Collaborative Learning and Information Dissemination Based on Social and Mobile Computing

Most existing online platforms take advantage of desktop computing capabilities to deliver suitable user experiences in distance-learning contexts. However, there is a growing need of more collaborative efforts that allow the sharing, editing, and dissemination of teaching materials among the education and learning communities. This article reviews existing work in the field and establishes a requirement framework for collaborative learning and investigates the feasibility of design approaches for implementing the designated system within the context of mobile development for smartphones, tablets, and related devices. The review of current leading educational platforms in the market enabled the identification of key characteristics and opportunities for the mobile and collaborative learning in the form of functional and non-functional requirements. Then a series of empirical trials were conducted using the Design-Based Research methodological approach in attempt to contribute to the existing body of research in mobile-computing collaborative learning environments. The resulting proof of concept is assessed for functions, service delivery, and information dissemination, which shows that the application can be feasibly developed by following the defined requirements. A summary of challenges is presented for the development of a collaborative learning application for mobile platforms.