Download Report

Perception and Use of Mobile Technology for
Qualitative Research by the Scholars in
Mahatma Gandhi University: A Case Study
Maghesh Rajan M
Assistant Librarian
Mahatma Gandhi University
Kottayam, Kerala
E-mail: [email protected]
Hearty Indebtedness to NACLIN 2012
Organizers
• Special Warm Thanks to Dr. S H Kaul
And Dr. Sangeetha Kaul to given me a
chance to be a part of NACLIN 2012.
Abstract
• This paper attempts to bring out the need for and
paradigm shift to use of Mobile Technology (MT) in
Digital Library Environment.
• The role of MTs in research, learning and education
comparing the profit making industries use MTs for
making business more prosperous, and shift of MTs
to Library environment for quality research and
education.
Continue………
• The role MTs in interaction, access, exchange
and collaboration towards scholarly activities.
• And how best the scholars in the M G U
campus use the MTs for their research
purpose.
Introduction
• The use of communication devices called Mobile
phone increased to 3.3 billion connectivity which is
half of the total population
• Of which more than 70% of people have smart phone
connectivity with GPRS facilities of mobile internet
use.
• It does not limit only on entertainment alone but the
thrust of information seeking attitude as they have an
increasing demand for quality of information for
research and learning by integrating access to eresources.
Introduction
• The ICTs, Intenet and www etc brought out impact in
providing digital library and information services and
proved the efficiency of Access, Flexibility and
Availability of information resources.
• The another milestone in the ICT application to
provide e-resource services to the user groups is the
MTs
• The various phases of development in MTs and its
application and use of web has also brought out a
greater influence in providing information services.
Introduction
Nelson Mobile 2010 rightly says .. Analogue Phones to 2G
phase and 3G with device to allow the voice, data and
advanced services were opened new world of data services
which can also deliver scans of primary documents, audiovisual materials and even scholarly analysis to enhance the
understanding of the URL of service providing organizations.
So MTs promote education, research and learning and
acting as a learning support device in information search
process.
Mobile Technology by Lippincott, J K
As the word “mobile” derived from Latin word
“mobilis” means to move freely and the
mobile device is a wireless or cellular phone –
either a portable, handheld communications
device connected to a wireless network that
allows users to make voices calls, send text
messages and run applications used for
publishing, certification, air interface, data
bearer, mobile UI, deployment, packaging etc
Mobile Phone in Digital Era
Mobile Phone in Digital Era
• Mobile phone revolution in ICT influenced
and become portable and compatable mobile
web to keep the users more up-to-datedness,
and breaking barrier of access to information
by time, space and other infrastructure.
• It has been more accredited with digital
environment through the stages of its
developments
Development and capabilities of MT accommodates
emerging digital environment
•
•
•
•
•
Voice to Ringtones
Monochrome to text graphies
Speakers to WiMax
UMTS W-CDMA to EDGE
EDGE to RFID
Types of Mobile Phones with advanced capabilities
PDA
Palm
Handhelds
Organizers
Smartphones
Blackberry
Pocket-size computers
Continued…
• Mobile phones have more features and advanced capabilities
made easy the information access more conveniently and
timely from the comfort of their own work place to home or any
where the user is moving (Hyass, Anna & Myer, Sue, (2008).
• These devices and services offer tremendous flexibility both
business concerns and non-profit organizational services from
libraries.
• The present 3G connectivity enables the high quality based services
like e-book access and multimedia content form any local library to
the handheld devices.
• Google and Apple having been giving more importance to
developing mobile devices first than the Desk Tops by the
developing mobile web sites to access the web resources more
potentially.
Mobile Web (MW)
• MW is nothing but more than the www – facilitates to
access the www resources and the total entirety of
internet through mobile devices
• The mobile websites are in small screen in size and
needs special version to adjust with the screen limit.
• The use of scaled-back versions give quick access to
content
• And the transcoded websites help to readily
viewable on the phone display
• The transcoding is a technology which converts and
brings the regular websites and reformats it to display
on the small screen
Website providers
Google,
ConvertWebsites
Skweezer,
mobify
Mowser,
onbile,
mobiSiteGalore,
Mobile AppAmerica
mofuse,
MobStac
bMobilized…
are some of the website converters and
mobile web site providers.
The Mobile Only Websites are another category
• Provide mobile websites more freedom in design, content and
structure of portable web pages. The Wireless Markup
Language and XHTML-MP programming language allow
developers to create more robust mobile websites.
• Zinadoo and dotMobi are the mobile site builders in which the
interface provides front page of websites more compatible as
good as the desk top websites.
• It ensures the constant connectivity with around the clock in
access to the internet, the Global Positioning System (GPS)
makes to ensure where the user is present ie the location
awareness, ensure unlimited access and the interactive
capabilities with content creation, share and exchange data,
comment , blog posts writings and social networks.
