Implementing m-learning solutions in Egypt for
lifelong and higher education programs
Anne Charlotte Chaput
French University in Cairo, Egypt
annecharlotte.chaput@mac.com
+2 018 27 76 778
Abstract—In this paper, we suggest to optimize mobility
technologies (more specifically mobile telephony as a widely spread
service in Egypt), internet facilities and satellite television to enhance
higher education program and lifelong learning by delivering
multimedia interoperable learning objects via a learning platform and
as part of educational programs favoring remote rural areas. We will
address the question of the introduction of M-learning in Egypt.
Keywords—d-learning, community of practices, e-learning,
m-learning, visioconference, learning objects.
I. INTRODUCTION
P romoting the quality of learning materials in higher
education institutions and in lifelong education in Egypt
without huge expenses can be achieved through an efficient
use of the well developed and widespread technological
facilities (satellite TV, wireless high-speed Internet and mobile
telephony). First, existing satellite-based learning can be
enhanced and applied more extensively to university curricula
(i.e. broadcasting multimedia learning objects). Second, web-
based learning should be developed more systematically at the
university level by involving e-learning tools (by introducing
direct and differed streaming and providing universities with
visioconference equipment). Third, mobility can be a powerful
drive in education and training in Egypt with the strong and
increasing penetration of mobile phones.
A strong push from the government and ICT programs should
help foster inter-university cooperation through innovative
projects (e.g. current Tempus and partnership between
Egyptian and universities abroad), in an attempt to promote
community of practices in Egypt and in the region in the main
areas of ICT learning.
Partnership between IT, mobile phone companies and
universities should be developed so as to promote mobile and
Internet learning, as all would benefit from it.
ICT can provide high-quality and attractive content to learners:
young students will be stimulated by high levels of
interactivity and participation while adults or executive
workers may favor a system that provide them with context-
based high technical content, and so on. One of the main
Dina El Kassas
Minya University, Egypt
delkassas@gmail.com
+2 018 20 69 256
reasons for implementing distant learning systems is that it
enables constrained and underserved learners to access
valuable educational content more easily. These potential
learners include lifelong ones.
In the present article, we suggest using high technologies that
are well developed and popular in Egypt. We will focus on
mobile learning as an extension of e-learning. We will show
how it can be a powerful drive in education and training in
Egypt.
II. TYPOLOGY OF NEW LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
While traditional educational systems involving classroom
teaching have several advantages such as direct contact
between lecturers and learners, immediate feedback and
physical interactions between learners, they also carry
important disadvantages. In fact, in conventional or traditional
classroom courses, learners are subject to time and space
constraints: learners have to commute between home and
university according to a non flexible schedule. There are 17
universities in Egypt, therefore education is offered in
geographically localized areas. Learners who miss classes
automatically lose training materials and there is no possibility
to repeat a lesson (the lesson is time constrained). Also, the
diversity of learner profiles (heterogeneity) is not taken into
consideration.
The rapid growth of ICT has made possible the appearance of
new educational forms. Satellite-based and computer-based
training using CD and local area networks were introduced
almost ten years ago. Then in the last five years, focus has
been put on the use of web-based training and learning
management systems. Now, current perspective is directed
towards mobile learning.
We will see how these forms can optimize and widely promote
an efficient education.
A. Satellite-based learning
Even though satellite-based learning was not the driving force
behind the initial investment decision of Egyptian satellite,
Nilesat, the satellite has provided interactive content for
distant-learning by offering several channels dedicated to
universities and educational areas. Satellite broadcasting can
serve learning by offering reliable and cost-effective distance
educational tools. Audio and video learning sequences are
delivered through a satellite channel and viewed by learners at
the scheduled broadcast time or recorded for viewing at a later
time. The satellite-based implementation may also provide an
interactive audio and video classroom, though less flexible in
time.
Satellite is not just a way to deliver traditional classroom
courses. It should be taken into consideration that instructional
design and educational contents differ between presential
courses and satellite-delivered ones. Educational institutions
involved in satellite-based learning have to adapt their
programs to this educational environment. Multimedia
facilities should be exploited to optimize knowledge and
learning objects transmission by creating audio-visual and
animated educational contents. Educational institutions must
invest extensively their efforts to promote satellite-based
learning. We should also pay attention to learning styles,
learning strategies and learning profiles of Egyptian students.
We need to define a strategy and identify the budget,
infrastructure, staffing, and policies required for the
implementation of such programs accordingly. Interoperability
is also an important issue in order to improve wireless
terrestrial networks in course transmission. Even though the
installed infrastructure is not favoring satellite-based internet
learning systems, such installation will help spread educational
programs across the nation, the region and internationally.
