Augmented reality (AR) can take any situation, location, environment, or experience to a whole new level of meaning and understanding. Mobile AR technologies provide an innovative tool for contextual learning, but mobile learning designers and developers are unaware of where to look for examples or development options.

In this session, you will learn how this engaging mobile technology is changing the way people learn on mobile devices. You will explore this exciting mobile learning capability in detail and examine its potential for learning while identifying both positive and negative aspects of AR. You will also learn about the possibilities and see several exciting examples and tools for development for AR. This session will also cover attempts to classify AR according to several key aspects (device/technology, mode of interaction, type of media, personal or shared experiences) based on formal research literature from the Open University.

In this session, you will learn:

• To understand contextual mobile learning and the differences between augmented reality and mobile augmented reality
• About existing apps and tools you can leverage to create your own mobile AR content
• From examples of mobile AR using for contextual mobile learning
• The potential for learning while identifying both positive and negative aspects of AR

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Mobile technologies, augmented reality.

A new approach to credentialing learning is on the horizon. Digital badges is a new credentialing model will have a profound impact on trainers, designers, developers, managers, and learners. A digital badge is a credential that is ideally suited for the age of electronic networked learning and work. But how does an organization initiate a badge program? Digital badges are transportable, sharable, embedded with information, and authenticatable. Before issuing badges, organizations must understand the process for issuing, storing, and sharing digital badges.

In this session you will explore the answers to many pressing questions related to digital badges. You will learn from examples of badges that are already being used. You will discover how you can include badges in your mobile learning programs. You will better understand the implications of badges on your work and on your organization’s learning strategy.

In this session, you will learn:

• What a digital badge is, and why digital badges are important to the future of learning
• Lessons from the organizations building the digital badge ecosystem
• About the opportunities for implementing digital badges in mobile learning
• How to learn more about digital badges, for the benefit of your organization and your career

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Participants will be introduced to companies in the digital badge ecosystem such as BadgeStack, BadgeSafe, Makebadge, Totora, and, especially, Mozilla’s Open Badges infrastructure.

Apple has recently introduced support for indoor positioning via iBeacon (aka Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)). Unlike GPS, iBeacon has much lower power consumption as well as being much more accurate in detecting and connecting to nearby devices, particularly indoors. iBeacons are poised to transform how retailers connect with people indoors. They also hold great potentional in their ability to deliver highly-customized, location-based learning performance materials in real-time.

In this session, you will learn how to develop an iBeacon application that integrates with a physical device, such as phone or tablet. You will examine the API for discovering beacons, connecting to an Estimote, and communicating to the device. By the end of this session, you will have a good understanding of iBecaons and their potential for learning and performance support.

In this session, you will learn:

• How iBeacons can be used to identify learners
• How iBeacons provide just-in-time performance support with indoor positioning
• How to connect to experts within a proximity radius
• To understand the iBeacon API

Audience:
Novice to advanced developers, directors, VPs, and CLOs with a general knowledge of performance support and mobile learning.

Technology discussed in this session:
Estimotes, iBeacons (Bluetooth Low Energy), iPhone and iPad, and Appcelerator’s Titanium and Alloy.

One of the emerging technologies that learning professionals are interested in is augmented reality. There is tremendous energy and excitement attached to the opportunities presented by augmented reality, but few actual case studies that organizations can learn from as they contemplate walking that path themselves.

In this case-study session you will explore the development journey for an innovative and world-class end-user training experience that satisfies a variety of technology capabilities, including augmented reality. You will learn from the successes and challenges encountered on the project. You will discuss the choices made as the project took shape, including how we were able to design a solution that worked on both traditional eLearning platforms and leading-edge mobile technology. You will leave this session with an understanding of critical considerations for developing an augmented reality project.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to apply the lessons learned in the development effort using this leading-edge technology
• How to assess how you might use this technology to design your own immersive end-user experience
• How to avoid the mistakes made while learning how to develop for this technology
• How image recognition and augmented reality works

Audience:
Novice designers, developers, project managers, and managers with a basic understanding of eLearning and mobile-learning platforms.

Technology discussed in this session:
Object recognition and augmented reality applications, for use on tablets & smartphones

The IEEE Actionable Data Book project is currently investigating open technologies compatible with the Open Stand Initiative. The goal is to define an open platform for mobile learning that is personalized, activity-based, and that has the potential for low-cost global adoption. The technical foundation for the project is the new EPUB 3 format for digital publications developed by the IDPF. It provides a framework for the structuring, packaging and mobile delivery of accessible HTML5 content.

