Department of Information Technology ENTD313: Mobile Application Design And Development Credit Hours: 3 Length of Course: 8 Weeks Prerequisite(s): None Software Required: None Instructor Information Course Description Course Scope Course Objectives Course Delivery Method Course Materials Course Outline Policies Academic Services Selected Bibliography Uploading Assignments Grading Rubric Evaluation Procedures Instructor Information Instructor: Email: Course Description (Catalog) This course is an introductory study of mobile application design and development and how mobile devices enhanced by mobile application software are changing the face of technology. The course begins with some basic introductory concepts and lays the foundation for more advanced topics regarding software such as ios, Palm webos, Symbian OS, and Windows Mobile, which use customized application software on various mobile devices. The course cements a theoretical overview of mobile application, design and development issues, and practical application concerns. The course will cover both conceptual and scenario based exercises, thus enabling students to experience the maximum amount of comprehension and retention of material covered in the course.
Course Scope This course is divided into 8 weeks and is organized to give students an introduction to mobile application design and development. The course includes textbook readings, a discussion board introduction, 8 graded discussion boards, a course project and midterm exam. The course project includes four assignments: 1) a project proposal; 2) project outline; 3) draft project paper; 4) final project paper. Course Objectives After completing this course the student will be able to: Comprehend the introductory level of mobile application design and development and their significance in the mobile technology industry. Outline various types of mobile application software and devices that use them Assess the need for mobile design and development services Review key tools used to design, develop, write, test and deploy applications into the target platform environment Compare common design practices of the past with new styles and techniques of the present Explore various elements associated with software applications development Course Delivery Method This course delivered via distance learning will enable students to complete academic work in a flexible manner, completely online. Course materials and access to an online learning management system will be made available to each student. Online assignments are due by the last day of each week (Sunday night) and include discussion board interaction that provokes student interaction (accomplished in groups through a threaded discussion board), quizzes (graded electronically) and individual assignments (submitted for review by the Instructor). Your Instructor will support you throughout this eight-week course. Course Materials
BOOK: Mobile Design and Development: Practical Concepts and Techniques for Creating Mobile Sites and Web Apps, ISBN: 978-0-596-15544-5, 2009, 336 pages. Evaluation Procedures Students are expected to maintain routine contact with the instructor throughout the course. While the number of contacts may vary according to the specific course and individual student need, the University requires periodic weekly contacts during the semester. Contact will consist of professor notes and email feedback. The method of discussion will be on-line related to issues concerning discussion board assignments, quizzes, mini case lab assignments, and exams. TEXTBOOK READINGS The main book for the course, Mobile Design and Development, will be used for textbook readings. Review the table at the end of the syllabus to see assigned readings for each week. DISCUSSION BOARD ACTVITIES: Every week you will participate in a discussion board activity. Each discussion board activity will consist of two or more threads/topics. The assignments may involve discussion or debate. The questions are designed to allow you to apply what you have learned in the chapter to realworld scenarios or hypothetical, but realistic, situations. All discussion board postings must be based upon readings and research and supported with in text citations. Citations must be formatted in proper APA format for in text citations. Post your answers to the questions in each thread prior to midnight ET on Wednesday. Please do not be late with this post because your classmates will be relying on you to post on time to give them a post to respond to later in the week. A discussion period will then ensue from Thursday through Sunday. Read your classmates' posts and post at least two follow-up messages to your classmates posts in each thread prior to midnight ET on Sunday. Some threads may require you to post more than two replies, so make sure you read the directions carefully. Of course, you may always post more than the required number of replies and you are encouraged to continue participating in the discussion even after you have met the minimum number of posts required. Your discussion board participation will be considered at the end of the semester if your grade is on the borderline. Borderline grades will only be rounded up if you have exceeded the minimum requirements on the discussion board and shown insight and critical thinking in all of your posts and replies.
