Five Useful Apps for College Students

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Image Source: Pixabay

Popular web-based mobile apps such as Facebook and Twitter offer desirable services that support real-time updates, social interaction, and instant messaging at the convenience of a mobile device. Over time, these apps gain a title that is not only prominent as a useful networking system, but also as an opportunity for professional development. 

In the context of higher education, a 2016 Nielsen study indicated that “98 percent of people ages 18-24 have a mobile phone. Some universities, like Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, are giving all their freshman students iPads in order to have more mobile functionality” (Polito). Educators can encourage more professional development by having students engage with mobile services that support networking, collaboration and project management. For these reasons, here are the top five mobile apps suggested by EdTech:

1. Slack: Streamlines Group Communication

Slack is an interactive web-based mobile app that lets students communicate with their teammates and professors. Slack simplifies group communication by offering a work space where team conversations are organized and accessible.

2. Remind: Revamps the Daily Planner 

With an approach that aims to optimize time and stress management, Remind is an great app for students and professors to set up text reminders for important deadlines.

3. Google Drive: Boosts Real-Time Collaboration

Google Drive offers cloud storage for individual and team projects. With easy access to Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets, this mobile application allows multiple contributors to edit the same file in real-time.

4. Gmail: Helping Teachers and Students Work on the Go

Most students know what it feels like to take the time to craft a perfectly worded email only to have the professor respond with a curt “Sure” and a “Sent from my iPhone” signature. As a mobile application, Gmail enables the ability to send and receive email via smartphone, which allows quick and convenient communication with professors, advisors and more.

5. Google Chrome: Broadens Access to Academic Sources

This web browser gives students the ability to access academic resources that may not have a mobile application. For example, Desire2Learn is a web-based learning management system that lets students and professors interact; thanks to Google Chrome, students have the ability to submit work through their smartphone (Polito).

 

For more information, read the full article on EdTech.

BSU to Use Mobile App for Campus Safety

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Boise State University announced earlier this month that it will begin using a smartphone app to augment its existing campus safety measures. The app, “Rave Guardian,” allows users to set safety timers, which alert emergency contacts and campus safety services if they expire or if the user manually calls for help. At that time, profile information (potentially including a photo and medical needs of the student) is instantly provided to responders as they locate the student and ensure their safety. Along the way, designated friends and family can check in on the location and status of the student. Users can also submit anonymous tips to police and campus security through an SMS-like interface, with support for pictures as well as text.

9597347-A-shot-of-an-Asian-student-texting-on-the-phone-Stock-Photo
Photo Credit: 123rf.com

The app is described as a “mobile personalized blue light phone on steroids,” giving students and security services a level of interconnectivity not seen yet. It’s a natural fit for the Boise area, too: neighborhoodscout.com says the chance of being a victim of violent crime in Boise is about 1 in 337, which is higher than usual for the US. In comparison, the chance of being a victim of violent crime in Bothell is about 1 in 1406, which is well below average. Combined with traditional campus safety and security resources, Rave Guardian might drastically improve the well-being of both students and staff on campus.

For more info here.

Anonymity of Students in Social Media

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With the ability to be anonymous on social media, students feel more confident in releasing their hate and negativity without realizing its repercussions.

Yik Yak is an app that allows students, in colleges and universities only, to anonymously post to everyone within a 10-mile radius; it is similar to Twitter, only there is no need of an account. It has rapidly become successful among many universities around the world.

Casey Fabris discusses the issue of Yik Yak and how it has developed into cyberbullying- including sexual insults towards female professors. Many students use the app to release their frustration towards their classes, professors, other students, and university life in general. However, because the app allows everyone in the area to view what others are posting, professors are able to see students’ rants against them as well.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock and Twitter)

Professors have admitted to being emotionally affected to at least a slight degree from reading various posts. Colleges are trying to find more constructive outlets for professor evaluations. eXplorance believes that its new service, Bluepulse will be a more positive version of Yik Yak since it will have both students and instructors involved. It is uncertain, however, whether this will stop students from posting hateful comments on Yik Yak.

Another similar service that Sabrina Huyett, a teaching assistant at Birmingham Young University, uses is DropThought. She believes that “giving students an outlet where they can constructively criticize might prevent them from airing grievances negatively on platforms like Yik Yak.” Huyett admits that the larger the classes, the more likely there will be negative criticisms.

David Parry, an associate professor at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, explains that even if new platforms are developed for student’s feedback, it will not stop them from using Yik Yak. What needs to be done, instead of trying to move students away from a specific social media platform, is for colleges to teach students how to use social media responsibly.

Fabris, Casey. “Anonymous Feedback, Fine. Insults? Not on These Platforms.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. N.p., 04 Feb. 2015. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.

What You Need to Know About Yik Yak, an App Causing Trouble on Campuses

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A new mobile app is sweeping college campuses but not for good reasons.

The app is known as Yik Yak, an anonymous virtual bulletin board which gives you the ability to post your thoughts for others to read.  But postings from college students aren’t what you’d expect.

Postings range from inappropriate comments regarding sex, racism, sexism, and escalate to threats of violence as well as public safety threats. In a few instances college buildings were actually closed or campuses put on high alert due to anonymous threats made on this app. A sophomore was actually arrested in connection with a post about a possible campus shooting.

