Development and Evaluation of an RFID-based Ubiquitous Learning Environment for Outdoor Learning

Abstract Many issues have been identified in outdoor teaching, especially in places that lack the capacity to effectively present information about such subjects as historical relics, rare animals, and geological landscapes. This study proposes an Environment of Ubiquitous Learning with Educational Resources (EULER) based on radio frequency identification (RFID), the Internet, ubiquitous computing, embedded systems and database technologies to resolve such issues. A case study of natural science learning was conducted in classrooms and at the Guandu Nature Park in Taiwan. Participants included elementary school teachers and students. The results of the evaluation in this study show that the proposed EULER significantly improves student motivation and learning. Furthermore, the results of a post-study survey reveal that most student feedback is positive, further indicating the effectiveness of the EULER. Acknowledgement The authors would like to thank the National Science Council of the Republic of China, Taiwan, for financially supporting this research under grants NSC94-2520-S-027-002 and NSC95-2520-S-027-002.