Connections

Introduction

This research paper discusses the Mobile Learning Environment (MoLE) Project, a unique and ambitious effort sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Coalition Warfare Program (CWP) in partnership with over twenty nations. The mobile learning project explored the usefulness and effectiveness of using mobile technologies as a tool to support training activities in medical stability operations. This article discusses the importance of employing global research ethics and social responsibility practices in the testing and evaluating of science and technology projects. It provides an understanding of research ethics requirements and looks at how the technical challenges were applied within a global framework. Finally, it showcases an integrated application of a mobile capability in accordance with a myriad of research ethics guidelines and concludes with the accomplishment of evaluating this global capability.

*    Jacob Hodges is an independent advisor on innovative approaches to education and training. He served as Project Research Coordinator for the Mobile Learning Environment (MoLE) Project, and provided program management and technical support to the Project Manager, technical support to the Testing and Evaluation Working Group, and assisted the MoLE Science & Technology Coordinator in conducting S&T reviews. Geoff Stead is Head of Mobile Learning at Qualcomm. He has been active in mobile learning since 2001, innovating and building technologies to support learning, communication and collaboration across the globe.

      The authors would like to acknowledge the subject matter advice on EU/UK Research Ethics provided by Dr. Andrey Girenko (Deutsche Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz), Dr. Andrea Loesch (GIRAF PM Services), Dr. Venkat Sastry (Defense Academy of the United Kingdom), Dr. Tammy Savoie (J-4, USAF), the MoLE Testing & Evaluation Working Group Members, and the project’s international partners.

      The work discussed in this article is related to Department of the Navy (DoN) Grant (N62909-11-01-7025) and two DoN Contracts (N68181-11-P-9000 and N68171-12-P-9000), which were awarded by the Office of Naval Research Global and funded by the Coalition Warfare Program. The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors, and do not represent or reflect the views of any government agency or organization that participated in the project or is mentioned herein.