Abstract:

P4P stands for People for People, an extension of P2P (Peer to Peer). This technology extends the concept of P2P focusing on the user, on the person itself. In this way, P4P is based on the socialization of groups of people, the communication among them, etc.

On the one hand, concerning to the technological side, this concept makes use of the latest improvements of the distributed computing. This technology is based on the usage of Peer to Peer techniques for the communication among the different nodes (peers), enabling services such as videoconference, instant messaging, shared board, etc. On the other hand, regarding to the functional side, this approach offers to the users a new way of accessing different em-learning services, such as creating courses, subscribing them, accessing contents and so on.

E-learning is used to refer to computer-enhanced learning. It may include the use of web-based teaching materials and hypermedia in general, multimedia CDs or Web sites, discussion boards, collaborative software, e-mail, blogs, wikis, text chat, computer-aided assessment, educational animation, simulations, games, learning management software, electronic voting systems and more, with possibly a combination of different methods being used. E-learning is naturally suited to distance learning and flexible learning.

M-learning is the term given to the delivery of training by means of mobile devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and digital audio players, as well as digital cameras, etc. M-learners are seeking lessons in small, manageable formats that they can undertake when it suits them.

M-learning is the delivery of learning to students who are not keeping a fixed location or through the use of mobile or portable technology. The rapid growth of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) makes it possible to develop new forms of this education.

If e-learning took learning away from the classroom or campus, then m-learning is taking learning away from a fixed point. Where e-learning is an alternative to classroom learning (currently e-learning should/can be complementary to classroom learning), m-learning is a complementary activity to both e-learning and traditional learning. M-learning respects that a user would like to interact with educational resources while away from their normal place of learning - classroom or computer.

In one sense m-learning has been around for longer than e-learning, with the paperback book and other portable resources, but technology is what shapes today's usage of m-learning. Technology now allows us to carry vast resources in our pockets and access these wherever we find convenient. Technology also allows us to interact with our peers instantly and work together remotely in ways never before possible.

While the opportunities that m-learning devices present are new, the challenges are quite old, smaller screen sizes, limited processing power, reduced input capabilities. These challenges mean that adapting existing e-learning services and content to m-learning is not a trivial task.

M-learning has been gaining appeal among younger generations who have grown up using portable video game devices and wireless technology. In this sense, m-learning appeals not only to those who need learning portable, but to those who have grown up with a cognitive disposition towards using mobile devices, whether or not they have the need for true portability in their learning.

Keywords:

collaborative environment, education, em-learning, p2p, p4p.