DCU Mobile App

DWynter

Hi All

My name is Deirdre Wynter, and I work as Marketing Manager at DCU. The university is about to begin work on the development of a DCU mobile app. If you are a DCU student, I would love to hear what you have to say on the kinds of features that you would like this app to have to make it of real benefit to you in your day to day life on & off campus. All ideas are welcome!

Thanks a mil for your help


Deirdre

Diarmsquid

Something like Angry Birds would be cool.

Daraa

Canteen Menu with non-fluctuating prices would be a great feature!

(disclosure: I left DCU some time ago and don't know the current status of prices in the canteen)

ironictoaster

Moodle mobile edition would be also nice, also direct login into dcu mail.

slasher_65

Library room booking!
DCUfm stream and links to DCUtv videos!
Put in a room number and get directed by GPS to that room!

A bit off topic, (mods feel free to move/delete)...

Why isn't DCUfm played in Spar/Sports Building/Canteen etc?

irish_boy90

Deleted User wrote: »

A bit off topic, (mods feel free to move/delete)...

Why isn't DCUfm played in Spar/Sports Building/Canteen etc?

because it was annoying.

Timetables would be nice.

saeglopur

+ 1 for timetables. Should also include room timetables so we can find when computer rooms for example are free.

Will the app be available on Android or just limited to iPhones?

DWynter

I like your thinking - angry birds is fun! Any thoughts though on how a fun feature like this could be somehow connected back to DCU specifically?

DWynter

Daraa wrote: »

Canteen Menu with non-fluctuating prices would be a great feature!

(disclosure: I left DCU some time ago and don't know the current status of prices in the canteen)

Canteen prices are obviously high on any student's priority list - will add them to the plan. Thanks!

DWynter

ironictoaster wrote: »

Moodle mobile edition would be also nice, also direct login into dcu mail.

Added to the list. Thanks!

DWynter

Mr.S wrote: »

Canteen menu/prices would be handy.

Opening hours of all oncampus cafes/canteen

Map of Campus with building codes.

Access to DCU portal, mobile edition? (so you'd be able to check timetables, Printing account etc)

Page relaying DCU/DCU SU news / whats going on around campus.

Handy feature would be to have a list of cancelled/moved lectures? obviously this would need user contribution though:)

Some great ideas here. Really appreciate your input

DWynter

saeglopur wrote: »

+ 1 for timetables. Should also include room timetables so we can find when computer rooms for example are free.

Will the app be available on Android or just limited to iPhones?

Thanks for the timetables suggestion! I am planning to have the app work across both platforms - android would be the priority, as it appears to be the preferred platform of students and young people in general. Agree?

DWynter

irish_boy90 wrote: »

because it was annoying.

Timetables would be nice.

Thanks for the timetables suggestion (will politely ignore the DCUfm comment )

DWynter

slasher_65 wrote: »

Library room booking!
DCUfm stream and links to DCUtv videos!
Put in a room number and get directed by GPS to that room!

All really helpful stuff. Thanks so much

DWynter

Mr.S wrote: »

I would say iPhone/Ipod Touch would be the majority. loads of people use there iPod Touches (which has WiFi/App support) on campus.

Thanks a lot for that - really important stuff to know - much appreciated.

Diarmsquid

DWynter wrote: »

I like your thinking - angry birds is fun! Any thoughts though on how a fun feature like this could be somehow connected back to DCU specifically?

I was sorta joking. There's plenty of games out there, but there are no DCU specific apps, so maybe just focus on what is needed.

News/events on campus.
Class timetable.
Library room bookings.
Map or some kind of room locater.

Those would all very really really useful.

public_enemy

Realtime updates on which of the ATMs is currently working

DCUfm would be a useful addition to the app.
Live feeds from the SU?

Sod'o swords

DWynter wrote: »

Thanks for the timetables suggestion! I am planning to have the app work across both platforms - android would be the priority, as it appears to be the preferred platform of students and young people in general. Agree?

I'd say now iphone/itouch's would be more used currently because people are still in a OMG WOW APPLE MOBILE DEVICE stage. Though soon i'd say Android will catch up and/or become more popular. I have both so either or i'm happy

slasher_65

How about a way to view all the Tweets sent from within DCU, using the Twitter location feature? Same for photos posted on Twitter and Flickr.