This app also opens up a new avenue for cyber-bullying—bullies are taking advantage of the anonymity that comes with using this app to attack people.

That being said, “Not all colleges are treating Yik Yak as a threat. Mr. Buffington reported that several had contacted his company to express interest in harnessing the app to learn more about what their students really think.”

For more information please read:

http://chronicle.com/article/What-You-Need-to-Know-About/149005/?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

Teaching with Google Glass

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In an article on Campus Technology, they take a look at a professors who are finding an interesting use for Google Glass.

After having discussions with similar “digital explorers,” Robert Hernandez, a professor of journalism at the University of Southern California, decided to create a course that centers on having students design applications for wearable devices. He is hoping that the class will reexamine the shape of an article and how you tell a story.

At Northeastern University, associate professors Rupal Patel and Stephen S. Intille co-teach a course that has students create apps that will “help people make behavioral changes” using Google Glasses donated by Google. One group of students created a prototype app that is designed to promote social development among people with autism.

William J. Ward, a professor of social media at Syracuse University, has his students create apps for Google Glass using social media to determine which of their ideas is getting the most social conversation.

Hernandez notes that it’s not possible to know if Google Glass will be the next big thing, or if it will just be an interesting concept that never takes off. Nonetheless, he is certain change is coming.

Simplifying the Design Process- One Canva at a Time

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To all designers and creators: have you ever opened Photoshop, PowerPoint, Word, or even social media sites and asked yourself now what? How about those who fear the Adobe Suite or even Microsoft Office?

Canva, a design app, simplifies creating posters, flyers, presentations, business cards, Facebook covers- you name it. With a selection of professional, pre-designed graphics and stock photos to choose from, you can finish a project within minutes. Be aware that most stock photos have Canva watermarks or you can pay $1 to omit it.

Most of the design process is drag-and-drop. Choose what background, layout, and text you want in your project, then fill in the blanks. Customizing their templates is no problem either. Click on an object to move it, change the color, edit the text, or delete it.

Designs and graphics are great to embellish presentations- especially “PowerPoint-esque” ones. They catch audience’s attention and intrigue listeners. Be aware though, too much text and over the top graphics can just as easily detract your audience. Learn your medium before giving a presentation.

Below are examples of posters we made in less than five minutes:

UWB Learning Tech LT Mission

What can you create on Canva?

Gmail Played a Role in Changing Higher Ed

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Gmail celebrated its 10th birthday on April 1st. Reflecting back, they altered higher education more than we know according to Inside Higher Ed.

Transitioning from enterprise platforms to consumer platforms, Gmail is helping the technological world retreat from centralized technology control with a slick, free platform that any higher ed institution can use. UW Bothell has already gone aboard to using Gmail and other Google apps.

This transition is especially great for students who prefer to utilize their own technology at school. Remember only 10 years ago when schools rolled out carts of uniform laptops loaded with the same software? Now students have the option to stop relying on Outlook or Microsoft Office and use the wonders of Gmail, Google Drive, and other online applications. Because of these programs, schools no longer need to worry as much about mandatory software and their updates.

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Google Form for Peer Review of Group Members in Group Project

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Teaching group work is difficult. Students often dislike group work, because one or two people carry the weight for everyone else. To solve this problem, one best practice for group project assignments, particularly those that require sustained collaboration and shared leadership over the course of many weeks in the quarter, is to build in an anonymous peer review assignment where each group member is anonymously reviewed by the other group members. The peer review assignment puts in place a system of accountability for the group members and therefore creates a more solid foundation for collaboration.

One way instructors can build this assignment into their course is to use a Google Form that is tied to a Google Spreadsheet. Each student fills out the form once for each member in their group. If the form that accepts the data is designed correctly, the spreadsheet will allow the instructor to quickly view peer reviews by reviewer and reviewee.

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Mobile Learning Practices in Higher Education

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A recent study published on Educause takes a look into the mobile learning practices of students in higher education.

The study notes that mobile device usage has increased significantly among college students, and that they favor small and lightweight devices such as smartphones and tablets. However 85% of students still consider a laptop to be the most important device for academic success.

As mobile device use expands on campus, the study looks to understand how the students are using their devices. Students were given a survey to determine device prevalence and if they were being used for academic purposes. The study found that 91% of student owned a smartphone while only 58% of those students used them for academic purposes. Tablet ownership was only 37% of those questioned, though 82% of owners used them for school.

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Chromebooks, Yay or Nay in the Education World?

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With prices starting at $240, students cannot help but to be attracted to Google’s Chromebooks. Its operating system is simple, to the point, and extremely fast, relying on Chrome and Google Drive. The catch? You cannot install desktop software such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, or any PC games.

This may be a letdown for some people, but for others the simplicity is much appreciated. EdTech reports that Chromebooks are beginning to sneak their way into the classroom. Why not? Students are able to access the web so they can pursue research, and with Google Drive students can also write reports and create presentations just like they can with Microsoft Office.

The only case where Chromebooks could be problematic in the education world is with STEM programs who require higher end applications such as Integrated Development Environments (IDEs).