Mobile Learning Academy - creating a great concept

Mobile Learning Academy
Learn how to CREATE a Mobile Learning concept

The Concept lifecycle
To create a complete concept make sure you pay
attention to the following subjects:

Scope,
Narrative,
Media @ Locations,
Interaction &
Gameplay.

Getting Started
To get started with designing your concept we
suggest you:

Investigate
Take a notepad and camera and go to the area &
locations.

Take photos of surroundings, search for ‘strategic’
locations and learn how people interact with each
other at these places.

Also, get a feel for distance between locations.

Getting Started
To get started with designing your concept we suggest
you:

Sketch
Get a paper map of the area and start sketching your
concept using the basics: pens, post-its, markers etc.

Don’t directly go working with
the software. Remember it’s
not about technology but
telling a great story.

Scope
First determine the basic scope of your concept.

• Who?
Who is your target group?
• Why?
What do you want them experience?
• When?
When is it taking place and what’s the duration?
• Where?
In which area is your concept taking place?

Narrative
What’s the story that you are trying to get across?

• Use stories that are already at places
Explore the different (city) perspectives (cultural,
social, economical, historical, etc.)

• Use speciﬁc physical elements to tell your story
(Elements of) Buildings, landmarks, houses or any
other physical object that makes sense to you.

Narrative
What’s the story that you are trying to get across?

• Use real people to help tell the story
You can have people at locations that tell part of the
story and you could have innocent by-standers play a
narrative role as well.

• Decide on a narrative format
Chronological, Layered, Interactive, Character
perspective, Micro narratives (mini stories that make
sense on their own, but also as a whole).
Think about how you build up your story!

Maps
You don’t need to navigate on just a Google Map. A
custom map can also help tell the story.

• Think of the following options:
Historic maps for heritage concepts
Game maps for educational concepts
Data maps for community-driven concepts
Branded maps for concepts for events & products
..or any self-designed map you can think of.

Mobile Learning Academy - creating a great concept

Media @ Locations
When the physical meets the virtual the magic
happens. Here are some tips on what to consider
when linking media to locations.

• Audio
Use audio when surroundings are visually intense.
When using audio you can have people walk a longer
distance.
• Video
Use video to show things that aren’t there (anymore)
Don’t make video too long (1 to 2 minutes max)

Media @ Locations
When the physical meets the virtual the magic
happens. Here are some tips on what to consider
when linking media to locations.

• Photo
With photos you can easily show an alternative view
of a place or focus on speciﬁc physical elements.
• Text
When using text, remember that people don’t read
long stories on their phones. Be short.

Media @ Locations
• Multiple media
When you want to tell a longer story - for instance in
a square - combine photos, video and audio to create
a rich experience. Don’t use multiple locations per
se.
• Interactive media
You can ask people to
answer a question or
upload a photo to create a
more personal experience.

Interaction
What do you want people to do at locations?

• Sharing, Messaging, Asking, Tracking, Annotating,
Collaborating, Searching, Finding, Meeting, Mapping,
Leaving opinions, ...

• Are people playing in teams or individually?
• How can you stimulate social interaction between
players and non-players?

Gameplay
What are the rules of your concept?

Turn based interaction, Scoring action points, Auction
or bidding / Trade, Territory control, Capture (the ﬂag)
or eliminate (pieces), Catch-up, Role playing, Puzzle
solving, Different levels, Team competition, Race
against time, Remote operator driving human avatar,
Collect objects from environment, ...

Gameplay
What classic games could work in the real world?

Monopoly, Twister, Poker, Stratego,
Cluedo, Risk, Trivial pusuit, Chess,
Checkers, Go, Donkey Kong,
Mario Bros., Pong, Space Invaders, ...

What are the conditions for winning?

Completing speciﬁc goals, Avoid losing objects, Eliminating
the opponents pieces, Solving a puzzle, Race against time,
Building a structure, Controlling a territory, Gain the most
points, ...

Gameplay
What other elements can you add?

• You can add all sorts of physical objects
For annotating: chalk, stickers, etc
For navigating: add a physical customized map
For sharing: provide real objects to trade with
For the experience: have people wear speciﬁc items.

More?
Howto guide
Check the full tutorial at
mobilelearningacademy.org/support for a more
detailed step-by-step guide.

More questions?
Check out our GetSatisfaction page at
getsatisfaction.com/mobilelearningacademy

Contact
Email
info@mobilelearningacademy.org

Facebook
facebook.com/mobilelearningacademy

Twitter
@mobile_academy

Mobile Learning Academy - creating a great concept

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