A Study in Developing a Mobile Learning System based on Human-Computer Interaction Design Principles

Today, the learning model of a single instructor interacting with many students that is applied in conventional classrooms forms a passive bottleneck. Moreover, the instructor cannot effectively record students’ individual learning histories for instantaneous and suitable feedback. To address these issues using a mobile learning system (MLS) the authors have applied the principles of human-computer interaction (HCI) to construct a usable MLS on a personal digital assistant (PDA) The research focuses on adaptive content delivery within the context of small-screen design. The authors utilized task analysis, a literature review, experimental design and approaches to small-screen design, and addressed potential issues with presentation in order to design a friendly PDA interface whose performance was analyzed with a postexperiment user satisfaction questionnaire. The results of this experiment show that the mobile-based classroom learning experience provides appropriate mobile tools to help students to become capable, self-reliant, self-motivated, and independent. The findings also demonstrate that variations among students’ preference for content are associated with differences in the display presentation mode, and that thelandscape interface is recommended for use in some contexts.