2013 Samsung Mobile App Academy - · PDF fileSamsung Mobile App Academy Teacher Guide 3 WelcoMe To The World of Mobile AppS! The topics and resources in this Teacher Guide can adapt

TEACHER GUIDE CLASSROOM LESSON PLANS

TExAS ESSENTIAL KNOwLEDGE AND SKILLS (TEKS)

To download all classroom materials, go to the “Teacher Resources” tab on the Samsung Mobile App Academy microsite:

www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy.

2013 Samsung Mobile App Academy

Mobilize the Future!

v

Samsung Mobile App Academy Teacher Guide 2

ContentsWelcome Educators ...................................................................................................................................3Education Standards Connections ............................................................................................................4Setting Up This Unit ...................................................................................................................................6

Scheduling ...........................................................................................................................................6Teams ..................................................................................................................................................6The 5D Process—Description and Comparison ...................................................................................7

Classroom Lesson Plans ............................................................................................................................9Lesson Plan 1 Creating an Awesome App ...........................................................................................9

Lesson 1-1 Getting Started ...................................................................................................... 9Lesson 1-2 Apps: The Market, Technologies, and Careers ....................................................... 9Lesson 1-3 App Showcase .......................................................................................................9

Lesson Plan 2 Discover, Define, and Design .....................................................................................10Lesson 2-1 The Big Idea and Creative Brief ............................................................................10Lesson 2-2 Ideas, Resources, and Marketing .........................................................................10Lesson 2-3 The Road Map (Functional Specifications) ............................................................10Lesson 2-4 Design ..................................................................................................................11

Lesson Plan 3 Develop and Deploy ...................................................................................................12Lesson 3-1 Getting Your App Ready .......................................................................................12Lesson 3-2 Promoting Your App .............................................................................................12

Assessment Tools ....................................................................................................................................14

Resource Materials—Descriptions and Links ..........................................................................................15Classroom Presentation .....................................................................................................................15Creative Brief Sample and Template ..................................................................................................15Project Briefs .....................................................................................................................................15Functional Specifications Sample and Template ................................................................................15Concept Submission Form Sample and Template ..............................................................................15

Career Connections .................................................................................................................................16

App Development Resources and Inspiration .........................................................................................17

Key Terms .................................................................................................................................................18

2013 Samsung Mobile App Academy

Teacher Guide and Classroom Lesson PlansGrades 9–12


WelcoMe To The World of Mobile AppS!The topics and resources in this Teacher Guide can adapt to a wide variety of settings, accommodate various class schedules, be easily integrated into grades 9–12 classroom curricula, and can even work as an extracurricular activity. Lessons can be broken into segments or units, and span across multiple days or weeks.

Directly related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) standards, the Teacher Guide’s overall objective is to provide a resource for teaching high school students the basics of mobile application development, a technology category that currently dominates the mobile industry.

The lesson plans and activities have been designed to give students the opportunity to get their creative juices flowing and to assist them in the practical and critical thinking process that developers use when conceptualizing and creating mobile apps.

Use the Teacher Guide to ignite students’ interest and make your classroom a part of the mobile revolution!

To download all classroom materials, go to the “Teacher resources” tab on the Samsung Mobile App Academy microsite:

www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy.

Samsung Mobile App Academy Teacher Guide and Classroom Lesson Plans

Grades 9–12


Education Standards Connections

The following charts correlate Samsung Mobile App Academy student activities with the knowledge, skills, and practices required in performance expectations of education standards in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) ConnectionsCareer and Technical Education (CTE) Standards

Grades 9–12

Strand ID TEKS Standard What Students Do

Principles of Information Technology

130.272.(c) Knowledge and skills.(1)(F) …function effectively as a team member;(2)(A) identify job opportunities and accompanying job duties and tasks;(4)(E) demonstrate proficiency in the use of a variety of input devices…(5)(I) identify new and emerging classes of software;(7)(F) produce desktop publishing documents…(10) [apply] presentation management technology.(11)(B) identify the terminology associated with interactive media.

Experience various roles as a member of a mobile app development team.

Use tablet and smartphone hardware.

Use mobile apps and near-field exchange.

Using tablet technology, present an app concept proposal including concept brief and functional specifications with wireframe diagrams.

Review and describe an app in developer terms such as UI/UX (user interface or user experience).

