An exploration of mobile opportunities in higher education

This dissertation relates to the technology and applications of mobile computing services and their potential for use in a higher education environment. It briefly discusses the technological foundations of mobility and mobile services and reviews a series of relevant case studies undertaken by various leading higher education institutions across the globe. The main objective of this work is to undertake an investigation of technological and management issues and challenges related to deploying mobile services in higher education. A series of survey findings and feedback from students, academics and staff of the University of Southampton, UK, along with an assessment of some of the current services provided to students in terms of their mobility are reported and analysed. Given the general importance of incorporating mobile services in higher education, a series of three proof-of-concept mobile location-based services are suggested and described. I hope that this study will serve as a motivation for higher education institutions to adopt mobile services as a tool to support their existing learning processes.