Improving user cognitive processes in mobile learning platforms through context-awareness

The use of mobile devices for learning is prominent nowadays. Mobile learning has become an essential part to enhance today´s learning style. However, technologies still lack abilities to fully understand human reaction and comprehend their cognitive processes to be able to interact with them and deliver the right amount of contents. Therefore, one research scope is having devices which can sense and acknowledge user context information according to the individual´s cognitive load. The purpose is to seriously engage a learner with learning materials with an appropriate speed of information flow, within the mobile device without constraints of time, locations, and device restrictions. In this paper, a detailed evaluation of context-aware mechanisms to improve cognitive load of users in mobile learning platforms is carried out. Different evaluation criteria are identified and discussed followed with a detailed assessment on the recent existing works of context-aware algorithms. Identified open challenges and research directions for using context-aware information to improve mobile learning are presented.