Project: WRS
Researchers: Prof. Joan Lu, Dr. Lan Wang, Dr. Grace Samson
Project summary: Wireless Response Systems (WRS) are communication devices that provide rapid feedback to learners. Whilst other WRSs may be affordable, efficient, accessible, and adaptable to diverse learning contexts, they often suffer from performance and user acceptance issues. Professor Lu has improved their operational efficiency by using fast data streaming technology, initially applying this within smart homes, demonstrating its use anytime and anywhere across multi-session and multi-user configurations. This has then been used to speed up the data-acquisition element of WRS.
To maximize access to mobile learning globally, language translation also needs to be optimized. Professor Lu has therefore also sought to address key multilingual WRS access issues through the use of appropriate character sets, operating systems, user interfaces, formatting, and culturally appropriate content.
WRS has also been applied more locally within English primary education in two schools within Huddersfield, where WRS technology (through small tablet computers) has been adopted and teachers have been trained to use them. Feedback from heads, teachers, and pupils has been used to analyse the level of pupil interest, engagement, and understanding.
Professor Lu’s uses of WRS are wide-ranging and have increased intercultural awareness with 300,000 users worldwide in more than 100 countries. Her WRS solutions support five languages (Russian, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, and English) and six disciplines (engineering, languages, law, maths, cyber-security, and database design).
Publications:
Meng, Z., and Lu, J. (2015). A Rule-based Service Customization Strategy for Smart Home Context-Aware Automation, 28 Apr 2015, In: IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing. 15, 3, p. 558–571 14 p., 7097069.
Ali, A. and Lu, Z., Internationalization Testing for a Multilingual Based Wireless Response System: A Case Study. MOBILITY 2016 The Sixth International Conference on Mobile Services, Resources, and Users (pp. 7–12). International Academy, Research, and Industry Association (IARIA), (MOBILITY Conference on Mobile Services, Resources, and Users).
Joan Lu, Mike Joy, Gail Newton, James Robert, Mohammed Yousef, Simon McKenna, Use of a Student Response System in Primary Schools — An Empirical Study, International Journal of e-Education, e-Business, e-Management and e-Learning, IJEEEE 2019 Vol.9(4): 324–330 ISSN: 2010-3654, doi: 10.17706/ijeeee.2019.9.4.324-330, Purdue University Northwest, USA.