Context-Aware System to Facilitate Outdoor Learning Activities of Elementary Science Classes

[[abstract]]The purposes of this study are to develop a context-aware system to facilitate outdoor-learning activities of elementary science classes and to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. The context-aware system was developed on a PDA-based environment which equipped with a GPS component. The system provided students with the following features: navigating on field trip locations, recording places which students visited, adding interested locations on the map, reading learning resources, and writing worksheet. We evaluated the effectiveness of the system by conducting two outdoor learning activities: one in the campus and the other in a nature park. The participants were a science teacher and a class of 35 5th grade students. The findings of this study are: Our system is helpful in facilitating outdoor learning activities, and the students showed positive attitudes towards using the system, and it can enrich the design of outdoor learning activities. Finally we offer some suggestions the teacher needs more time of preparing in teaching and might use other location techniques for better precise navigating on field trip locations.