K-State’s free Teaching, Learning, and Technology Showcase is 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, in the K-State Student Union Ballroom. All faculty, staff, and administrators are welcome to attend. Pre-registration ends Friday, March 9, at ksushowcase.wordpress.com/registration.
This is a Q&A with Andy Bennett, professor, Department of Mathematics.
What will your presentation for the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Showcase titled “Going Mobile: Developing Mobile Apps” cover?
I will discuss how to set up online materials that are mobile-friendly so that students can use them whether using traditional computers or mobile devices. This will include what doesn’t work well with mobile devices and what new tools are available for creating mobile-friendly materials. Most of this will be usable for materials listed on a website, but tools are available to then wrap such materials into an actual “app.”
What sparked your interest in mobile apps?
I got an iPad and found how convenient it was, and I wanted to be able to use it with my online materials. Reading up on what mobile devices could and couldn’t do, I discovered it was possible to develop interesting materials with a modest investment of effort.
Do all of us need a course in programming to develop a mobile app?
No. Anyone who provides materials online can follow some simple guidelines to make their materials available to students who use mobile devices. However, new JavaScript and HTML 5 tools are being developed that will allow someone with a modest amount of programming ability to build innovative new learning tools.