Ways for socs to push updates about events to members. I can imagine this one being a bit tougher, but it would be AMAZING!

Some way of getting internet on an Android would be good - thanks to their lack of a proxy feature

vinnyb

A what is on now feature which could combine Club and Socs activites with such stuff as Careers events to give realtime whats on calendar.

Also the option to avail of the app in Irish would be great.

Bluetonic

DWynter wrote: »

I am planning to have the app work across both platforms - android would be the priority, as it appears to be the preferred platform of students and young people in general. Agree?

Why not do some proper research instead of guess work.

You need to find out what the most popular devices and platforms are connecting to the wifi network on campus. This information is easy accessible and should be your first port of call. Then who is accessing student email on mobile devices, what are those devices. What about Moodle and the portal pages...all the stats are accessible to you.

After this I know of at least one piece of masters research which was carried out in the last 12 months to ascertain the needs of students for an on campus mobile application. This is available in the library. Have you read it?

Then your implementation, why an app? Why not a mobile rendered site? Thats easy to control and caters for all devices and platforms with one implementation. Also much easier to keep content up to date without having to implement some sort of push across multiple devices as knowing DCU there'll be little or no resources allocated to keep the app fresh, therefore it's usability will become an issue.

Sorry if thats a little blunt but DCU itself uses the tag of being 'Ireland's most innovative University', let's stick to it.

DWynter

Diarmsquid wrote: »

I was sorta joking. There's plenty of games out there, but there are no DCU specific apps, so maybe just focus on what is needed.

News/events on campus.
Class timetable.
Library room bookings.
Map or some kind of room locater.

Those would all very really really useful.

Good to know that these features would be of practical help to you - they have appeared on a couple of replies, so obviously they would be of help to others also. Thanks for coming back to me again on this.

DWynter

Bluetonic wrote: »

Why not do some proper research instead of guess work.

You need to find out what the most popular devices and platforms are connecting to the wifi network on campus. This information is easy accessible and should be your first port of call. Then who is accessing student email on mobile devices, what are those devices. What about Moodle and the portal pages...all the stats are accessible to you.

After this I know of at least one piece of masters research which was carried out in the last 12 months to ascertain the needs of students for an on campus mobile application. This is available in the library. Have you read it?

Then your implementation, why an app? Why not a mobile rendered site? Thats easy to control and caters for all devices and platforms with one implementation. Also much easier to keep content up to date without having to implement some sort of push across multiple devices as knowing DCU there'll be little or no resources allocated to keep the app fresh, therefore it's usability will become an issue.

Sorry if thats a little blunt but DCU itself uses the tag of being 'Ireland's most innovative University', let's stick to it.

Hi there

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I've done quite a bit of the desktop research that you describe, and I am in the process of doing more. The purpose of posing my question on boards is to complement that research with a qualitative approach , i.e. asking DCU's own students exactly what they want from a DCU mobile app, because they are ultimately the end users.

Thanks for your advice about a mobile rendered site instead of an app. I'm not a "techie", so it's not something that I would have been aware of. I will run your point by our ISS department for comment, along with your concern that there would be sufficient resources to keep the app "fresh" - all very valid points.

I appreciate you taking the time to come back to me, and for being so frank - all very interesting insights that I would never have got from conducting desktop research alone - precisely why I decided to go on boards in the first place!

DWynter

Sod'o swords wrote: »

I'd say now iphone/itouch's would be more used currently because people are still in a OMG WOW APPLE MOBILE DEVICE stage. Though soon i'd say Android will catch up and/or become more popular. I have both so either or i'm happy

Lucky you! Thanks

DWynter

public_enemy wrote: »

Realtime updates on which of the ATMs is currently working

I know lots of staff members would like that one too! Thanks

DWynter

Deleted User wrote: »

DCUfm would be a useful addition to the app.
Live feeds from the SU?

I'll add these to my list. Thanks

DWynter

slasher_65 wrote: »

How about a way to view all the Tweets sent from within DCU, using the Twitter location feature? Same for photos posted on Twitter and Flickr.

