Module overview
More and more people are using increasingly powerful mobile devices as their primary means of obtaining information and requesting services over the Internet. The shift from traditional personal computers (desktops and laptops) to mobile devices (Smart phone and tablets), as a means of accessing services, has forced enterprises to adapt mobile channels for their existing applications. At the same time, demand for new kinds of applications that can exploit the unique characteristics of mobile devices is rapidly growing. While there certainly is value in developing a mobile app user interface for an existing business application, the users of mobile applications have come to expect more from their mobile experience. This has manifested in an ever-increasing demand for mobile application development in the market.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The capabilities and limitations of mobile platforms that affect application development and deployment
- The enterprise-scale requirements of mobile applications
- The characterisation and architecture of mobile applications
- The techniques for deploying and testing mobile applications, and for enhancing their performance and scalability
- The technology and business trends impacting mobile application development
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Explain the advantages and limitations of development frameworks
- Evaluate alternative mobile frameworks, and contrast different programming platforms
- Designing and develop mobile applications using a chosen application development framework
- Model and manage mobile application development using a range of methods
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Work with software/hardware tools to develop, test and debug mobile applications
- Develop enterprise-level mobile solutions, by taking full advantage of the capabilities of the adopted platform/framework
Syllabus
Overview of Mobile App Development:
- Why Mobile Apps?
- Choice of Implementation Technology
- Native Application Implementation
- Mobile Web Applications
- Hybrid Mobile Application Implementation
App Design Issues and Considerations
- Mobile Development Lifecycle Overview
- Form Factors and User Input Technology
- Architecture, Design and Engineering Considerations
- Usability and User Interaction Design
- Mobile Navigation and Interface Design
- Overarching Design Principles and Guidelines
Developing the Mobile App
- Techniques, Methodologies for Mobile Application Development
- Mobile Application Development Frameworks
- Persistent Data in Mobile Apps
- Maps and Location in Mobile Apps
- Access to Hardware and Sensors
- Building Mobile Apps Powered by Enterprise Backend
- Secured Data Store and Synchronization
Testing and Publishing Apps
- Mobile Application Build and Delivery
- Testing Mobile Applications
- Automated versus Manual Testing
- App Distribution Through App Stores
- App Distribution for the Enterprise
- Monetizing Apps
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures, tutorial, group coursework assessed via technical report and submitted application
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Wider reading or practice | 28 |
| Follow-up work | 12 |
| Lecture | 36 |
| Revision | 10 |
| Completion of assessment task | 52 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 12 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Reto Meier, Ian Lake (2018). Professional Android, 4th Edition.
John Horton (2019). Android Programming with Kotlin for Beginners.
Nate Ebel (2019). Mastering Kotlin: Learn advanced Kotlin programming techniques to build apps for Android.
Bill Phillips et. al (2019). Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Final Assessment | 50% |
| Continuous Assessment | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External