Learning & Leading Through Technology

before a deadline so they don’t hold up production.

Presentation skills. These skills play a major role, as we often ask students to present to a variety of audiences on topics related to their work. Students in the club have presented at various app development events in the Baltimore area and met with other schools to demonstrate their programs.

Social media use. Students learn to use social media responsibly. The club emphasizes that social media can count for you or against you. By conducting research, engaging in the creation process, and networking with others in the field, students quickly gain an understanding of the technology’s power.

Perhaps the most rewarding benefit of the APPlied Club is that students can take what they learn and apply it toward any career. There is no better preparation or experience than hands-on, authentic work. Students have found that mobile app development jobs are in high demand right now, and this field will undoubtedly continue to grow in the future. With a little bit of experience, students can be paid right now for their work experience and knowledge.

Lasting Benefits

APPlied Club helps students step out of their comfort zones and try new things they aren’t necessarily familiar with. The club teaches students to appreciate technology and app development. Throughout the project, students learn how much effort actually goes into making what seems like a simple app, and they quickly realize that 99 cents is really inexpensive for an app when you take into account the number of hours that go into its creation.

10 Steps to App Creation

After almost two years of APPlied Club and the delivery of three native apps that students built from the ground up, we’ve determined there are 10 steps in the process that fall into three phases of production: discovery, development, and distribution.

Phase I: Discovery. At the beginning, the focus is on whether an idea can—or even should—progress to development. If the idea has merit, students must conduct research to determine if similar apps already exist. Then the students need to come together to determine who is capable of creating each piece of the puzzle. In the final step of this phase, students bring sketches to the table for discussion, evaluation, and reflection.

1. Idea generation: Does it solve a problem? Does it serve a niche?

2. Research and investigation: What else is out there? Is there competition? What is the market? What will make the app different?

3. Roles: Who will do the graphics, the programming, the marketing, the project management, and the writing?

4. Interactions/game play: Create mock-ups and sketches that include sample user interface designs and user experience designs.

Phase II: Development. This is the phase where students truly start to see the ideas turn into something tangible. They prototype their ideas, which includes creating a storyboard.

Then comes the actual build-out of the app. In this step, students collaborate to pull all the pieces together and bring the app to life. The final step in this phase is the testing. Testing is critical, because it is more than just testing functionality. It is important to have people who have not been involved in the process to this point use the app and provide feedback on everything from usability to graphics to likability.

5. Prototyping: Put the app on a storyboard with a little coding, a little artwork, and wireframing.

6. Building the app: This is where there is lots of code writing, lots of artwork design, and lots of time (multiple weeks or even months).

7. Testing and submission: Put the app to the test. Some of the issues that students need to address include determining who will be the testers and how and what to change based on suggestions/complaints.

Phase III: Distribution. In the final phase, students work on marketing and approval. There are more than a million approved apps in Apple’s i Tunes App Store, so students in this phase look for a market niche and make sure people know the app exists. The last step is the evaluation of the entire process from start to finish.

At the conclusion of the creation process, students dedicate time to review and reflect.

Evaluation is also a big part of the club. After students finish a project, everyone sits down and evaluates it together. Collaboratively, the students decide what was good about the process and the outcome and what they would change about it next time. This shows students that not everything they do is going to be perfect, and there is always a way to better yourself and your product.

8. Marketing preparation: This step is essential as the team waits for approval of the app. It includes capturing screenshots and writing a marketing plan.