This document discusses the development of iPad apps to support an Extension education curriculum called Body Quest. The goals were to reinforce curriculum content through 6 lesson apps, maintain the apps through updates, make the apps portable through mobile classrooms with iPads, ensure accessibility with limited internet connectivity, and engage kids through technology. Originally netbooks were proposed, but iPads were chosen instead due to being lightweight and having lower maintenance. Two PhD students helped develop storyboards and animations. Challenges included the large time commitment, maintaining the apps, and high costs. Successes were that educators, teachers, and administrators loved the apps and they helped gain access to classrooms.
13. ALL THE PIECES WERE GATHERED TOGETHER
SO THAT APP WRITING COULD BEGIN
• Animations with recorded dialogue
• Sound effects
• Music
• Game concepts
• Images
16. BASED ON PROTOTYPE, CHANGES WERE MADE
Since the original prototype, there have
been:
• 2,480 committed changes
• More than 70 versions of apps created
• And we are not done yet.
17. DISTRIBUTION OF UPDATES
Casper Suite from JAMF Software
Management (for BQ as well as other
devices)
In-House App Distribution
Student device lockdown
19. CHALLENGES OF APP DEVELOPMENT
• TIME!
• Voice talent
• Student software engineers: limited time, limited
skills
• TIME!
• Learning curve
• Comfort levels of educators
• TIME!
• Knowing when enough is enough
• Maintenance
• Cost (>$500,000)
• TIME – TIME – and more TIME !
20. SUCCESSES OF APP DEVELOPMENT
• Extension educators, school teachers and school administration love it
• Doors opened for us in terms of academic time in public classrooms
• Team/Collaborative process
21. GOALS
Reinforcement of Body Quest Curriculum Content
• 6 lessons = 6 Apps plus an Introductory App
Maintainability
• security and app updates = Casper Suite (inventory too!)
Portability
• creating MOBILE classrooms = 10 iPads/storage case (2 per class)
Accessibility
• limited internet connectivity = Updates/maintenance in office
Likability
• engage kids in technology ==========>
Childhood obesity prevention program for 3rd graders in public schoolsGoal is to increase fruit and vegetable consumptionAlabama has high rates of obesity (#2/3 nationally)Comprehensive program including classroom lessons, card decks, vow, f&v tastings, warrior workoutsAmine characters – talk about eachDesigned a research study to compare pedagogies of reinforcement materials – Technology vs. Pencil and paper
What Hardware?What OS?Connectivity?Maintenance?
iPad – lightweight, minimal updates, but NO FLASH. Wow factor.
iPad – lightweight, minimal updates, but NO FLASH. Wow factor.
Yes, we can do it. We’ll need a storyboard and content (audio & video) to make it happen.Tough to find affordable developers – this was an initial stumbling block
Broke into teams to write storyboards for each lesson.I edited and pulled all elements together.Created images as needed.Tried to work with some user interface elements already available from Apple, such as status bars, sliders, etc.Researched other gaming apps, web based games, and gaming system games for game elements (e.g., Ant Smasher).
We needed a “shared space” for working on these projects and we chose SharePoint.
Adults vs. kids; beta tested with kids. After those tests, tried to use adults. Began recording in studio, but due to time commitments of audio person, we switched to using Audacity and recording ourselves.
Person doing animations had never done so before, but enjoyed learning anything “tech”This software allows for matching images with dialogueSuper Slurper most difficult due to illustrationHigh learning curve with this processGoing back to redo some early animations
Soundfx and music – non copyrighted materialImages are combination of original illustrations and stock photos
In-house app deployment through iTunesWorking to make them available to the public in the store
Tested with high school kids firstBroke into everythingNext tested with 8 year oldsFound problems such as putting 2 directives togetherGoing to fast through the program – added TFC as an “Easter egg”
About 18 months from time we bought hardware to time we finished first round of appsWe are now revising and trying to get on iTunes