Learning and discovery are essential human behaviors, not confined to classrooms, workshops or conferences and not only for students or professionals pursuing new or enhanced skills. Free choice learning is the most common type of learning where the "student" may control what, when, where and with whom to learn.

 

N21's revolutionary Outdoor Learning CloudTM (OLCTM) is the convergence of location aware mobile devices, outdoor high bandwidth communication networks and geographical information systems that enables objects within the coverage area to present multimedia learning information to a user within the cloud.

 

"I like to play indoors better 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are." (Fourth grader in San Diego)

 

Imagine that same fourth grader exploring the outdoor landscape and wanting to learn more about the nature of things. The OLC is an interdisciplinary free choice educational experience that uses mobile networking technology to enable objects and/or concepts in the outdoors to become the educator.

 

While walking through and observing the surrounding environment, the student is provided location based lessons (science, history, mathematics, etc.) through the OLC, for instance, photosynthesis while under a tree, biological organisms during a walk along the shore and electrical concepts while leaning on the lampost. A virtual guide, via handheld device, connects the child to rich lessons to be learned from the objects. The virtual guide allows objects to become the teacher and the learner experiences the objects and the outdoors in a novel and compelling way.

 

Contact Us to bring the N21 OLC to your community.