Your follow-up posts must contain substance and should add additional insight to your classmates opinions or challenge their opinions. It is never sufficient to simply say, I agree with what you wrote or I really liked your post. You must use your follow-up posts as a way to continue the discussion at a high level of discourse. Be sure to read the follow-up posts to your own posts and reply to any questions or requests for clarification, including questions posted by your professor. You will be expected to log into the classroom several times each week to participate in the class discussion. Discussion board postings are a large part of your grade and I will be looking for quality and depth in your postings. I will also expect you to list your references at the end of each post. References should be in APA citation format. TECHNICAL PAPER You will be required to write a technical paper this semester. The technical paper will be the design of an original mobile application. The specifications are as follows: 1. 3-5 pages (double-spaced). 2. Choose what your ideal mobile application would be. 3. The audience for this report will be technical management who will decide whether the application will move into the development phase. 4. Any citations must be in APA style (see Appendix B) 5. One title page. Make sure to choose a descriptive title. 6. Headers on each page that includes the in the header. 7. You must get your topic, purpose, and audience approved by the end of Week 2. 8. You must provide a 1-page outline of your paper by the end of Week 4. 9. You must submit a rough draft at the end of Week 5. This is to be a complete paper, meeting the page requirements not a partially completed paper. Points will be deducted for short or incomplete papers. Your rough draft will not be graded by the rubric, but helpful feedback will be provided to indicate where you are falling short. You may correct any deficiencies before resubmitting your final draft at the end of Week 7. 10. Typewritten in double-spaced format with a readable style and font and submitted inside the electronic classroom (unless classroom access is not possible and other arrangements have been approved by the professor). 11. Arial 11 or 12-point font or Times New Roman styles. 12. Page margins Top, Bottom, Left Side and Right Side = 1 inch, with reasonable accommodation being made for special situations 13. Your paper must be in your own words, representing original work. Paraphrases of others work must include attributions to the authors. Limit quotations to an average of no more than 3-5 lines, and use quotations sparingly! Midterm Exam
The midterm exam will be open notes, non-proctored, and untimed. The midterm will consist of essay questions covering topics from the first four weeks of the course. You may access the exam more than once, but only submit once. I suggest printing out the questions, writing your answers in Microsoft Word, and then logging into the exam and copying and pasting your answers into the exam when you are ready to submit it. GRADING: Please see the student handbook to reference the University s grading scale. My typical grading schedule is to look at your assignments throughout the week after they are due. If time allows, I will grade ahead for those of you who have worked ahead but it is my policy to grade your assignments with the rest of the class as they become due. The course broken down as follows: Discussion Introduction No points checked for completion 8 Discussion s 25% of total grade Technical Assignments Midterm Examination Final Paper 25% of total grade 25% of total grade 25% of total grade Course Outline Week Reading Turn In 1 Chapters 1 1. Complete the Introduction Discussion 2. Complete Week 1 Discussion ; ensure that one of your answers is at least 300 words or greater 2 Chapters 2 1. Turn in our project proposal 2. Complete Week 2 Discussion 3 Chapters 3 1. Complete Week 3 Discussion 2. Turn in your one page project outline
4 Chapters 4 1. Complete Week 4 Discussion 2. Complete the midterm exam 5 Chapters 5 1. Complete Week 5 Discussion 2. Turn in Project Rough Draft 6 Chapters 6 1. Complete Week 6 Discussion 7 Chapters 7 1. Complete Week 7 Discussion 8 Chapters 8 1. Complete Week 8 Discussion 2. Turn in Project Final Paper Policies Please see the student handbook to reference all University policies. Quick links to frequently asked question about policies are listed below. Drop/Withdrawal Policy Plagiarism Policy Extension Process and Policy Academic Services ONLINE LIBRARY RESEARCH CENTER & LEARNING RESOURCES The Online Library Resource Center is available to enrolled students and faculty from inside the electronic campus. This is your starting point for access to online books, subscription periodicals, and Web resources that are designed to support your classes and generally not available through search engines on the open Web. In addition, the Center provides access to special learning resources, which the University has contracted to assist with your studies. Questions can be directed to orc@apus.edu.
