mCommunity @ TSSG

Project Overview

The mCommunity project has developed an eLearning communications platform for teaching and learning based on mobile technology, and integrates with social media channels and Moodle. It is an Interreg project under the Ireland Wales Program in collaboration with Pembrokeshire College and Gower College Swansea in Wales. It is a 3 year project which began in July 2010 and it aims to use technology to engage with disenfranchised individuals and integrate them back into education, training and employment.

The focus for the mCommunity technical team was to create a flexible, extensible system that can be controlled from an easy to navigate administration console. Communication modules provided for IM, SMS and eMail. These communication channels are integrated with server-side collaboration and organisational services for a unified eLearning platform. The Web 2.0 services integrate with Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Youtube, Blogger and Google Calendar.

Project Implementation

There is an increasing interest in leveraging the capabilities of such online content sharing services for eLearning and by completing integration with the aforementioned communication channels and Moodle for course management, providing a progressive, state of the art collaboration environment for students and teachers alike.

The project engages with sections of the population who are not in employment, education or further training. The objective of the project is to create a new learning experience by making available the latest online communication tools and social networking services to offer the user a more vibrant, social and relevant learning experience.

Project Achievements

So far the project has already delivered the following;
• Set up of communication platform integrating with social media
• Integration with individual learning plans in Moodle
• Design and usability of the system complete including icons and graphics
• Beta launch of system took place at the end of September 2011