Ambient Learning Spaces:

Abstract

This chapter addresses body- and space-related learning of children and adolescents, supported by a wide range of media platforms. These media constitute ambient learning spaces, in which learners use a variety of annotatable multimedia objects (e.g. image, video, sound, 3D models). These multimedia objects can be used for e.g. mobile learning and for learning with tangible interfaces in different environments. Our research started more than a decade ago and relies on a pedagogical background known as critical constructivism. The development of our body- and space-related media is based on innovative scenarios and was done within a participative design process with future users. This media can be assigned to different layers of our Model of Media Layers. Technically, this is made possible by the Network Environment for Multimedia Objects (NEMO), which is currently under development. It offers contextualized, personalized, semantically rich, device-specific access to multimedia objects. The research on the innovative learning environments is founded on Design-Based Research. According to this approach theory and real-world usage are conjoined and of equal importance. Thus theory and applications evolve simultaneously during the design process.