Computer Programming

130.276.(c) Knowledge and skills.(5) …develops an information technology-based project plan…(6) …designs a software application plan.

Using tablet technology present an app concept proposal including concept brief and functional specifications with wireframe diagrams.

Research in Information Technology Solutions

130.280.(c) Knowledge and skills.(3) …applies communication, mathematics, English, and science knowledge and skills to research and develop projects(4) …uses a systems approach for conducting technological research to discover a problem in the field of information technology with the appropriate supervision and guidance.(6) …designs, creates, and implements a product or service that address a problem in the field of information technology and incorporates the solution.

In a classroom setting with an industry mentor:

Work in teams to develop a mobile app idea following the industry 5D Process.

Using Samsung tablet technology, in a team of five during the workshop, and individually afterward, write an industry-style creative brief of an app concept to solve a specific assigned scenario.

In a team of five during the workshop, and individually afterward, write functional specifications documents for original mobile app concepts.

Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 19, Part II, Chapter 130. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education Subchapter K. 130.272. & 280. Information Technology Subchapter K 130.276. Computer Programming Subchapter C. Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5415


Education Standards Connections (continued)

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Connections Science &

EngineeringNGSS What Students Do

Engineering Design

HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

Propose a detailed solution to a target human want or need in the form of a mobile app creative brief and functional specification document. Use a multistep industry process including wireframe diagrams that depict system flow and interactions, and social and market impact analysis.

Source: Next Generation Science Standards HS-ETS1-2. 2013. Achieve, Inc. on behalf of the 26 states and partners that collaborated on the NGSS, http://www.nextgenscience.org/hs-ets1-2-engineering-design.


Setting Up This Unit

SchedulinG

The Samsung Mobile App lessons may be adapted to fit various schedules, such as nine to ten 45-minute class periods, four to five 90-minute block periods, or two six-hour days.

Possible formats for using Samsung Mobile App curriculum materials include:•a module within a course in any STeM discipline•a weekly club or after-school activity•an intensive special-event weekend or summer academy experience

Teaching Tip: In a “flipped” manner, student teams might do much of the research, decision making, and documentation on their own time (as homework). This could reduce team and whole-group meeting time, or optimize time together for progress reporting, presentations, discussion, and feedback.

TeAMS

Students will work in teams, with members filling specific functions and responsibilities. To add industry realism to your implementation, use role titles that fit the context of mobile app development. Following are some suggestions:

Team role Titles:•project Manager: focuses on goals, leadership, and participation •Marketing Manager: champions target audience and app or brand goals•communications Manager: develops “elevator pitch” and presentations•user experience Strategist: develops wireframes, user journey maps, and functional specifications•designer: creates art assets, diagrams, and screens•researcher: sources art, profiles companies, provides data expertise

Teaching Tip: Brainstorming is a key way that teams generate creativity. Review brainstorming guidelines and use visual aids of acclaimed industry engineering teams (e.g., ABC News Nightline “Deep Dive” videos at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkHOxyafGpE) to model team behavior and practices.

brainstorming Goals and GuidelinesTo reduce social inhibitions, stimulate idea generation, and increase overall creativity of the group:•Focus on quantity. Let the ideas flow. Crank ideas out quickly; get a lot recorded, one conversation at a time.

Be visual. •Refrain from judgment, criticism, debate, comment, or discussion, but do allow positive-tone questions

and comments.•Encourage all ideas. There are no wrong ideas. Wild ideas inspire creative leaps, but stay focused.•Blend and improve ideas. Expand and build on the ideas of others.


The 5D Process— Description and Comparison

The 5D Process, as employed in workplace app development, is integral to the instructional sequence and student support materials provided. The 5D Process guides students in a logical order to develop their own concepts. Identifying the steps of a complex multistep procedure helps students develop good habits for future problem solving. It includes:

› Discover—everything you can.• Focus on a market. • Research competitors.• Who would use the app?• What resources and staff do you have?

› Define—your idea.• Consider functional specifications and wireframes. • Plan your timing.• Plan for hiccups.

› Design—a rough sketch or concept.• Create the primary screens. • Test your concept with friends, family, and others.

› Develop—your creativity and have the code built to plan.• Make your creative designs functional. • Integrate these into the app build.• Test your build to make sure it works.

