Promoting face-to-face communication through the use of a new micro-broadcasting Location Based-Service

Abstract

This paper attempts to consider the role of a new mobile micro-broadcast (or near-me) Location-Based Service prototype (named “I’m on campus and …”) to promote face-to-face communication among users located within a given geographical area such as a University campus. As the communication services provided are context- and time-dependent, this new Location-Based Service attempts to increase social and informal user experience and, probably, add some added value to formal learning. The paper presents some User eXperience (UX) preliminary results of the prototype applied to specific campus activities in the field (on a real higher education campus). The paper also shows some evidence of the usefulness of this new mobile micro-broadcast Location-Based Service applied to a real campus in promoting face-to-face communication. The research paradigm followed was the ‘development research’.