i-Mode Java Applications for Individual Learning of High-School and College Students

Since NTT DoCoMo´s i-mode Java environment is open to a wide public, we educators can become a content provider for mobile phone users. In this study, we have developed basic exercises as Java applications in increasing general knowledge on such subjects as Japanese, English, mathematics, etc. High-school and college students can individually utilize the exercises anytime anywhere, for their preparation of the examination of employment and so on. The exercises are equipped with the functions that students solve them repeatedly toward full marks and refer to short explanations of the problems after solving. For evaluation, more than one hundred students downloaded the exercises from our Web site. We recorded the final score and the number of repetitions of every exercise for every student. Moreover, the students were requested to answer a Web questionnaire. Those results are helpful in developing user-friendly Java applications. Work is underway to deliver the exercises extensively to mobile phone users.