Mobile Based services
• Email
• Text Messaging
• Instant Messaging Music and Radio software
• Social Networks
Social Mapping Networks
Media Sharing Social Networks
• Search facilities
Multimedia Search
Local Search and Shopping Search
Visual and Camera Phone Search
Voice Search
• Mapping
Continue……..
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Widgets
Audio books
E-books
Browesers News Online
Travel information and Routing
Blogging
RSS Feeds
Microblogging
News Video Clips
Mobile Web QuickPicks
iPhone Only Applications
iPhone QuickPicks
Mobile Technology Based Library Services:
• Real-time service of library resources are now
available over internet and the mobile library service
applications allow the users to access by real time,
anywhere, and any time connectivity services through
user’s mobile devices.
• Location Service is an information service where the
geographical barrier are broken
Continue…..
• Personal Services allow the users to collect all
favorite parts of mobile library service in one
place like personal interests, provide new
information, alert users of services according
to their chosen profile, and to collect the user’s
favorite content in one place.
Continue….
• The Library notice on SMS and MMS from libraries over
latest news and notices. So the users get informed instantly on
dues, reminders, library event etc.
• Use of mobiles for in-house search over the OPAC, integrated
search and original document search are possible
• MyLibrary provides charging and discharging inquiry and
information, interlibrary, loan requests, SDI service
application, e-mail service of academic journals, database use
education application, etc. My library is a personal library
space where users can find information and resources of their
choosing. Users can read alerts, check records, renew
resources, request items, track interlibrary loans and document
delivery requests, set up email notices of new books and
journal articles, set up preferences for catalogue searching, etc.
Continue….
• Library Guide provides information about library to the users,
question-answering services, library statistics of its content etc
for the best use of resources and directed them to contact with
librarian for fast response via mobile devices for appropriate
information needed.
• E-Contents of the library offers various means of access to
databases, digital online resources, web databases , e-resources
and article databases etc and the scholars are answered
instantly whenever needed e-content search through mobile
devices.
• Other mobile services like mobile student identification card,
academic affairs administration, individual service,
community, campus life, multicenter, usage guide, etc
Continue….
• e-Learning Media via mobile devices are now very
easy medium of communication by introducing eLearning media products, such as virtual classrooms,
computer- aided assessment, blogs, online
community, wikis, discussion boards etc.
• Mobile Database
• SMS References
• Mobile library circulation
• Mobile audio tour
MT services for Teaching, Learning and Research
• The Information resources and the access to these resources
are very essential to the academic community and the research
scholars in the University education
• The university libraries provide keen attention on content of
electronic resources like e-books, ETDs, e-journals, multimedia, interactive learning programs and other web resources
with easy access techniques for research. The new emerging
access techniques aim to provide cost-effective high-quality
delivery of library and e-information services to their user
groups ( Fox, Megan K, (2010).
Continue……
• Mobilizing content
• Mobilizing services and system
• User interaction while they mobile
Methodology
• A structured questionnaire method adopted and which
is consisted 20 questions were circulated among the
scholars in the university on various discipline and
some of them were interviewed. 28 questionnaires
were circulated among the research scholars out of
whom 24 were received. The data so collected has
analyzed and presented in the findings and the
possible suggestions were made accordingly.
Data Analysis
• Majority of Scholars are women by 54% out of
24 found as the respondents
• 22 scholars by 92% have their personal mobile
devices with GPRS connectivity
• Of 22 having GPRS connectivity, 17 scholars
ie 85% is regularly using internet
• The knowledge of using, connectivity and
activation among scholars is invariably less
than 59%
Continue…
• Remaining 9 scholars 41% acquired m-literacy by
their own
• 91% of scholars do not depend the institutional
infrastructure for the use of internet which means the
effective access to internet is possible by MTs
• 83% of scholars use MTs for scholarly access to
resources than e-mails, e-shopping, film & songs and
SN etc. The remaining 2 spend more for
enetertainment
Continue…
• In total, 81% of the scholars agree the role and
importance of MTs in research is inevitable,
remaining 4 feel good.
• Since the MTs are not introduced in the M G U, the
present services cover like alert of overdue charges,
reservation of new arrivals, alert for ready for
circulation, and information on new addition etc.
• As these are not coming under MT services, 86% of
scholars shown their dissatisfaction and 14% feel
good with present services.
Continue….
• Asking about mobile literacy, half of the population
does not aware of present emergence and acquired the
knowledge by their own task.
• More than 95% feel good in accessing e-information
through the MTs as they always depend MT for
internet resources
• The mobilizing web content and more interaction is
recorded by 86% scholars more positively for the
research purposes.
Conclusion
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mobile technology is here to stay
Mobile technology is another vehicle for
information
Mobile technology is another way to
meet our users where they are at
Our content should be portable or have
the ability to be ported