Charles Town Library and Inter Library Loan: The University maintains a special library with a limited number of supporting volumes, collection of our professors publication, and services to search and borrow research books and articles from other libraries. Electronic Books: You can use the online library to uncover and download over 50,000 titles, which have been scanned and made available in electronic format. Electronic Journals: The University provides access to over 12,000 journals, which are available in electronic form and only through limited subscription services. Turnitin.com: Turnitin.com is a tool to improve student research skills that also detect plagiarism. Turnitin.com provides resources on developing topics and assignments that encourage and guide students in producing papers that are intellectually honest, original in thought, and clear in expression. This tool helps ensure a culture of adherence to the University's standards for intellectual honesty. Turnitin.com also reviews students' papers for matches with Internet materials and with thousands of student papers in its database, and returns an Originality Report to instructors and/or students. Smarthinking: Students have access to 10 free hours of tutoring service per year through Smarthinking. Tutoring is available in the following subjects: math (basic math through advanced calculus), science (biology, chemistry, and physics), accounting, statistics, economics, Spanish, writing, grammar, and more. Additional information is located in the Online Research Center. From the ORC home page, click on either the Writing Center or Tutoring Center and then click Smarthinking. All login information is available. Selected Bibliography O'Reilly Media Web Site (http://oreilly.com/) Android Developers (http://developer.android.com/index.html) Apple Development (http://developer.apple.com/) Uploading Assignments All assignments should be directly linked to the Assignment Area of the classroom. The best way to upload a file is to attach it to each assignment by following these steps: First click on Assignments in the classroom. Then click on the individual assignment name that you are working on. Then under Optional File Upload, Click Browse. This will allow you to look for the file that you saved on your computer. Choose the file and it will upload it under this assignment for me to see. You may upload more than one file in this area by simply choosing two or more documents while browsing your computer.
Writing Tips Want to know what constitutes a really good writing? Read on. When I grade, I look for far more than simply a collection of words. To help you in writing, I have listed those items, below, which I look for when I grade. These may vary depending on the course and the topic. What is the whole purpose of the paper/writing assignment? Student accomplished the objectives promised or implied in the title. Student clearly demonstrates understanding of the subject matter at appropriate depth. Ideas and information presented are adequate; data is not limited or missing. Paper/Writing Assignment is clear, focused, and interesting. Paper/Writing Assignment includes relevant material and conveys more than a general message. Adequate support is provided for assertions. The ability to link theory to practical experience is evident. How Effectively Was the Point Made? Student selected an appropriate writing strategy and style. Organization emphasizes the central theme or purpose. Paper demonstrates knowledge of who the audience is, and is appropriate to that audience. Each paragraph contains only one main idea, logically developed. Information is properly sequenced throughout the paper/writing assignment. How Smoothly Does the Paper/Writing Assignment Read? Paper evidences coherence through use of transitions and appropriate punctuation. No shifts in tense or voice are evident. Sentences are well built with strong, but varied structure. Sentences are fluid. Was the Author Concise and to the Point? Student used short words and sentences appropriately. Writing is full and rich, yet concise. Student used powerful verbs, active voice, and appropriate vocabulary.
