud being used in m-learning would be a teacher wanting to
share a large file with learners on mobile devices where email will not support large
file attachments. A teacher using a Cloud storage service such as Dropbox could
share a large EPUB file with learners using iPads by storing the EPUB in a public
folder and sharing a download link with learners.
The integration of Cloud services with apps is increasingly common allowing for
direct download, upload and auto syncing to the Cloud of content from within apps.
Other benefits of using the Cloud with mobile are:
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increasing file storage capacity in addition to the device storage
capacity
automatic backup of data creating efficiencies and saving time
securing against data loss through broken or lost devices
collaboration on content over time or in real-time
access to resources from anywhere with Internet access
reduced ICT costs
easy sharing of large files among devices.
However it should be noted that while cloud computing presents many benefits, it
also presents risks that must be considered before using services that host staff or
student data externally. It is recommended that potential users reference their
organisation’s local policy on the use of Cloud services where one exists, and utilise
the VET Cloud-based Services Evaluation Tool17 where applicable The New
Generation Technologies for Learning 2012 Cloud Computing Research18 report and
Cloud-based Services Evaluation Tool is intended to help individuals and
organisations to assess the suitability of Cloud services in the context of their
organisational policy.
All Government agencies should also read the terms of the Government’s Cloud
Strategy and best practice guidelines19.
11 Future Trends in Mobile
The mobile technology space is one of the fastest evolving technology markets with
new and improved products being released constantly. Apart from the continuing
trend toward more powerful and smaller devices, there are also new or adopted
technologies in development. This section outlines some technologies likely to be
widely adopted within the next five years.
11.1 Near Field CommunicationTechnology
It is likely that new mobile devices will have the capacity to transmit information
through physical proximity to receivers and other devices. This technology, already
17
VET Cloud-based Services Evaluation Tool (link to website)
VET 2012 Cloud Computing Research (link to website)
19
Australian Govt Cloud Computing Strategic Direction (link to website)
18
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used in credit cards to allow owners to simply wave the card near a target to process
the payment, will likely be used in phones and tablets to transfer files, web addresses
and other information.
11.2 Gesture Control
The control of devices will broaden even further to include gesture control and much
improved voice control. Users will be able to perform complex functions in a hands
free way, allowing them to continue with a physical task at the same time.
11.3 Augmented Reality
A new class of device is likely to emerge which combines a camera, connectivity and
processing power to deliver contextual information to users about places and
activities. It is likely that these devices will be worn as glasses and will provide
heads-up display of information as requested. Eventually such devices may replace
mobile phones to a large extent. A concept design of such a device can be viewed on
Wikipedia including a concept video.
12 Standards Review Process
There is a general consensus that the rapidly changing nature of the mobile learning
space requires a dynamic review process. The challenge lies in being able to offer
some certainty to developers for a reasonable timeframe that their development
decisions are sound.
We recommend the establishment of a forum on the New Generation Technologies
for Learning website where developers and teachers can discover and discuss
approaches to issues of mobile delivery as they emerge. This forum would focus on
tasks or categories of tasks with users suggesting applications and approaches to
meet those educational challenges.
13 Key References:
2011 M-Standards Review and Report
http://e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au/research/mobile_technology.php
Findings from the HTML5 2011 Technical Report
http://e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au/research/html5.php
Findings and Case Studies from previous eBook Reports
http://e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au/documents/2012-emerging-techdocs/Easy+eBooks+Guide+2012+Ann+Hardingham.pdf
Responsive Web Design
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/responsive-web-design/
eLearning Guild - Mobile Learning 2012 report (Mobile Learning: The Time is Now)
http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.2295
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State of the Media: Mobile Media Report Q3 2011
http://nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports-downloads/2011/state-of-the-media-mobile-media-report-q3-2011.html
AIMIA – Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index
http://www.aimia.com.au/enews/events/AMPLI%202011/AMPLI%20Report2011_
FINAL.pdf
NMC - Horizon Report - Higher Education Edition
http://www.nmc.org/publications/horizon-report-2012-higher-ed-edition
The Australian ONLINE CONSUMER LANDSCAPE (Nielsen, 2012)
http://au.nielsen.com/site/documents/AustralianOnlineLandscapeExecSummRep
ort2012FINAL.pdf
Xylogic App Data
http://xyologic.com/app-downloads-reports/Australia/08.05.2012/
Comparison of Tablets Computers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_tablet_computers
Cloud Computing Strategic Direction
http://www.finance.gov.au/e-government/strategy-and-governance/cloudcomputing.html
The Australian Government’s study into the Accessibility of the Portable Document
Format (PDF) for people with a disability.
http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/pdf-accessibility-study/index.html
E-standards for Training website
http://e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au/
Google Glass Project
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Glass
ADL Mobile Learning Guide
https://sites.google.com/a/adlnet.gov/mobile-learning-guide/home
Google Glass Project [Launch Video]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4
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Appendix A: 2013 M-Learning Technical Standards
The proposed technical standards resulting from the incorporation of changes from
the 2012 M-learning review are outlined below. These standards are pending
ratification by the E-Standards Expert Group within their annual review of the Estandards for training, which will define the official stance for 2013.
All content formats listed below are expected to be applicable to desktop and mobile
devices unless otherwise indicated.
Notes:
As outlined in the ‘2012 M-standards review’ report, the increases in capability and
use of mobile devices has made it logical to seek to establish integrated m-learning
and desktop e-standards, particularly in terms of content formats. To that end, where
possible the file formats recommended for VET content are platform independent and
will function on the majority of mobile and desktop devices in the sector. The decision
to take this approach means that some platform specific formats utilised by lower-end
devices - particularly feature phones - have been removed and are considered
legacy formats. These legacy formats are listed in a separate section for developers
who wish to deliver to users of older technologies.