› Deploy—a tested version.• Monitor what people are saying. • See what works, what breaks, and what could be improved.• Build the next version.


The 5D Process— Comparison (continued)

Teaching Tip: Seeing how the 5D Process for mobile app development is similar to problem-solving procedures that you and your students already know may help with implementation.

The chart below compares the iterative industry 5D Process to similar step-by-step cycles described for core education disciplines and standards. Depending on your course or situation, you may wish to share with your students the comparison to one or more columns.

Iterative Problem-Solving Processes ComparedApp Development1

(5D’s)Scientific Inquiry2 Engineering

Design2

Mathematical Modeling

Creative Writing

Discover a user need or desire

Formulate a question Define a human need Consider a real problem

Focus on a topic or scenario

Search for apps that address it

Research how others have answered it

Research how others have solved it

Research existing models

Prewrite

Define an app concept (functional specs)

Brainstorm hypotheses and choose one

Brainstorm solutions and select one

Make modeling assumptions

Organize

Design user interface (UI) and experience (UX)

Conduct an experiment

Create and test a prototype

Set up a mathematical model

Draft

Develop app platform and code

Modify hypothesis based on results

Redesign solution based on tests

Analyze model Review: Get feedback

Debug, test UI/UX Draw conclusion, write paper

Finalize design, make drawings

Interpret results and compare with reality

Revise and edit

Deploy to market Submit paper for peer review

Present optimal solution to client

Deliver conclusions Publish

Discover a new need Ask a new question Define a new need Identify a new problem

Shift focus

1 Vanguard Direct. New York, NY.2 Museum of Science, Boston. (2008). Engineering the Future. It’s About Time. Mt. Kisco, NY.


Classroom Lesson Plans

leSSon plAn 1

creating an Awesome App

lesson objective: To outline the history and trends of mobile apps in today’s world, define apps and usage categories, and identify related standards and careers.

Materials: Classroom Presentation

Total estimated Time: 1.5 hours (lessons can be adapted to various formats and schedules)

leSSon 1-1—Getting Started

• Provide students with the overall goals of their mobile app development experience [Slide 3]: 1. To learn about mobile apps and the multiple stages of mobile app development. 2. To work in teams to develop their own mobile app big idea concepts.

• Group students into small teams of three to six and have them name their team. The teams will work together throughout the app development process. [Slide 4]

• Summarize technology history, changing behaviors, current mobile app statistics, the speed of change, and impacts on society. [Slides 5–17]

Student Activity 1A [Slides 18–19]:

• Project the slide or write the discussion topics below on a smart board, whiteboard, or flip chart. Assign a team to discuss each topic and record their ideas and predictions.

› discussion Topic: How is mobile technology changing our behavior? What new behaviors are arising? How does your family use technology in your home, and to what effect? Related to technology, what are the major differences in family life from when your grandparents grew up? What are some predictions for how technology will change our world and behaviors in five years? In 10 years? In 25 years? Why is there a need for apps?

• Set a brisk time limit for team discussion and presentation preparation to simulate workplace reality. Consider screen-projecting any of several handy Internet timers, such as from www.online-stopwatch .com/classroom-timers, to assist pacing.

• Have all teams present their thoughts and ideas to the entire class. Encourage each student to take an active part in team presenting and providing feedback to others.

• As each team presents, record all ideas on a smart board, whiteboard, flip chart, or tablet. Themes and overarching ideas will likely emerge. Highlight major concepts and discuss.

leSSon 1-2—Apps: The Market, Technologies, and careers [Slides 20–29]

› discussion Topic: Ask students to reflect on what they have learned so far and generate definitions of an app. Make the point that there are many kinds of apps and ways to interact with those various apps. [Slides 21–22]

• To ensure students have information to feed into their team’s app concept, introduce new mobile technologies including Facebook Home, wearable computers, augmented reality (AR), social/local, gamification, m-commerce, near field communications (NFC), QR codes, and object recognition. [Slides 23–27]

› discussion Topic: With the world of mobile apps growing and changing so rapidly, what are some related career possibilities? Ask students to predict what kind of careers could be available in the future. Provide time for students to follow up their predictions with Internet research, and report their findings (with source citations). [Slides 28–29] See Career Connections section in this Teacher Guide for more ideas.

