Investigating Data Synchronization in a Mobile Learning Network with Handheld Devices

Abstract There were many successful Web-based learning systems boilt to enhance the effectiveness of institutional teaching over the past decade. Students were benefited in two major aspects: asking questions to their conne instructors, and downloading relevant course materials only when InterneVIntranet access is available. Recently, handheld devices integrated with the latest wireless technology are becoming popular. Thus, it is foreseeable that such learning facilities may move beyond the boundary offixed network connections one day. In this paper, we considered an interesting proposal to mobilize conventional Web-based learning systems with the integration of handbeld devices, and pioneered its prototype implementation in the University of Hong Kong. Besides getting encouraging students' feedbacks, we gained invaluable experience of combining frontier technologies such as the Conduits and Web server technology to solve the data synchronization problems of students' questions distributed among the 'local' databases of handheld devices and the centralized database server. I n d a Term-handheld devices, web-based learning systems, Palm programming, content synehronhtion. I. b4TRODUCIlON Over the past decade, Web technology bas been assimilated into many computer-aided collaborative learning systems such as the In recent years, the portable communicating and/or computing devices including the Palm"-based Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) [4], the Windows-&"-based pocket PCs [3], a wide variety of mobile phones ranging from the ordinary phones, the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) supported unit to the latest BlueTooth" devices used as dialup modems for accessing the Internet, and their integration like mobile phones integrated with PDA or Pocket PCs, etc. have been attracting wide popularity and serious attention in the global technology sector. Clearly, the evolution of these portable communicatinglcomputing devices such as mobile phones, pocket PCs and their integration will continuously turn many existing Web applications into truly mobile applications in which portable data devices (such as the Palm"-based PDA) communicating with other handheld devices can selectively invoke the required mobile services such as stock trading or banking transactions provided on secured remote servers (i.e. service mobility) anytime and anywhere. Similarly, the aforementioned Web-based learning facilities such as the students-instructor discussion facility and the course materials downloading function should be developed as a mobile learning system with the availability and popularity of more powerful handheld devices, possibly at a much lower cost in the near future. Imparted with this exciting vision, our research team at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the University of Hong Kong (MU-EEE) initiated a University-funded teaching development project based on the possible uses of handheld devices to facilitate university teaching in late 2001. We named this teaching development project as "the EandEel