EBSCOhost® Mobile™ Now Available

Ipswich, MA (PRWEB) November 10, 2009 -- EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) is bringing its EBSCOhost® databases to users—even if users are on their smartphones. EBSCO has released EBSCOhost® Mobile™ allowing researchers to access their EBSCOhost® databases via smartphones and other handheld devices.

EBSCOhost Mobile allows us to provide users with a platform that makes the power of EBSCOhost, and its content, highly accessible on the most popular smartphones and mobile devices.

[snip]

All databases and services currently available on the EBSCOhost platform will be available via EBSCOhost Mobile. The EBSCOhost interface is the most-used research platform currently available in more than 100,000 libraries around the world. Since the interface is the basis for EBSCO Discovery Service™, EBSCOhost Mobile is poised to dramatically impact mobile searching.

EBSCOhost Mobile provides a convenient way for customers using mobile devices to find quality content. The main EBSCOhost Mobile screen offers a number of options including choosing which EBSCOhost database(s) to search plus setting search options, accessing field codes and specifying preferences.

[snip]

Many of the existing EBSCOhost features such as search modes, limiting to full text, date ranges, peer-reviewed content or by publication are available. Users will also be able to search images from their mobile devices.

 The result list is scrollable and available data includes citations, Image Quick View™ and access to full text articles. The result list also features a relevancy indicator and users are able to email results.

Clicking into a result replicates the EBSCOhost user experience providing researchers with information including author information/affiliation, links to the source, document type, subject terms, NAICS/Industry codes along with the abstract, ISSN, Accession Number, persistent links, images, links to full text, etc.

The interface has been designed with a lower resolution, simplifying the interface by removing folders and some other more advanced features for increased speed and user convenience.

In addition to providing access to smartphone users, EBSCOhost Mobile will also work on desktops helping libraries with low bandwidths since it uses only a fraction of the bytes compared to a traditional EBSCOhost search. EBSCOhost Mobile will also open up access to research databases to researchers in remote locations who are only able to access via satellite links.

Source

[http://www.prweb.com/releases/EBSCOhost/Mobile/prweb3180174.htm]

!!! Thanks To Kathleen McEvoy / Public Relations Manager / EBSCO Publishing / For The Heads Up !!!

How Do I Create An EBSCOhost Mobile Profile In EBSCOadmin?

[http://support.epnet.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=4671]

!!! Thanks To / Julien Sicot /  Rennes, France / For The HeadsUp !!!

Word On The Street > Alexander Street Music Online To Be iPhone Accessible

What's better than hundreds of thousands of audio recordings, videos, scores, and pages of full-text music reference? How about accessing it all on the go? >>> In 2010 Alexander Street's entire music portfolio, Music Online, will be accessible on iPhone and iPod Touch mobile devices. Subscribers will be able to stream music and video, access scores, search and navigate full-text reference content, and even access and edit personal playlists. >>> Alexander Street's iPhone and iPod Touch application will be completely free. Updating your playlists or listening to an assigned recording will literally be just a touch away. And thanks to newly developed streaming technology, you'll do it all without buffering.

Look for Alexander Street's iPhone app in 2010 on our Web site, on its blog, and through the iTunes store.

Source

[http://tinyurl.com/y9cfvks]

Music Online is a new search tool that lets you cross-search the Alexander Street audio, video, scores, and full-text music reference collections. The full suite of music collections comprises the broadest and most comprehensive resource available for the study of classical, jazz, world, and American music. Only Music Online will deliver audio recordings, video content, full-text reference materials, musical scores, liner notes, biographies, and images – all the Alexander Street music content in your library – through a single interface. Music Online brings something entirely new to digital reference!

Source

[http://alexanderstreet.com/products/music.htm]

!!! Thanks To Peter Scott For The HeadsUp !!!!

See Also

Alexander Street Press Music Databases Will Soon Be iPhone/iTouch Ready

[http://bit.ly/2dUJ6g]

Podcast: The Great Ebook Throwdown

Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities > Digital Dialogue

“The Great Ebook Throwdown”

Ben Bederson / Nick Chen / Matt Kirschenbaum

Tuesday, November 3, 12:30-1:45 / MITH Conference Room, Mckeldin Library B0135

Ebooks are suddenly everywhere again. Kindle, Nook, iPhone . . . after 2000 years, the codex is getting an upgrade. But what kind of electronic books and electronic reading devices do we really want? Are we trying to improve on the book, or create something new? Something different? Are there some universal design principles we can agree on? And what about the bigger picture: can electronic gadgetry reverse the national decline in reading dramatically documented by agencies such as the NEA?