As of 2013 the VET E-standards will no longer recommend Flash (swf) as a content
format for delivery of learner content in the VET sector, because it can no longer be
deemed interoperable across the existing recommended devices. This means that
content developers need to transition to alternative methods of delivering accessible
interactive content, for example HTML/JavaScript.
Recommended Standard
Usage Notes
Web Content - File Format
XHTML 1.0 Transitional
Web content: should be optimised for a 1024x768 pixel
resolution, however all content should also be scalable and
designed to resize proportionally to the display size,
available screen area and resolution. This may be
accomplished through a responsive, liquid or fluid layout
that through the allocation of a percentage of space to
each element, results in images, text and spaces
proportional to display size.
When designing e-learning content for Learning
Management System (LMS) based delivery, you may need
to make an allowance for the inclusion of the LMS and/or
any content package player within the available screen
area and allow for scaling of the content accordingly.
Equally the design of content applicable for mobile delivery
should consider the impact of smaller screen dimensions.
Given changes to the XHTML 1.0 specification since its
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inception it is suggested that developers refer to the
XHTML media types second edition for additional information
about the implementation of XHTML 1.0
Note: HTML5 is not recommended at this time for use in
development of content intended for widespread use in the
VET sector because of the inconsistent implementation by
browser developers. Please see the E-standards for Training
2011 HTML5 Research report. If you choose to use HTML5
functionality, you should provide an applicable fall-back
mechanism for any element unsupported by the supported
browsers.
UTF-8 character encoding
Web pages should be encoded as UTF-8 and an encoding
declaration should be included in the page source, but we
strongly recommend that you avoid the use of a byte-order
mark, which may appear as  or a small rectangle or
Explanation of BOM
Controlling the BOM
Web Content - Style and Formatting
CSS 2.1
CSS 2.1 is the recommended standard for content
developed for cross-platform delivery.
CSS.3.0
CSS 3.0 may be used for content provided that it degrades
to CSS 2.0 until such time as all CSS 3.0 modules are
ratified and supported.
Some CSS 3.0 media queries will not render in Internet
Explorer versions 7, 8 or 9
Text documents (fixed display)
PDF
PDF documents should be readable in Adobe Reader 9.0
and above.
PDFs are not automatically accessible but they can be
considered accessible provided that they are correctly
tagged. See Adobe Acrobat accessibility for further
information.
Embedded fonts are recommended.
Text documents (editable):
RTF
DOCX
RTF and DOCX format compatible with Microsoft Office
2007. The MS Office Compatibility Pack allows document
editing in older Office versions
TXT
Plain-text alternatives for interactive web content may be
created as TXT files.
E-books
EPUB
Spread sheet formats
XLSX
Presentation formats
PPTX
PowerPoint is a cross-platform compatible presentation
application. Keynote and OpenOffice presentations may
also be converted to a PowerPoint format to extend their
interoperability.
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Web graphics (non-animated)
GIF
GIF is recommended for images comprising flat or solid
areas of colour.
JPEG
JPEG is recommended for photographs and other images
with smooth variations of colour (gradients). See JPEG Typical Usage for further information.
PNG
PNG can be used for both the bitmap image types
described above, and has the additional option of a
transparent (alpha) channel. (JPEG will often produce a
smaller file size, but with a quality trade-off).
Specify image size (both width and height as percentage of
parent element) in web page mark-up for all images.
Audio formats
MP3
The purpose of the audio content and intended delivery
platform should be taken into consideration when choosing
an audio format.
Content developers should maintain a balance between
sound quality and the size of the MP3 file. Minimise the bit
rate and sampling frequency where possible to ensure the
MP3 file is not unnecessarily large.
Refer to MP3 - Audio Quality for further information.
Video file formats
MPEG 4 (H.264)
The delivery platform is the primary consideration in
deciding the format of video content; however, the H.264
codec has the broadest application and support.
Content developers must balance quality with data rate
while maintaining clarity and meaning.
The H.264 codec is recommended for both SWF and MP4
formats for broadest forward compatibility.
Note: 3GP video container format (.3gp) may be used for
playing (lower quality) standalone video files on mobile
devices: 3GP_and_3G2
Interactivity
JavaScript as implemented by JavaScript and AJAX may be considered to be
supported browsers
accessibility supported technologies provided they are
used in an accessible manner and there are WCAG 2.0
sufficient techniques that support the use. If no WCAG 2.0
sufficient techniques exist to test the conformance then
WCAG 2.0 conformance cannot be claimed.
QR Code (2D barcodes)
2D barcodes
RFID
Typically 13.56/125 KHz, and should be compliant with
ISO standard relevant to
application. http://rfid.net/basics/186-iso-rfid-standards-acomplete-list
Legacy mobile specific
formats
Usage Notes
Web Content - File Format
XHTML 1.1 Basic Profile (W3C
2008)
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WML 1.3
Web Content - Style and Formatting
CSS 1.0
External CSS Level 1 (W3C 2006)
Link to external CSS with LINK, not @import
Interactivity
Java Platform Mobile Edition
(Java ME)
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More Information
National VET E-learning Strategy
Email:
enquiries@flexiblelearning.net.au
Website:
flexiblelearning.net.au
New Generation Technologies for Learning
Email:
e-standards@flexiblelearning.net.au
Website:
e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au
National VET E-learning Strategy
New Generation Technologies for Learning
incorporating E-standards for Training
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