Design and Architecture of a Location and Time-based Mobile-Learning System: A Case-Study for Interactive Islamic Content

This paper describes a software design, architecture and process of a novel mobile-learning (m-Learning) approach based on smart-phone devices for retrieving relevant content in real-time based on the user’s-location and the current-time and presenting the content to the user in a manner that support portable learning on-the-move. Mobile-learning using Islamic content is used as a case-study of the proposed system, which can easily be adapted for other learning-content. The proposed system is highly interactive and frequently purges the host-device for details of the current user-location and current-time (e.g. the time, day and month in the solar and the lunar calendars) before such details are used to retrieve the most relevant content. In this study, Quranic-verses, corresponding interpretations (Tafseer) and Hadith (Prophetic words or actions) relates to the online content being fetched in this application. For example, a user may be performing some travel/pilgrimage during Ramadan, in which the relevant content/teachings (based on the user’s location and the current time) are presented to the user in a timely manner in order to learn the rituals of that day or location. The information fetched is then presented and displayed in an interactive user-friendly manner. A summary and comparative analysis of some related applications is presented, showing the limitations of other m-Learning applications and demonstrating the new contribution of our architecture design. Finally, the described system allows authorized scholars to upload and report Islamic-decrees made in real-time based on findings/experience at a particular time and/or location-of-interest (e.g. the new rulings/decrees are then published online in real-time). It is anticipated that millions of end-users shall benefit from the proposed system through the benefits of fast, highly-accessible, user-friendly and relevant information retrieved online in real-time. Advantageously, the potential application and large impact of the proposed m-Learning approach for use with other learning-content/courses is notable.

@article{Tayan2017,
  title     = {Design and Architecture of a Location and Time-based Mobile-Learning System: A Case-Study for Interactive Islamic Content},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {8},
  number    = {3},
  year      = {2017},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Omar Tayan and Moulay Ibrahim El-Khalil Ghembaza and Khalid Al-Oufi},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2017.080342},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2017.080342}
}