This roundtable discussion led by Ben Bederson, Nick Chen, and Matt Kirschenbaum will feature as many electronic reading and electronic book devices as we can lay our hands on, including some prototypes being developed here at the University of Maryland. We’ll hold them up, pass them around, turn them on, talk some trash, and, in the process, maybe gain just a little bit of insight into what we all want from our electronic book readers. Attendees are encouraged to bring along electronic book devices of their own.

Benjamin B. Bederson is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and the previous director of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and iSchool at the University of Maryland. His research is on mobile device interfaces, information visualization, interaction strategies, digital libraries, and accessibility issues such as voting system usability. He is also co-founder and Chief Scientist of Zumobi, a startup offering a mobile content platform based on that research.

Nicholas Chen is a doctoral candidate in the department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland and is affiliated with the Human Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) at UMD. He is advised by Professor Francois Guimbretiere in the Cornell University Information Science Department. His research is on electronic reading devices, pen-based user interfaces, and interactions for supporting simultaneous use of multiple devices. Previously, he performed the first-ever evaluation of a dual-display electronic reading device.

Matthew G. Kirschenbaum is Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Maryland, Associate Director of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH), and Director of Digital Cultures and Creativity, a new “living/learning” program in the Honors College.

Source

[http://tinyurl.com/ykh78cj]

Podcast Available At

[http://mith.umd.edu/programs/digitaldialogue/mp3/dd_2009_11_03.mp3]

!!! Thanks To / Amalyah Keshet / Head of Image Resources & Copyright Management / Israel Museum, Jerusalem  / For The HeadsUp !!!

Far From a Lab? Turn a Cellphone Into a Microscope

NYTimes / November 7 2009 / ANNE EISENBERG

MICROSCOPES are invaluable tools to identify blood and other cells when screening for diseases like anemia, tuberculosis and malaria. But they are also bulky and expensive.

Now an engineer, using software that he developed and about $10 worth of off-the-shelf hardware, has adapted cellphones to substitute for microscopes.

[snip]

The adapted phones may be used for screening in places far from hospitals, technicians or diagnostic laboratories, Dr. Ozcan said.

In one prototype, a slide holding a finger prick of blood can be inserted over the phone’s camera sensor. The sensor detects the slide’s contents and sends the information wirelessly to a hospital or regional health center. [snip] 

[snip].

“This is an inexpensive way to eliminate a microscope and sample biological images with a basic cellphone camera instead,” he said. “If you are in a place where getting to a microscope or medical facility is not straightforward, this is a really smart solution.”

Neven Karlovac, the chief executive of Microskia in Los Angeles, said that some of the company’s products would be adaptations of regular cellphones. For phones without cameras, or phones too compact to modify, the company has different designs, including a simple box with a sensing chip that can be plugged into a cellphone or laptop with a USB cord, he said.

[snip]

For this electronic system of magnification, inexpensive light-emitting diodes added to the basic cellphone shine their light on a sample slide placed over the phone’s camera chip. Some of the light waves hit the cells suspended in the sample, scattering off the cells and interfering with the other light waves.

[snip]

Dr. Ozcan’s system may someday lead to a rapid way to process blood and other samples, said Bahram Jalali, an applied physicist and professor of electrical engineering at U.C.L.A. “It is potentially much faster than a microscope,” he said. “You don’t have to scan mechanically” as people must with a microscope with its small field of view.

[snip]

The cellphone systems may be particularly helpful in screening for malaria, said Yvonne Bryson, a professor and chief of the pediatric infectious diseases division at the David Geffen School of Medicine at U.C.L.A. She has collaborated with Dr. Ozcan on several grants. “Right now you need a microscope, and you need trained people,” Dr. Bryson said. “But this device would allow you to work without either in a remote area.”

M. Fatih Yanik, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said, “This makes it possible for ordinary people to gather medical information in the field just byusing a cellphone adapted with cheap parts.”