Introducing datacasting and interactive satellite TV for
educational purposes, like the South African NGO Mindset has
done, will contribute to educate a larger number of low skilled
people in remote areas. Although Egypt has made some
progress in raising the skill level of the population, the number
of people with low skills (even among the educated people)
remains too high, especially in remote areas. This jeopardizes
competitiveness, future growth and Egyptian ambition to
become an international software exporter. But using satellite
television to deliver audio-visual learning materials to a larger
audience will strongly enhance people's skill levels, as satellite
television is already widely spread among the population.
Satellite-based learning has been successfully adopted by
educational institutions throughout the world (University of
Alsaska http://www.alaska.edu/swadetc/ak_sat, University of
Hawaii http://www.peacesat.hawaii.edu, Old Dominion
University
http://web.odu.edu/webroot/orgs/AO/DL/teletechnet.nsf,
Satellite Educational Resources Consortium (SERC)
http://www.serc.org/whatis/index.htm, etc.).
We think that learning projects associated with satellite-based
and web-based instruction is a promising perspective in Egypt.
It will present an innovative equalizing solution enabling
geographically dispersed and remote learners to access higher
quality multimedia learning materials more easily and
efficiently.
B. Web-based learning
Content management tools are at the basis of e-learning
Whatever the exporting format (text/html, audio file, video
files, etc.) or the device (TV, mobile phone, pocket PC, PC)
used in the learning process, these new learning systems
involve a web-based platform which enables to describe,
organize and manage the learning content before it can be
delivered in different formats and fashions. A web-based
platform will also be used to administer the learning
participants and their learning experience (course enrollment,
grades, progression, objectives, feedback, etc.). There are
many web-based learning platforms available on the market.
These LMS, CMS and LCMS fall into three categories:
proprietary, open source and free/public.
e-Learning norms and standards
Web-based content management platforms need to match
certain criteria and to follow distant learning norms and
standards. To keep it short and simple, we can say that norms
and standards in the field of e-learning aim to reach four main
objectives:
- Reusability: there is a direct economic impact to share and
reuse learning resources.
- Adaptability: create learning objects that can be used in
different contexts, applications, products, through different
access modes, etc.
- Interoperability: learning resources designed in a
technological environment can be used in other
environments.
- Durability: create resources that won't need too much
reengineering when technological changes and upgrades
occur in the system.
Metadata are the backbone of learning objects
Aggregation standards (like "IMS Content Packaging") use
metadata to describe resources. Instructional designers and
metadata editors guarantee that metadata are added to the
learning objects.
The LCMS (or CMS) allows the institution that uses it to share
the content with other members. One of many LCMS'
objectives is to develop cooperative inter- and cross-
disciplinary work among colleagues and ICT communities of
practices.
Creating minimal learning objects and sharing them in a
unique referential system will prevent teachers and
instructional designers to prepare the same material twice or to
spend too much time updating course material.
Also, using a system that respects the four objectives
mentioned above will allow institutions with various learner
profiles, learning schemes and constraints (professional,
geographical economical, etc.) to choose the best e-learning
strategy. One of the strategies for an institution could be to
offer blended learning programs, i.e. a learning scheme where
learning times are split between presential and distant learning.
Another solution could be to use web-based tools and satellite-
based and/or mobile learning in a presential learning system,
possibly as a first step towards a distant learning solution. In
this case, ICT enhances the quality of the learning experience
thanks to interactive and intuitive tools.
The IP protocol
In all these solutions, the different tools, devices and content
types use the Internet Protocol (IP) as a communication
protocol. Flows of data are transmitted, transcoded and
interpreted between the different systems, applications and
devices. It enables users to exchange data and communicate on
synchronous as well as asynchronous modes. Two
technologies providing a high level of interactivity are what we
call "Voice over IP" and "Video over IP".
Voice over IP can be used from PC to PC or from PC to phone
and include applications such as Skype or MSN, and video
over IP includes video and visioconferencing systems. A
videoconferencing tool enables PC to PC, mobile to PC or
mobile to mobile communication. These solutions should be
implemented in distant learning systems, as they can greatly
enhance communication and interaction and even compensate
the distance between peer learners and teachers.
Visioconferencing systems can be very powerful systems
involving two remote groups of participants or more. There is
a wide range of solutions, but a comprehensive one implies the
intervention of skilled people and can be costly (equipment
and infrastructure). However, it is possible to start with
videoconferencing tools, which are easier to implement and
less expensive. Video over IP solutions suit learning and
meeting sessions (for instance a brainstorming activity) that
require a high level of interactivity using voice, video,
file/application sharing, and collaborative work. Universities
offering complete distant learning programs, as opposed to
blended-learning programs, need to acquire
videoconferencing system in order to enable constrained
students to complete their degrees distantly and to increase the
number of students who register in their programs. In distant-
learning programs, registered students sometimes live
thousands of kilometers away from the university. A
videoconferencing system makes it possible for students to
defend a thesis from abroad and enables teachers to give a
lecture to distant learners connected to their PCs. It may also
be considered as a solution to further develop inter-university
cooperation, thus reducing travel costs and teaching costs, as
teachers in a university can teach two groups of students
simultaneously. Another great advantage is the possibility to
record, broadcast and digitally archive conferences, allowing
students to access the material at a later stage. Direct and
differed streaming techniques can be used to broadcast the
content; the streaming content can be exported to a mobile
device, a TV set or a PC.
