Supporting the Formation of Informal Learning Groups in a Heterogeneous Information Environment

Abstract

University freshmen have to cope with complex and heterogeneous information infrastructures typically found in nowadays universities. Usually learning management systems like Moodle or Blackboard are applied for lectures. Additionally, Cloud Services like Google Drive, Brainstormer, and Doodle are meanwhile frequently used as tools for learning in various contexts. They support storage, content production and particularly also coordination. The management of these heterogeneous tools is a challenge for the individual users as well as for the usage in groups. This paper presents a mobile application to support the learners in the formation of informal learning groups and integrates heterogeneous cloud services to support group formation and further group work in a campus environment.