• If possible, invite an app developer or a college representative familiar with the new mobile app career field to speak to your students.

leSSon 1-3—App Showcase [Slides 30–33]

› discussion Topic: Review the various types of apps and categories. (Examples might be Path, Songza, ESPN ScoreCenter, Evernote, Zappos, Shazam, or others shown on Slide 32.) Have students keep in mind these questions: 1) Why are these apps good or bad? 2) What do they offer users? 3) What makes an app enjoyable to use? 4) What are the cool features? 5) What is the interactivity? 6) What apps are the best overall and why do you feel they stand out? [Slide 31]

› discussion Topic: Use the questions on Slides 31 and 33 to encourage students to think about what apps they like, why they like them, and how they get information on new apps. Write the answers on a smart board, whiteboard, or flip chart. Save to go back and discuss again at the conclusion of their experience.

RESoURCES NoTE: The 5D Process and Key Terms resources are located within this Teacher Guide. Download all other instructional materials at the Samsung Mobile App Academy microsite located on the “Teachers” tab at http://www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.aspx.

Teaching Tip: Invite guest speaker(s) from the mobile app industry or related college program.

http://www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.aspx


Classroom Lesson Plans (continued)

leSSon plAn 2

Starting the 5d process: discover, define, and design

lesson objective: Students create an app concept that solves a specific problem.

Materials: Classroom Presentation [Slides 34–79], Project Briefs, Creative Brief Sample, Creative Brief Template, Functional Specifications Sample, and Functional Specifications Template (download these materials at www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy /teachers.aspx)

Total estimated Time: 3 hours (lessons can be adapted to various formats and schedules)

overview of the 5d process [Slides 34–40]

• Introduce students to the notion that getting an app into the marketplace is a well-planned process with specific steps that take time and effort. The best app developers are on a mission. They have done their research. They’ve mastered how the app works for a specific target audience, studied the market and their competitors, and know inside out why their app is superior.

• The app development process starts with an idea and progresses through each step of the 5D Process. Following this sequence can lead to success.

› discussion Topic: Why is it important to do research before jumping right into design and development stages? How will that affect the idea you come up with? [Slide 40]

leSSon 2-1—The big idea and creative brief [Slides 41–50]

• Both the discover step (researching the market, competitors, target audience, the app’s capabilities, and why the app is relevant) and the define step (planning and scheduling the time line, and developing the Creative Brief) are critical to a good start and future success.

• Getting an app ready for market release means researching and comparing the app’s competition, and why or why not the proposed idea is a good one. Learn everything you can! [Slide 43]

› discussion Topic: Choose a popular app (Twitter, Angry Birds) and talk about why the app is popular, the market, what its competitors are, and the target audience. Reinforce that before an app can be released, these initial stages are crucial and that collaboration is an important part of any technical, creative, and business project.

Student Activity 2A—brainstorm App concept and name [Slides 45–50]

• After students have reviewed some apps and have discussed the reasons for their popularity, provide each team with a project brief. It is best for each team to have a unique brief or challenge. Point out how the brief proposes a real-world problem to solve with an app concept.

• Review brainstorming guidelines and set aside time for each team to brainstorm ideas for their own app concept.

• Creating a great self-descriptive name for an app is important in selling it, but remind students of several basic guidelines, which can also be part of your assessment rubric:– Can be found easily with

appropriate search terms– Is no longer than 20 characters– No version number appears in app

name– No other brands (for example,

iPhone) in app name– Is simple, concise, and relevant– Is not too similar to the name of

another productSource: www.dummies.com/how-to/content/iphone-application-name-checklist.html.

Student Activity 2b—Write a creative brief part 1 [Slides 48–50]

• Provide each team with a Creative Brief Sample and a Creative Brief Template. Point out how the sample helps to further define the idea.

• Each team will fill out a Creative Brief Template based on what they feel is their best app concept—their team’s big idea! If possible, provide each team with a tablet or space in front of a smart board, whiteboard, or flip chart so they can sketch out the idea.

leSSon 2-2—ideas, resources, and Marketing [Slides 51–59]

• What makes a good idea?

• Envision the final product

• What is already in the market?