In this session participants will explore a use case that leverages EPUB 3 as an open platform for mobile learning. You will learn from a collaboration with a new UNESCO World Heritage Site in Indonesia on a problem that relates mobile learning, tourism, indigenous culture, and rice production. You will discuss how this project incorporates Experience API, developed by the US Department of Defense Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative as an appropriate communication technology and possible candidate for standardization.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to leverage the lessons learned from the IEEE Actionable Data Book project
• The basics of EPUB 3 and what it offers to mobile learning developers
• Examples of EPUB 3 and existing templates that you can reuse for publishing eBook content
• How xAPI can be combined with EPUB 3 to capture learner activities within an eBook experience

Audience:
Novice designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
EPUB 3, HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, eBooks, iOS, Android, smartphones, and tablets.

mLearning programming is often needlessly repetitive, which makes the work inefficient and increases project costs. In other cases, the programming leads to undesirable design tradeoffs because engaging interactions can be difficult and time consuming to develop. A cursory investigation into ways to reduce programming repetitiveness and improve engagement level might lead one to think this problem could be easily resolved through tools or templates. However, it’s not that simple.

In this session you will join a discussion that will draw on a mixture of practical mLearning development experience and widely accepted computer science principles to uncover the pros and cons of various mLearning authoring tools, templates, models, and patterns. You will explore approaches including reusable functions, separation of content and functionality, debugging functionality, selection of proper level of abstraction, and selection of appropriate level of rigor for reusability. The session will present real world examples from actual mLearning courses and tools that you can adapt and use in your own organization.

In this session, you will learn:

• Strengths and weaknesses of tools, templates, models, and patterns
• The pros and cons of various authoring tools
• Tips for improving mLearning programming efficiency using authoring tool composition
• Tips for efficient mLearning programming in a variety of authoring tools

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced developers with some experience developing courses using eLearning or mLearning authoring tools.

Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Studio, Articulate Storyline, Captivate, and JavaScript.

Many large enterprise and government customers use Motorola mobile devices for their employees, and they require the security to control any internet access or application downloads. We wanted to give the end-users access to their documentation in the field when they required it at the moment of need. Off the shelf reader products could not be adjusted to meet our needs or integrated with other software with the flexibility for these requirements.

In this session participants will learn how Motorola Solutions Learning created our own application to bring content to the end user more quickly. You will explore how the initial custom user-guide applications began to be included in the product image directly from the factory, making it available out of the box, and how the project then developed into a catalog-based approach, which allows for multiple documents to be accessed and updated from the same application.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to choose to develop internally versus purchasing off the shelf
• How to use open standards to develop products
• How to create reusable components for your applications
• Lessons learned from our journey

Audience: Intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session: Android, DITA, Open Standards, HTML5, Motorola Solutions ET1, Motorola Solutions TC55, and Motorola Solutions MC40.

Training and content development departments are tasked with developing mobile learning content very rapidly and very cost effectively. This makes mobile projects challenging and represents a problem that will only get worse as technology continues to advance. Many people have not thought about how to utilize off-shore vendors to augment their process and team to assist in creating mobile courses.

In this session you will explore the processes used to produce over 70 hours of mobile learning content using a very small on-shore team augmented by off-shore resources. You will learn practical and easy to implement best practices for developing mobile content quickly and cost effectively. You will discover the benefits of having the larger development tasks off-shored and how this approach saves time and cost.

In this session, you will learn:

• Best practices to develop quality mobile content quickly and cost effectively
• How to augment on-shore teams with off-shore teams
• How to calculate cost savings utilizing off-shore resources
• How to increase team production without compromising quality
• How to utilize project management tools to effectively manage teams in disparate locations

Audience:

Novice designers, project managers, managers, directors, and VPs.

Technology discussed in this session:

Project management tools and file sharing technologies.

There’s a great deal of discussion about HTML5 and how it is changing the future of the web. While there is tremendous potential in place, there is still much confusion about what its impact is on technology-based learning, and what steps learning professionals should be taking to develop specifically for HTML5.

In this session participants will learn the three key things learning professionals need to know about HTML5 before you start designing programs using that output. You will learn the importance of HTML5 for mobile learning. You will explore the many reasons HTML5 serves as a viable alternative to Flash. You will leave this session with a number of tips that will leave you better prepared and better informed to design mobile learning courses that will look great and function as intended in HTML5.

In this session, you will learn:

• What HTML5 is and how it impacts eLearning
• What you need to know before you start HTML5 development
• How various devices and browsers affect your HTML5 content
• Best practices for designing mLearning for HTML5

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
HTML5.

The increase in mobile usage has led to an expectation in consumers to have a seamless experience across all devices. This creates challenges for designers, who now need to design content that works not only on desktops, smartphones, and tablets, but on devices with varying screen sizes within each category. Responsive design is a great solution to the fragmentation of devices across smartphones, tablet, desktop, and more.

In this session you will explore a case study of The eLearning Guild’s efforts to adapt the mLearnCon website template into a mobile-friendly, responsive site viewable across all devices. You will learn the challenges we encountered along the way and how we overcame them. You will discover best practices and methodologies to wireframe, design, and code your own responsive site. You will explore the initial design considerations and key implementation choices and issues, and see some examples of the code changes.

In this session, you will learn:

• The core elements of a responsive design
• How to define a site’s specifications for each breakpoint
• How to optimize design and graphics for user interactivity and experience
• How to utilize media queries, viewport settings, grid system, and flexible images for multiple break points

Audience:
Novice to intermediate designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
PC, tablets, smartphones, HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.