Ways for socs to push updates about events to members. I can imagine this one being a bit tougher, but it would be AMAZING!

Great ideas, thanks. I will run these by the "techies"

DWynter

Deleted User wrote: »

Some way of getting internet on an Android would be good - thanks to their lack of a proxy feature

I'll run this one by the "techies" too. Thanks

DWynter

vinnyb wrote: »

A what is on now feature which could combine Club and Socs activites with such stuff as Careers events to give realtime whats on calendar.

Also the option to avail of the app in Irish would be great.

Thanks for your suggestions. First suggestion of an Irish app - I'm sure our friends in Fiontar particularly would really like this

wonderfulname

Dwynter, you can quote everyone in one post, click the button labelled "multi-quote this message" beside every post you want to respond to then click "post reply" on the bottom left of the page.

Back on topic a campus map, timetable and some form of update stream from staff and socs would be great.
Also, assuming this would be pushed for next years orientation, a DCU A to Z with a search function, would be handy for everyone at some time or another really - to check out doctors times and such.

DWynter

wonderfulname wrote: »

Dwynter, you can quote everyone in one post, click the button labelled "multi-quote this message" beside every post you want to respond to then click "post reply" on the bottom left of the page.

Back on topic a campus map, timetable and some form of update stream from staff and socs would be great.
Also, assuming this would be pushed for next years orientation, a DCU A to Z with a search function, would be handy for everyone at some time or another really - to check out doctors times and such.

Thanks for the tip - helpful for a newbie Thanks also for your suggestions!

redout

I would second the iPhone app.

Should also consider that iPad is really beginning to take off and with iPad 2 sometime in 2011 people are really going to take to it I would imagine.

Apparently the iPad has already put a small dent into laptop sales.

Cy_Revenant

What about an Android app, webOS app, Symbian app, Blackberry app or WinPhone app?

Not all smartphone users are carrying iPhones.

markpb

Cy_Revenant wrote: »

What about an Android app, webOS app, Symbian app, Blackberry app or WinPhone app? Not all smartphone users are carrying iPhones.

I would imagine between Android and Apple, the vast majority of smartphones would be covered. Diminishing returns sets in very quickly and it's not like those apps are easily ported between platforms.

DWynter

redout wrote: »

I would second the iPhone app.

Should also consider that iPad is really beginning to take off and with iPad 2 sometime in 2011 people are really going to take to it I would imagine.

Apparently the iPad has already put a small dent into laptop sales.

Cy_Revenant wrote: »

What about an Android app, webOS app, Symbian app, Blackberry app or WinPhone app?

Not all smartphone users are carrying iPhones.

markpb wrote: »

I would imagine between Android and Apple, the vast majority of smartphones would be covered. Diminishing returns sets in very quickly and it's not like those apps are easily ported between platforms.

Hi Guys. Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. Having looked at various research out there, it would appear that for the Irish market Android and Apple, really are the main players. Symbian, for example is very important in Italy, but only of very limited importance here. Maybe that is set to change in the future though?

amen

How about catering for Alumni ?

asking DCU's own students exactly what they want from a DCU mobile app, because they are ultimately the end users

How do you know those posting here are DCU students? Could be anybody.

An app seems crazy. Locked into plaform/phone.

A mobile rendered site is a much better idea.

DWynter

amen wrote: »

How about catering for Alumni ?


How do you know those posting here are DCU students? Could be anybody.

An app seems crazy. Locked into plaform/phone.

A mobile rendered site is a much better idea.

Thanks Amen for your thoughts - I will discuss the "mobile rendered site" with the "techies" - you're not the first person to suggest this, so obviously it bears consideration.

You're right - I don't know that all those posting here are DCU students, but many of the posts that I have viewed would indicate that they are!

