The design and development of a mobile workflow learning application

Abstract

The aim of this research is the implementation of a Software Reference Architecture for WfLMS (Workflow Learning Management Systems) with Mobile, Cloud and Collaborative functionalities in order to develop a WFLMS as a native application for the iOS platform.

Workflow Learning is the adaptation of WfMS (Workflow Management Systems) from the business domain in the learning domain. Cesarini et al. (2004) support the e-learning process with a WfMS and makes a perfect adaptation of the learning process as a Workflow, explains in a simple way that a Workflow which is made by participants, actions, documents and a set of procedural rules, can be adapted in a learning environment, the actors involved in the learning process are the participants, the learning activities are the actions, the artifacts students can produce are the documents and the relationship among the learning topics are the procedural rules.

The Reference Architecture has been adapted in order to provide the best WfLMS solution, taking advantage of the cloud, mobile and collaborative functionalities for the learning environment. The Notification Tools module in the Reference Architecture contains the notification tools for keeping the user updated about the state of the Workflow Learning instances, tasks and activities where the user is collaborating. Push notifications and Twitter were used as the principal notification tools.

The Collaboration and Storage Applications in the Cloud module is the repository of the cloud collaborative applications and the storage management applications in the cloud. Google Drive, Dropbox and Evernote are the mobile cloud applications for supporting the collaboration in the WfLMS.

The Mobile Services Tool module contains the API’s for accessing the mobile services available in the cloud, in that way the mobile workflow learning application can extend its functionalities. The functionalities that social media services offer are key for the collaboration in the WfLMS.

Cloud Content Management System Tool module contains the API’s for connecting with the storage services in the cloud (Dropbox, Drive and Evernote), in order to provide the functionality of a content management system (CMS) in the WfLMS

The implementation of the software architecture was the development of a native application for the iOS platform. The application was published in the Apple Store with the name of WOLF (Work Linear Flow). In the WOLF application, the users can create projects and associate Workflows to them, a Twitter hashtag is created for each project so in that way the users can post tweets about the learning activities that are related to the Workflows, the project and communicate with other users for collaboration. The users can open Twitter inside WOLF in order to see the list of tweets related to the hashtags of the projects.