Abstract. Farmers in Sri Lanka are badly affected by not being able to get vital information required to support their farming activities in a timely manner. Some of the required information can be found in government websites, agriculture department leaflets, and through radio and television programs on agriculture. Due to its unstructured and varied format, and lack of targeted delivery methods, this knowledge is not reaching the farmers. Therefore, this knowledge needs to be provided not only in a structured way, but also in a context-specific manner. To address this shortcoming an international collaborative research project was launched to develop a Social Life Network to provide necessary information to farmers using mobile devices. Agricultural information has strong local characteristics in relation to climate, culture, history, languages, and local plant varieties. These local characteristics as well as the need to provide information in a context-specific manner made us to develop an ontology for agriculture. In this paper we present the approach we used to derive contextual information related to the farmers and the ontological approach that we developed to meet information needs of the farmers at various stages of the farming life cycle.
Constructivism learning theory emphasizes the importance of collaborations in creating a shared understanding. In the given study, collaborations facilitated on a mobile SMS based Twitter platform as an effort to design mobile-based guided-informal learning. The objectives of the study were i) designing m-learning contents for Twitter, ii) facilitating collaborative m-Learning, and iii) testing effectiveness of mLearning tool. A mobile learning approach (mLA) was designed in collaboration with users, following design-based research theories. Data were collected using participatory methods, questionnaires, and logged data in the mLA. Descriptive methods, network analysis methods and mean comparisons used in the data analysis. Members of a young farmer club in Kandy, Sri Lanka participated in the research process for two years.Pedagogical tools, such as lessons, interactions, assessments and feedback, designed to match with Twitter functionalities and features. Participation in the mLA has improved knowledge in learners, and has created collaborative learning opportunities. Learners were generally satisfied with mLA as a guided-informal learning tool. The drawbacks were mainly due to technical problems, and limitations in the SMS based platform, which has limited opportunities to acquire higher order learning skills. Future implementations of the mLA model need to focus on designing mobile based applications for Smartphones in creating more collaborative and interactive learning spaces.
In recent years the explosive growth of smartphones and the evolution of mobile communication networks have certainly revolutionized the way how people communicate and access information. This revolution is even more tangible in developing countries where mobile devices are becoming the preferred way to access services for their daily activities. In this context, the development of mobile applications in the areas of health, education, agriculture, and mobile banking become a crucial factor. Unfortunately, the development process presents non-trivial human and technological challenges. The goal of our research is to support people living in developing countries to improve their lives. In particular we focused our attention on assisting farmers from rural zones of Sri Lanka in optimizing their crops.
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