m-AdaptWeb ® : AN ADAPTIVE E-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FACING MOBILITY Adaptation and Recomendation Processes based on Context Isabela Gasparini 1,2 , Ana Marilza Pernas 1,3 , Marcelo S. Pimenta 1 , José Palazzo M. de Oliveira 1 , Avanilde Kemczinski 2 and Gerson Geraldo H. Cavalheiro 3 1 Instituto de Informática, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil 2 Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina, Brazil 3 Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Keywords: Web-based Learning, Mobile Learning, Adaptation, Situation-aware Recommendation. Abstract: This work presents a case-study focused in practical learning scenarios of m-AdaptWeb, an adaptive e-learning environment envisioning the exploration of mobile functionalities in the web-based learning environment AdaptWeb ® . The main objective of our research is to provide content adapted to different students facing different learning problems when using their mobile devices. In this paper we present an infrastructure to allow mobile-aware behaviour to an e-learning system and a case-study that emphasizes the enrichment needed to be applied to learning objects metadata, in order to be effective in specific mobile conditions. Also, we show how m-AdaptWeb provides support for the adaptations presented to the students and for the recommendations depending on their progress in a specific learning activity. 1 INTRODUCTION The growing adoption of distance learning (or e- learning) brought new focuses and resulted in fundamental changes in teaching and learning. In particular, as e-learning environments become widely used, more sophisticated personalized features have to be investigated. An efficient solution for distance learning are the Adaptive Hypermedia Systems (AHS), which build a model of goals, preferences and knowledge of each individual user, and use this model throughout the interactions with the user, in order to adapt to his or her needs. Nowadays, with the multiplication of mobile devices, people are connected all the time and should be enabled to develop their learning activities wherever they are and what device they are using to. Mobile learning (m-learning) is an emerging concept as educators had initiated exploring mobile technologies in teaching and learning environments, and they cover from the ability to transmit learning modules and administrative data wirelessly, to enabling students to communicate with tutors and peers “on-the-go” (Yuen and Yuen 2009). M- learning refers to learning opportunities through the use of mobile solutions and handhelds devices (i.e., PDA, mobile phones, smartphones and tablets) and it is engaged to deliver right information and resources – anytime and anywhere – to a specified user, in a rich interaction, with powerful support for effective learning, performance-based assessment and strong search capabilities (Yuen and Yuen 2009). Presently, these mobile devices have become cheaper and thus their usage by the students of our universities is more common. In addition, in many countries there is a government incentive for lowering taxes for these devices for educational use, offering a real possibility of use in high schools. Our research in this paper goes further on the functionalities and requirements of these systems in order to be effective when learners develop their learning activities using mobile devices. We are not focusing just on mobile versions of e-learning environment, which must be previously downloaded and installed or specially developed for some group of mobile devices. Indeed, we are focusing on the real adoption of the m-learning environment transparently by the student, adapted to student´s context and needs. To become this proposal a reality, is necessary to enrich the learning objects (LOs) available to each 395 Gasparini I., Marilza Pernas A., S. Pimenta M., Palazzo M. de Oliveira J., Kemczinski A. and Geraldo H. Cavalheiro G.. m-AdaptWeb R  : AN ADAPTIVE E-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FACING MOBILITY - Adaptation and Recomendation Processes based on Context. DOI: 10.5220/0003921303950400 In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2012), pages 395-400 ISBN: 978-989-8565-07-5 Copyright c  2012 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)