(and establish the call with the other conference sites, and
other users can connect from their PCs to follow the course. )
So far, only a few institutions (in Egypt) have implemented
visioconferencing systems. And those who have probably do
not use the full range of capacities.
Investing in a visioconferencing solution can seem to be too
expensive for a University, but it will be worthwhile and even
necessary to further develop valuable distant-learning
programs. Visioconferencing, voice and video streaming
require high-speed as well as a very good Internet and network
infrastructure. It has to be said that Egypt still needs to further
develop and provide such infrastructure, in order for
universities to develop learning objects and high quality
multimedia content based on voice and video over IP.
Also, an efficient wireless Internet access facilitates the the
implementation of ICT learning, and mobile-learning above
all. Wireless accessibility has already been extended to more
areas of the country, so we can now develop valuable mobile-
learning scenarii.
C. Mobile-learning
Mobile-learning is the ability to learn anywhere at anytime
without permanent physical connection to cable networks. M-
learning is the natural extension of electronic-learning
improvement and has the potential to make learning widely
available and accessible. M-learning can efficiently contribute
in enhancing educational quality of programs provided in
Egyptian higher education institutions. It will have a great
impact on expanding and increasing educational application
based on socio-constructivist tools by optimizing wide
communication and interaction among students, with teachers
and among teachers. M-learning allows getting benefit of spare
time. Mobile phones can be used in many learning activities,
such as grading learning, reading training content or
performing a serious game.
It is also a simple way to spread learning materials to
geographically dispersed students. In fact, M-learning is an
a affordable solution to increase access to learning materials,
using cheaper equipment like portable media players or mobile
phones that can operate without continuous access to
electricity. It creates access to knowledge where books are not
available or too expensive, and create possibilities to keep in
touch with teachers, tutors and students while at a distance. M-
learning is a lifeline to people.
Scenarii for m-learning
- M-learning promotes interactivity between university
students:
o In an interactive amphitheater for example, students
vote and send answers by SMS or Bluetooth so the
teacher can poll students' understanding of a
lecture.
o Participative skills and collaborative problem
solving skills are developed through peer learner
communication and creative content projects.
o Learners can interact with teachers and peer
students during a fieldtrip. They can have their
personal directory (on a LCMS), log on a shared
directory to share/submit videos and photos or just
to take notes.
- M-learning promotes collaboration and interactivity
between workers and their colleagues while on a mission or
out of office (just in time learning).
- M-learning is an innovative solution for adult learning by
promoting context awareness of:
o context-based language courses
o tutoring and tailored learning applied to any
suitable field: learning in cultural places (museum,
galleries, monuments, exhibitions), fieldtrip out of
 classrooms (e.g. geology or archeology classes
doing live experiments; engineering class visiting a
factory), etc.
M-learning enhances learning based on mobility, collaboration
and cooperation. It provides a greater amount of freedom and
autonomy to the learner -"I learn where I want and when I
want"- who can access educational resources at any time. M-
learning is a promising new learning way. Yet, mobile-learning
faces several challenges:
- We must ensure that connectivity works over time and with
great performance and security for all.
- We must adapt developed learning materials and
educational activities to the constraints of mobile phone's
battery life (currently a maximum of 3 hours) and the
phone's life (1-2 years and it declines quickly)
- We have to manage and re-think interaction with small
terminals. Thus, development of e-content must take into
account a new human-machine interface. The displayed
content must be adapted to smaller screens and keyboards.
Additional challenges concern pedagogical and sociological
issues: how can teachers best evaluate learning outside the
classroom, how to manage learning styles and learning profiles
across contexts, and how to help students become autonomous
in distant learning programs. Studies should also focus on self-
learning and socio-constructivist approaches in virtual mobile
environments.
III. IMPLEMENTING M-LEARNING IN EGYPT
A. Potentiality of the mobile learning
Egypt's telecommunication infrastructure is well developed (is
suitable for mobile communication?). There is a high potential
for mobile learning in Egypt, yet it still has not been exploited.
Firstly, this is a widely spread device that becomes more and
more affordable. According to a report published by the
Ministry of Communications and Technology in May 2008,
the number of cellular mobile phone subscribers in Egypt
amount to more than 38 millions.
By following statistical information concerning the number
and the growth of mobile communications (not only mobile
phones but other terminals i.e. PDA, smart phones, notebook
computers, Tablet PC):
- 98% of university students have mobile phones.
