-We hope this leads to better communication between lecturer and students, assistant professor Kjell Are Refsvik says.

The course « Mobile Systems Fundamentals » will provide students with knowledge and experience around customization of web pages and collecting data with mobile devices. What could be more natural than to use mobile phones active in teaching. -Students enter a URL via their smart phone and get the presentation of the lecturer. When the lecturer are changing image, the image also switch on the students' phones, Refsvik explains.

Part of a research project

Many of the students have their own smart phones, and those who don't, may borrow from the university college. This teaching method is part of a research project. Associate Professor Simon McCallum and assistant professor Jayson Mackie work with Refsvik to identify the advantages and disadvantages of teaching in this way.

In addition to students following the presentation at mobile phone screen, the desks are organised in a horseshoe. Everyone sit towards each other and the lecturer in the middle. -This is a new way to teach, it becomes more personal and provides a great opportunity to encourage discussion and participation, Mackie says.

-This is very exciting and positive to be a part of. Development in mobile systems are incredibly fast, and it is great that we as students get to take part in this, the students Tina and Cassandra say.

-We want to extend these experiments with even more services that allow students to bring out several advantages of using the mobile devices in academic life, Refsvik says. The long-term plan is to facilitate the information in Fronter rooms to be available for mobile devices, including access to video footage from the lectures. -We also want to investigate whether we can encourage a better learning environment by allowing students to establish a social network with the use of mobile technology, Refsvik concludes.