Please rest assured that Alumni will be taken into account, along with other external audiences also.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply

dave oc

The suggestions so pretty much cover what I would want:

-access to Portal page
-Moodle optimized for mobile device if possible
-campus map with GPS location
-DCU mail intergration
-DCU news / events on and off campus
-clubs and society interaction / info
-twitter feed of student tweets (by location or similar)
-timetables (maybe show where should I be now & next etc)

Also to help the research im using an iPhone.

johnmcdnl

all i'd want in an "app" is check my email.. maybe timetables as well...
and possibly a way to get moodle notes if I was stuck but tbh I can't ever see myself being so stuck for my notes that I'd go to get my phone to check them..


don't really see what or why you'd want a dcu app... maybe other people have far better ideas than me but that's all the stuff I ever check up on that's going on in dcu..

slasher_65

Those who are calling for Mail integration on an iPhone: Are you aware that since the mail runs on Google Apps you can simply use the Mail application ON the iPhone? Set the account up as if it were a gmail account, and for the username, put in your DCU email address.

quackisss

slasher_65 wrote: »

Those who are calling for Mail integration on an iPhone: Are you aware that since the mail runs on Google Apps you can simply use the Mail application ON the iPhone? Set the account up as if it were a gmail account, and for the username, put in your DCU email address.

Same for the majority of Android users, the stock mail app supports DCU mail no problem.

DWynter

quackisss wrote: »

Same for the majority of Android users, the stock mail app supports DCU mail no problem.

Mr.S wrote: »

And if you don't have a smartphone/phone that supports gmail then go into your DCU email settings and have every email forwarded to say, a hotmal account which can be accessed from any phone with internet (mobile.live.com)

slasher_65 wrote: »

Those who are calling for Mail integration on an iPhone: Are you aware that since the mail runs on Google Apps you can simply use the Mail application ON the iPhone? Set the account up as if it were a gmail account, and for the username, put in your DCU email address.

johnmcdnl wrote: »

all i'd want in an "app" is check my email.. maybe timetables as well...
and possibly a way to get moodle notes if I was stuck but tbh I can't ever see myself being so stuck for my notes that I'd go to get my phone to check them..


don't really see what or why you'd want a dcu app... maybe other people have far better ideas than me but that's all the stuff I ever check up on that's going on in dcu..

Dave6195 wrote: »

The suggestions so pretty much cover what I would want:

-access to Portal page
-Moodle optimized for mobile device if possible
-campus map with GPS location
-DCU mail intergration
-DCU news / events on and off campus
-clubs and society interaction / info
-twitter feed of student tweets (by location or similar)
-timetables (maybe show where should I be now & next etc)

Also to help the research im using an iPhone.

Thanks Guys for all of your comments above. I will make sure that all are taken into account.

wonderfulname

Mr.S wrote: »

And if you don't have a smartphone/phone that supports gmail then go into your DCU email settings and have every email forwarded to say, a hotmal account which can be accessed from any phone with internet (mobile.live.com)

I'm using a 50e nokia brick, downloaded gmail from the google search page free.

raymon

Videos of lectures & tutorials

carlowboy

redout wrote: »

I would second the iPhone app.

Should also consider that iPad is really beginning to take off and with iPad 2 sometime in 2011 people are really going to take to it I would imagine.

Apparently the iPad has already put a small dent into laptop sales.

Must be a pretty small dent.

DWynter

Hi Raymon

Thanks for your reply. We have thought about putting lectures and tutorials online before alright, but I have wondered how likely our students would be to watch them. Have you seen ones on other sites that you thought were particularly good? Isthere a maximum length that you think they should be to hold a student's attention. Any thoughts you or others have would be much appreciated. :-)

phantom_lord

Surely it should be feasible to put a camera in every lecture room and record all the lectures automatically and put them up on moodle?

raymon

DWynter wrote: »

Hi Raymon

Thanks for your reply. We have thought about putting lectures and tutorials online before alright, but I have wondered how likely our students would be to watch them. Have you seen ones on other sites that you thought were particularly good? Isthere a maximum length that you think they should be to hold a student's attention. Any thoughts you or others have would be much appreciated. :-)

I have found Serena Chen's Psychology audio lectures from Berkeley very handy for Human Sciences - excellent stuff indeed

http://psychology.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=psychology&cdn=education&tm=255&gps=125_1778_1379_888&f=00&su=p897.10.336.ip_&tt=3&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php%3Fseriesid%3D1906978368

Also oscail at DCU already have many video lectures already in Moodle
Maybe contact Eamonn Costelloe, Liam Meany , or Adrian Redmond for more info

And yes - students will use them - any port in a storm