• Resources: time, people, money

• Marketing your app

Student Activity 2c—Write a creative brief part 2 [Slides 60–61]

• After teams have drafted their creative brief [Slide 50], and possibly a preliminary icon sketch as a visual aid, they present their chosen concept to the class. Encourage each student on the team to take part in the presentation. [Slide 61]

• Encourage students in the audience to listen actively, ask questions, probe deeper, offer suggestions—and give compliments! Analyzing how another team thinks is a great way to gain more information and stimulate further thinking.

leSSon 2-3—The road Map (functional Specifications) [Slides 62–68]

• Upon completion of the creative brief and presentations, provide each group with a functional Specifications document (fSd) Sample and an fSd Template to review.

• Provide a definition of user journey, user interface (UI), user experience (UX), and wireframes. (Definitions located in Key Terms section of this Teacher Guide.)

• Discuss how students will define their plan. [Slide 63]




leSSon plAn 2 (continued)

Starting the 5d process: discover, define, and design

• Using the FSD Sample, point out how the UI, designs, and navigation are kept simple and clean, and have an easy logic.

› discussion Topic: In order to create an app that is effortless to use, a lot of thought needs to be put into how a user will navigate from screen to screen (UI). An app should provide users with a seamless journey (aptly named “user journey”) that doesn’t lead to a confusing or hindered UX. [Slides 64–66]

› discussion Topic: Before apps can be developed and ready for users to enjoy, the road map of how the app works must be created. Creating an FSD allows students to map out how users will navigate through an app, but it also ensures that the entire team is on the same page. [Slide 67]

› discussion Topic: Why are apps such as those from Facebook, Instagram, and Pandora effective? How do users navigate through these apps? What do they all have in common? (For example, app icon, splash screen, home screen, and navigation: primary and secondary, buttons, icons, and gestures.) [Slide 68]

• Reinforce that great apps have a simple logic, allowing users to view and share content in an easy way. Talk about the flow of information, and how the wireframes (use the FSD Sample) replicate the actual use process.

leSSon 2-4—design [Slides 69–79]

• Make the point to students that creating a foolproof FSD will allow an easy transition from Discover and Define to Design, Development, and Deployment.

• A critical component is the design. The more thoroughly students think out their concept and initial designs, the greater their opportunity for success. Have students make rough sketches of their ideas and take them home to ask others for input.

• Within the design, students must think about all aspects of the app, and the design should reflect this. [Slide 70]

Student Activity 2d—functional Specifications document (fSd)

• Using their big idea from the creative brief, it’s time for students to think like a developer and to fill out the team FSD. This activity could be assigned as an in-class or homework project.

• To fully understand the user journey, have each team complete the FSD by drawing each aspect of the user journey. Have teams then talk through each illustrated step to ensure it is simple, clear, and achieves the intended goal. [Slides 71–77]

• Provide individual assistance to each team by offering your outsider’s view: How well do their illustrations (the user-journey flow diagram and wireframes of key screens) communicate the app’s user interface and experience? [Slide 78]

• Review each team’s completed FSD and discuss potential challenges, pitfalls, and possible revisions. Have students fully evaluate whether the FSD communicates and accomplishes their goals for their idea. Revise the document as decided upon by the team. Make sure that the app is simple in design and logic. Anything that stops the user journey from running smoothly should be reworked for a good user experience.

• Allow each team to present its completed FSD. Encourage each student on the team to take part in the presentation. [Slide 79]

• If possible, provide projection capability so all students can easily observe each section, wireframe, and specification.

• Allow the rest of the class or other teams to ask questions and provide positive feedback.



leSSon plAn 3

finishing the 5d process: develop and deploy

lesson objective: To understand how an app is tested and how a successful app follows a creative marketing plan designed to obtain maximum reach and exposure.

Materials: Classroom Presentation [Slides 80–95], Concept Submission Sample, and Concept Submission Template (download at www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy /teachers.aspx)

Total estimated Time: 2.5 hours (lessons can be adapted to various formats and schedules)

leSSon 3-1—Getting Your App ready [Slides 81–86]

• For an app to be ready for release, computer programmers must transform designs and wireframes into a code using one or a combination of many development languages. [Slides 81–83]

› discussion Topic: Discuss the various software platforms or operating systems through which an app can be released. [Slide 82]

• After programmers code the app, testing begins to find and fix any bugs. Once alpha and beta testing are complete, the app is ready to be released to users everywhere. [Slide 84]

• Explain alpha testing (which is done internally) and beta testing (prerelease testing, done by a sample set of users). Reinforce that apps require many changes before they are ready to be released and used by the public. In most cases, developers move into creating a second version that will incorporate updates and bug fixes. [Slide 85]

› discussion Topic: [Slide 86] Why is it important for app developers to test their apps before releasing them? Explain that before an app is released, it’s important that you’ve tested your app for any bugs. Reviews travel fast and apps that don’t run smoothly from the start won’t last. Guide the discussion, mentioning that the development stage includes a testing process.

