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Reviewing and exploring innovative ubiquitous learning tools in higher education

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Abstract

In the higher education sector, a new era has begun with the advent of ubiquitous learning environments. Ubiquitous learning tools allow improving context-aware as well as learning experiences by offering seamless availability regardless of location all the time. They also help in establishing effortless interaction between authentic and digital learning resources and at the same time offering personalised learning opportunities as well. There are numerous available ubiquitous e-learning tools that can be employed in higher education. E-learning tools also offer training and higher education to many students that have different higher educational levels and come from diverse cultural backgrounds. However, if the capabilities of e-learning are underestimated, these may not be successful in higher education. Some of the people lack understanding about the limitations and weaknesses of e-learning, while some may have superfluous expectations. In this paper, various e-learning tools like Wikipedia, MOODLE, Web 2.0, Web 3.0 and Blackboard have been evaluated. We also comment on key aims regarding each tool and investigate the disadvantages and advantages. Based on this analysis, a global view regarding the current as well as future tendencies pertaining to ubiquitous e-learning tools is obtained and thus possible key comments are provided for employing e-learning tools like MOODLE, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 in the classroom. Based on our teaching experience, MOODLE was found to be efficient in the development of e-learning. MOODLE was favoured by a majority of authors and practitioners rather than Blackboard. However, MOODLE cannot be considered a fully pure social software since it does not include social networks. In this review, the scope of employing ubiquitous learning environments has been presented in higher education contexts. However, it increases the requirement for transparent research that shows practical implications to generalise future development processes. Moreover, it was shown that e-learning 3.0 is one amongst the key trends employing Web 3.0 tools for social learning. Also, on the Internet, quick incorporation of new services into existing applications like integrating Wiki with Web 3.0 can be done easily. The primary risk here would be the fact that lecturers and students are not fully aware that these web services are not controlled by their universities. Since these servers have been installed in many different countries, the principles and privacy laws vary from country to country.

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  1. Software Engineering Department, CIT Faculty, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan

    Shadi A. Aljawarneh

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Correspondence to Shadi A. Aljawarneh.

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Aljawarneh, S.A. Reviewing and exploring innovative ubiquitous learning tools in higher education. J Comput High Educ 32, 57–73 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-019-09207-0

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