Source

[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/business/08novel.html]

ALT-J Research in Learning Technology / Nov 2009 / Mobile and Contextual Learning

Cornelius, Sarah; Marston, Phil. "Towards an understanding of the virtual context in mobile learning" ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology 17.3 (2009). 06 Nov. 2009

[http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/09687760903247617]



Much of the literature theorising mobile learning emphasises the importance of context with physical and social contexts identified to date. Our work to design and implement authentic mobile simulation activities using SMS text messaging suggests that a third context may also be important. This is a virtual context, the learner-created cognitive space within which the activity takes place. The arrival of a message during a simulation activity will disrupt the real world physical and social contexts in which the learner finds themselves and transfer them into the virtual context. We argue that this disruptive power of the mobile device to shift the user's presence may be one of the distinguishing characteristics of certain mobile learning applications. This paper will explore the idea of the virtual context and discuss the role of issues of context, presence and disruption, illustrating these with reference to a case study of mobile simulation learning using SMS text messaging.

Aubusson, Peter; Schuck, Sandy; Burden, Kevin. "Mobile learning for teacher professional learning: benefits, obstacles and issues" ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology 17.3 (2009). 06 Nov. 2009

[http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/09687760903247641]

This paper reflects on the role of mobile learning in teachers' professional learning. It argues that effective professional learning requires reflection and collaboration and that mobile learning is ideally suited to allow reflection-in-action and to capture the spontaneity of learning moments. The paper also argues for the value of collaborations between teachers and students in professional learning. It suggests that authentic artefacts and anecdotes, captured through mobile technologies, can enable the sharing, analysis and synthesis of classroom experiences by teachers and students.

Such analysis and synthesis helps to encourage collaborative reflective practice and is likely to improve teacher and student learning as a result. Ethical issues that might arise through using mobile technologies in this way are also discussed. Teacher voice is presented to indicate the range of views about mobile learning and to indicate current practices. Practical, school systemic, attitudinal and ethical factors may inhibit mobile technology adoption; these factors need to be researched and addressed to realise the potential of teacher mobile professional learning.

Sutton-Brady, Catherine; Scott, Karen M.; Taylor, Lucy; Carabetta, Giuseppe; Clark, Steve. "The value of using short-format podcasts to enhance learning and teaching" ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology 17.3 (2009). 06 Nov. 2009

[http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/09687760903247609]

This paper presents the findings of a podcasting trial held in 2007–2008 within the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Sydney, Australia. The trial investigates the value of using short-format podcasts to support assessment for postgraduate and undergraduate students. A multi-method approach is taken in investigating perceptions of the benefits of podcasting, incorporating surveys, focus groups and interviews. The results show that a majority of students believe they gained learning benefits from the podcasts and appreciated the flexibility of the medium to support their learning, and the lecturers felt the innovation helped diversify their pedagogical approach and support a diverse student population.

Three primary conclusions are presented: (1) most students reject the mobile potential of podcasting in favour of their traditional study space at home; (2) what students and lecturers value about this podcasting design overlap; (3) the assessment-focussed, short-format podcast design may be considered a successful podcasting model. The paper finishes by identifying areas for future research on the effective use of podcasting in learning and teaching.

Percival, Jennifer; Percival, Nathan. "A case of a laptop learning campus: how do technology choices affect perceptions?" ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology 17.3 (2009). 06 Nov. 2009

[http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/09687760903247633]

Laptop learning programs have been developed to create ubiquitous online learning environments. Given the infancy of many programs, there is little understanding of aspects of the program are perceived to provide value to faculty and students. This paper focuses on the value proposition (with respect to perceived benefits versus capital investment) for undergraduate students in a mandatory, campus-wide, comprehensive laptop learning program. Results indicate that the perceived value of the laptop for technical programs such as science, engineering, and information technology, and liberal arts programs such as business and criminology, justice, and policy studies are significantly different.

This difference results in a clear need to use different laptop learning models for each type of program and that a single campus-wide model will likely prove unsatisfactory for most students. A need to better communicate the true value of industry-specific software and skills acquisition is also highlighted.

