Blending learning and mobile geo services

The massive uptake of mobile devices coupled with the evolution of map-based applications has created new opportunities to construct more engaging and more personal learning experiences. The sensors in smartphones and tablets collects information on the user’s position data such as coordinates, altitude, orientation, or speed of movement. Blending this information with knowledge of previous locations visited in real or virtual environments, search history, preferences, and georeferences and provides useful insights for scaffolding new learning experiences.  In Pro iOS Geo: Building Apps with Location Based Services, Andreucci lists the following main types of geo services:

1. Navigation-mobility support services. They provide real-time calculation of user position and visualization on a map.
2. Information-supply services. They enable users to visualize information layers on maps.
3. Information sharing. They enable users to produce geo information in order to share it.

BEACONING aims to employ geo services in education and innovate learning experiences by enabling exploration of various contexts and alternative ways to implement learning objectives.