- The worldwide mobile expansion is accelerated by around
400 millions sold phones yearly.
- Up to 2010 over 1 billion users will use wireless Internet.
- Up to 2010 there will be more than 1,8 billion users of
mobile communications.
Mobile phone becomes a common object that will undoubtedly
be used to teach by allowing reading, whether texts or audio-
video files. Learners will also interact synchronously with this
terminal, send and receive SMS and MMS. The M-Learning
will become a reality with the proliferation of wireless
networks on campuses and urban areas.
Adding the large expansion of low-cost audio and video
readers (MP3, MP4), we can indubitably state that the
potentiality of m-learning in Egypt is huge.
Wireless Internet and mobile technologies in Egypt make it
possible to provide learning opportunities to learners who:
- do not benefit from developed ICT infrastructure: such as
rural learners.
- are continually on the move: such as business professionals.
- are time-constrained: such as workers with long/late
working schedules, who do not have the opportunity to
enroll in continuing studies.
Yet, M-learning may be hindered by low memory cellular
phone capacity and low data transfer rate. But, recent models
of cellular phones (2.5 generation and up) have an Internet
access via WAP, GPRS and Bluetooth communication
technologies, with increasing storage capacity and promising
future technological evolution converging towards the
development of multi-device mobile phones.
B. Advantages and opportunities
Egypt wants to become a leader in the software industry and
there is therefore an urgent need for skilled professionals in the
IT field. M-learning can be a powerful instrument to widely
disseminate learning objects in this field. It can also be a
successful solution to provide technical English courses. IT
professionals must also have extended skills in technical
English, in order to communicate and work efficiently, to be
standard-compliant, and to be able to sell the developed
applications. In fact, English is the first language in
professional communication. However, only a small
proportion of Egyptians are proficient in English. M-learning
can be a good tool to help the country to bridge the gap and
become a competitor (an important actor?) on the software and
e-content development markets,
C. Key challenges
To achieve this implementation, we need to address several
issues:
Technological challenges
- Pervasive computing1 skills: m-learning requires skills in
pervasive computing in order to lead to new ways of
learning that will enhance possibilities of accessing learning
content through virtual intelligent and computer-supported
collaborative learning environments in a perfect mobility,
making sure that learning materials are available anytime
and anywhere. We would like to put the stress on the
educational potential of p-learning (pervasive-learning): if
mobiles can currently support LCMS environment, the next
step is the combination with ambient intelligence for a
1
Pervasive computing, also called ubiquitous computing or
everyware, is a tremendous tendency towards increasingly
ubiquitous, connected computing devices in the environment.
It is brought about by a convergence of advanced electronic,
and wireless technologies, and the Internet. The goal of
Pervasive computing is to create ambient intelligence where
network devices embedded in the environment provide
unobtrusive connectivity and services all the time.
 pervasive learning.
- Interoperability: making sure that learning materials are not
bound to a particular or single device and that it can be
exported to different formats.
- Virtual learning environment: need to provide an LCMS
that supports the Arabic language.
- Infrastructure: a solid wireless/wimax Internet and
telecommunication infrastructure have to be implemented.
Educational challenges
- Organizational: Egypt needs to adapt to a new form of
education, organized according to different space and time
frames and implying different types of relationships.
Therefore we need to identify the roles of the actors
(participants, administrators, teachers/tutors, etc.) and need
to adjust the established traditional system.
- Educational content design: implementing a new learning
model appropriate to m-learning requires ICT specialists
who understand what is at stake in ICT learning. Egypt
needs e-learning specialists and actors, skilled to implement
solutions that match the Egyptian culture and context. They
should also stand as relays/intermediaries in the global e-
learning community, to ensure that Egypt participate in the
debate of distant learning norms and standards, educational
and teaching theories and practices, web technologies, etc.
- Learners' skills:
o Autonomy: the minimum level of autonomy and
basic skills required for learners involved in m-
learning must be measured. We also have to know
how to bring those skills to the learner in the most
efficient way.
o Adaptive learning: we need to identify indicators,
such as the most common learning styles,
strategies, and the main categories of learners
IV. CONCLUSION
In this article, we present three ICT-enabled learning solutions:
satellite-based learning, web-based learning and mobile-
learning. Satellite-based educational content and web-based
content and systems exist in Egypt and need to be further
developed; learning objects however, let alone LOs delivered
on a mobile device, have not been extensively developed so
far. In the short term, we can easily exploit existing resources
and accessible infrastructure to increase the interactivity in
learning programs and allow more people to access
educational content. In the long term however, Egypt must
train ICT and e-learning professionals in order to develop LOs
which can be exported to mobile devices (deliverable?), We
think that the development of extensive m-learning solutions
can facilitate the creation of new university and lifelong
training programs in Egypt.
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