Jones, Geraldine; Edwards, Gabriele; Reid, Alan. "How can mobile SMS communication support and enhance a first year undergraduate learning environment?" ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology 17.3 (2009). 06 Nov. 2009

[http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/09687760903247625]

In this paper we discuss a case study investigating how the academic and personal development of first year students on an undergraduate sports education degree can be supported and enhanced with mobile SMS (Short Message Service) communication. SMS-based technologies were introduced in response to students' particular needs (in transition to Higher Education) and characteristics (adept mobile communicators). Despite being unaccustomed to using their mobile phones for academic study, students willingly accepted SMS communication with their tutor via a texting management service. This communication was used in concert and integrated with a more traditional learning and teaching context (lectures and a virtual learning environment). Drawing on evidence from two student surveys, focus groups and a tutor's journal, we illustrate how mobile SMS communication has influenced the student learning experience.

Taking a holistic view of the learning environment we use Laurillard's (2002) conversational framework (Laurillard, D. 2002. Rethinking university teaching: a framework for the effective use of learning technologies. 2nd edition. London: Routledge.) to analyse and discuss the role of texting in supporting student transition to higher education.

Kukulska-Hulme, Agnes; Sharples, Mike. "Mobile and contextual learning" ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology 17.3 (2009). 06 Nov. 2009

[http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/09687760903257608]

Pfeiffer, Vanessa D. I.; Gemballa, Sven; Jarodzka, Halszka; Scheiter, Katharina; Gerjets, Peter. "Situated learning in the mobile age: mobile devices on a field trip to the sea" ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology 17.3 (2009). 06 Nov. 2009

[http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/09687760903247666]

This study focuses on learning about fish biodiversity via mobile devices in a situated learning scenario. Mobile devices do not only facilitate relating the presented information to the real world in a direct way; they also allow the provision of dynamic representations on demand. This study asks whether mobile devices are suited to support knowledge acquisition in a situated learning scenario and whether providing dynamic content is an additional benefit of mobile devices in combination with a real-world experience. The study was conducted during a regular university course at the Mediterranean Sea. Students had to acquire knowledge on 18 Mediterranean fish species by using either static (n = 16) or dynamic learning materials (n = 17). An initial classroom activity was followed by a real-world experience with mobile devices (snorkelling activity).

Learning outcomes were measured before and after snorkelling. A 2×2 mixed ANOVA revealed that students performed better after than before the mobile learning experience, whereas no main effect for learning material could be found. However, an interaction between both factors indicated that the knowledge gain in the dynamic group exceeded the knowledge gain in the static group. These results indicate that mobile devices are helpful to unfold the potential of dynamic visualisations for learning biodiversity in a situated learning scenario.

Source

[http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g915843894~tab=toc]

Available To Subscribers And Pay-Per-View

Apple iPhone Could Become Next Hot E-Reader

Flurry Smartphone Industry Pulse, October 2009

Posted by Peter Farago on Sun, Nov 01, 2009

After Playing Games, iPhone Gets Serious about Books

The iPhone is a versatile multi-media device that has already significantly impacted the business models of music, games and other Media & Entertainment industry categories. In particular, since Apple launched the App Store in July 2008, game developers have flocked to the iPhone, creating an alternative for consumers to the leading handheld gaming platform, Nintendo DS. [snip]

To predict which sector of Media & Entertainment iPhone might next impact, Flurry researched the number of applications released to the App Store, by category, since its inception. From August 2008 to August 2009, more apps were released in the Games category than any other. This September, however, ... [it] observed another category, Books, usurping Games for the first time ever. To illustrate the surge in the supply of books to the App Store, the chart below compares the number of books and games released to the App Store per month, over the last four months, as a percentage of all released applications.

In October, one out of every five new apps launching in the iPhone has been a book. Publishers of all kinds, from small ones like Your Mobile Apps to mega-publishers like Softbank, are porting existing IP into the App Store at record rates.  [snip]

The sharp rise in eBook activity on the iPhone indicates that Apple is positioned take market share from the Amazon Kindle as it did from the Nintendo DS. Despite the smaller form factor of the display, we predict that the iPhone will be a significant player in the book category of the Media & Entertainment space. [snip]

[snip]

Source

[http://blog.flurry.com/bid/27796/Flurry-Smartphone-Industry-Pulse-October-2009]

!!! Thanks To / Nik Honeysett /  MCN-L Posting / For The HeadsUp !!!

"Didn't You Get My Tweet?"

     [http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/store/add.php?iid=40514]