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Mobile Application Development

Unit code: INB348
Contact hours: 4 per week
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs

Proliferation of mobile devices with everyday users have resulted in high demand for creative developers to build innovative applications, and given the variety of platforms there is a major skills shortage. Students with software and user interface design and programming skills will benefit from this project-based unit to start their portfolio in developing useful applications on emerging mobile devices.

Availability
Semester Available
2013 Semester 2 Yes

Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Proliferation of mobile devices with everyday users have resulted in high demand for creative developers to build innovative applications, and given the variety of platforms there is a major skills shortage. Students with software and user interface design and programming skills will benefit from this project-based unit to start their portfolio in developing useful applications on emerging mobile devices.

Aims

This unit aims to provide the theoretical and technical knowledge and skills to design, develop, and publish mobile apps.

Objectives

The objective of this unit is to provide you with an understanding of the basic principles of mobile applications development, including the planning, design, programming, testing and deployment stages.

At the successful completion of this unit you will:

  1. Understand how innovative mobile applications can transform everyday life (GC1, GC4, GC7)
  2. Be able to apply mobile design guidelines to optimise the user experience, as well as coding techniques to develop responsive applications within the resource constraints of mobile devices (GC1, GC2, GC6)
  3. Be able to build iOS applications using the latest iOS SDK, including Xcode and iOS Simulator (GC1, GC5)
  4. Understand the structure, types and the components of iPhone and iPad applications, such as map, movie player and motion sensing (GC1, GC5)

Key: Graduate Capabilities
GC1 - Knowledge and Skills
GC2 - Critical and Creative Thinking
GC3 - Communication
CG4 - Lifelong Learning
GC5 - Independence and Collaboration
GC6 - Social and Ethical Responsibility
GC7 - Leadership and Change

Content

This unit will cover both theoretical and practical (hands-on) knowledge in mobile application development.
The theoretical components will use real-world case studies to inspire your understanding of how to design and build innovative applications that can make social, economic and scientific impacts. There will be a strong focus on designing for mobile interactions. The case studies are critically analysed during the semester to identify:

  • key components that define mobile technologies,
  • the target audience of mobile applications,
  • user interaction models, and
  • how mobile technologies are being introduced into the market.
    The practical components will focus on iOS development tools, and the core technologies considered are:
  • iOS development tools.
  • Structure and components of iOS apps, including the accelerometer and maps.

    Approaches to Teaching and Learning

    This unit offers a hands-on approach to understanding key concepts in mobile application planning, design, development, testing and deployment by working through these stages in a series of laboratory sessions. The unit consists of a one to two-hour lecture and a two-hour laboratory session per week. The unit will provide you with an introduction to Mobile Application Development that is accessible to anyone with sound programming knowledge in any high-level language. The lectures and associated notes will guide you through some of the scientific discoveries and the engineering required for significant technological achievements in the area of mobile technologies. Your understanding of the material covered will be demonstrated during laboratories where you will have the opportunity to work closely with tutors and other students to investigate existing and future mobile technologies, and to also develop your own mobile application.

    Assessment

    Your participation in weekly laboratories work will require understanding the technologies and techniques discussed in lectures and this will be assessed based on your mobile application (i.e. project) developed throughout the semester, whether your work has met predefined criteria. This project will provide most of your marks for the unit, with the remaining marks will be from your active participation in the workshops.You will be provided with feedback during weekly laboratories where your active participation will assist you in developing hands-on knowledge and skills for the project. While this participation will provide you with instantaneous feedback, further feedback will be provided to you via a critique of your project milestones. Your design report and first prototype will give opportunities to obtain feedback to help improve your final mobile application.

    Assessment name: Design
    Description: Project Design
    You will submit a report that explains the benefits and feasibility of your mobile development project that will be executed throughout the semester. The report includes a survey of related applications, design decisions, and storyboards. You will present and give a demo of your first version of your mobile application. At this stage, all screens will be developed but with limited interactivity.
    Relates to objectives: 1, 2
    Weight: 40%
    Internal or external: Internal
    Group or individual: Individual
    Due date: Week 5

    Assessment name: Project (applied)
    Description: Project Implementation
    You will present and submit the final version of your mobile application, which will be ready for deployment via the ad-hoc distribution. At this stage, the application will be fully developed, and tested against memory leaks and crashes.
    Your active participation will be assessed based on a satisfactory level of engagement with the class throughout the semester.
    Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4
    Weight: 60%
    Internal or external: Internal
    Group or individual: Individual
    Due date: End of Week 14

    Academic Honesty

    QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

    A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

    Resource materials

    There is no prescribed textbook for this unit. You are expected to read widely from online resources, and watch hands-on video tutorials.

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    Risk assessment statement

    There are no unusual health or safety risks associated with this unit. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety policies and procedures applicable within campus areas and laboratories.

    Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

    Last modified: 23-May-2012