Paper is not excessively wordy or full of redundancies. Did the Author Use Appropriate Language? Word choices convey the message in an interesting, precise, and natural way. Student avoids colloquial expressions and jargon. Pronoun referents are clear. Proper grammar and punctuation are used. Does the Paper/Writing Assignment Look Professional? Paper/Writing Assignment has been carefully edited. Paper/Writing Assignment is professional in appearance. Paper/Writing Assignment conforms to standards for format and citation of sources. Grading Rubric EXEMPLARY LEVEL 4 engages the reader with an original approach to the subject. It may encompass conflicting ideas and inspires the reader to contemplate the relationship of complex ideas. has a clearly articulated original thesis and subordinate ACCOMPLISHED LEVEL 3 clearly goes beyond the minimum requirements of the assignment. It attempts to engage the reader through originality and presentation of complex ideas. DEVELOPING LEVEL 2 meets the minimum requirements of the assignment. It offers insight into the subject through basic logic and the presentation of ideas based on some evidence. BEGINNING LEVEL 1 fails to meet the minimum requirements of the assignment. It offers little insight into the subject and has serious flaws in logic and omissions in evidence. Purpose/Audience Thesis and Support has a clearly articulated thesis supported by appropriate evidence and has a clear thesis and related subordinate ideas supported may need a more clearly articulated thesis and/or
Organization Style Mechanics ideas supported by reliable and relevant evidence based on original research. flows smoothly and logically from a welldefined thesis. It contains an appropriate introduction, conclusion, and smooth transitions. engages the reader through an original prose style appropriate to the subject. Language is precise. Sentences are varied but not noticeably so. Active voice is apparent. is free of grammatical, proofreading, and stylistic errors. All sound logic. Minor gaps in logic and argument may appear. is organized logically and flows well. An introduction and conclusion are evident, but transitions may be smoother. keeps the reader s attention through a carefully crafted prose style. Language chosen is appropriate to the subject, but may call attention to itself in minor ways. may exhibit a few minor errors in grammar or style, but do impair the flow of the reading. Most by clear thinking and appropriate evidence. Logical arguments may be one-sided or incomplete. demonstrates rudimentary organization and logical structure, but ideas may be more fully developed and supported by more appropriate evidence. is clear but could be expressed in a style more appropriate to the subject. It is jargon-free but may require a more complete explanation of some terms used. could benefit from additional proofreading, as some errors impede the flow appropriate related subordinate ideas. Fuzzy logic may be evident and adequate supporting evidence is lacking. is noticeably lacking in organization. There is no clear introduction nor conclusion and ideas are neither carefully nor fully developed. Supporting evidence is clearly lacking. lacks clarity and is sometimes confusing. The language chosen is not appropriate to the subject nor the assignment. exhibits substantial errors in grammar and style so that the
Syntax/Grammar quoted material is properly documented and cited. contains sentences that are always complete and grammatically correct, and free of confusion and ambiguity. Main ideas are not lost in surrounding supporting evidence. quoted material is properly documented and cited. contains sentences that are complete or which imply unstated connections and/or conclusions. Main ideas can be distinguished from supporting evidence with some effort. of the reading. Sources are documented and cited but need to show greater consistency. contains some grammatical errors easily corrected by adherence to a uniform style throughout. Additional proofreading would help eliminate errors. basic ideas are lost. Sources are overly quoted and not adequately documented nor cited. is confusing and ambiguous owing to substantial errors of grammar and syntax. There is no evidence of proofreading, editing, or rewriting. Grading Rubric for Student Discussion Post Synthesis of concepts Applications of personal experience Clear citations Writing standards Timeliness
The response refers to course materials and shows a clear understanding of main ideas and concepts. There are no irrelevant comments and the information is on point. Ideas are clearly and properly organized. The response provides personal examples that tie in with the course material being discussed. Reflection is evident and clearly ties in with the material presented. Insight was provided to some concept. The response made proper reference to the course text or to other materials that were referenced or referred to in the discussion. Opinions were also included and were valid. is grammatically correct, clear and concise. The response is well formulated and easy to read and understand. Correct terminology was used when needed. The posting was not submitted on time. 60% 20% 10% 10% 10% (deduction) Grading Rubric for Peer to Peer Response Synthesis of concepts Writing standards Timeliness The other learner s ideas, questions, concerns were addressed. The response referenced reading or lecture materials when needed. The response addressed the learner s feelings if needed. There were no irrelevant or offpoint comments. The posting reflects a clear understanding of the other learner s ideas. is grammatically correct, clear and concise. The response is well formulated and easy to read and understand. Correct terminology was used when needed. The posting was not submitted on time. 80% 20% 10% (deduction)