› discussion Topic: [Slide 86] What are “metrics” and how are they relevant to app development and deployment? Reference the idea of report cards, and explain that the feedback received via metrics is similar in that it accumulates data based on performance. The data is then analyzed and provided to developers so that they can look out for possible changes.

leSSon 3-2—promoting Your App [Slides 87–92]

› discussion Topic: [Slides 88–90] What are ways an app can be promoted? Start by pointing out free promotion avenues (social media and PR), paid avenues (advertising), and websites that drive users to app stores to download. Whether it’s a paid advertisement on billboards, subways, or TV or is free word-of-mouth through social media like Facebook and Twitter, getting a new app to the target audience is crucial.

› discussion Topic: [Slide 91] Reinforce that exposure across all mediums makes it more likely that an app will be successful. Get noticed by app stores and be in their “New & Noteworthy” category, and also pitch apps to review websites and bloggers—free ways to gain the market advantage.

› discussion Topic: Lead a group review and discussion about the elements and advantages of a marketing plan for promoting an app concept. List categories of content, contacts, media, target audience, and frequency of exposure that might add versatility and coverage for the desired impact. [Slide 92]

Student Activity 3A—concept Submission [Slide 93]

• Guide teams through review of the Concept Submission Sample.

› discussion Topic: Discuss the concept and importance of an “elevator pitch” for marketing, and allow teams time to prepare one for their app concept. (See Key Terms section.)

• Students can search on Google the term “elevator pitch” or “elevator speech” for how-to’s and many more ideas. They might also review any of the Internet self-help sites discussing “problems with your elevator pitch and how to fix it.” You might also consult any number of books such as the 100-page paperback by Chris O’Leary, Elevator Pitch Essentials: How to Get Your Point Across in Two Minutes or Less, published in 2008 by the Limb Press.

Teaching Tip: Students could include a complete marketing plan as part of their final submission. The marketing plan could map out how, where, and when the app promotion will take place. The plan should include multiple channels (social media, advertising, websites, YouTube, etc.). The goal of a marketing plan might be to create maximum exposure, thus maximum app downloads.




leSSon plAn 3 (continued)

finishing the 5d process: develop and deploy

• Schedule time for team writing and rehearsal of their elevator pitches (in or out of class). Suggest they use the word count feature of their software to create shorter and longer pitches. A good rule of thumb is that you can say about 150 words in one minute.

• Have teams present their elevator pitches and receive feedback from the group. (Consider adding some theatrics and fun by creating a mock-up elevator from a large cardboard box and projecting an online countdown timer with bell tones). Criteria for evaluating an elevator pitch might include whether it is concise, clear, compelling, and conversational.

› discussion Topic: Review the entire process up to this point, and guide student reflection on the importance of each of the five process steps. Elicit student opinions about what they learned from each step and how their app concepts transformed as a result. [Slide 95]

• Have each team complete the Concept Submission Template assigned as a homework project. Provide ample time for completion.

• Final concept submissions can be turned in for teacher review and presented to the whole class or a larger invited audience. See Assessment Tools on next page.


Assessment Tools

For assessment, each team should turn in the final FSD and the Concept Submission. if students are to be evaluated for the overall experience, the following rubric may be helpful:

Mobile App Development Team Performance CriteriaApp Name Simple, brief, descriptive

Concept Brief Creative, original, descriptive, plausible, relevant to defined market

FSD Clear, well-labeled user journey flow illustrating UI and UX

Concept Presentation Full participation, visual, effective speaking, and listening

Teamwork Cooperation, participation, organization, deadline-oriented

Elevator Pitch Concise, clear, compelling, conversational

Marketing Plan Target audience, promotions, action items

if individual Mobile App concept Submission forms are to be judged, the following sample criteria-scoring sheet might be helpful:

Sample Mobile App Concept Submission Judging Criteria Sheet

Samsung Mobile App Academy Judging

breakdown

coding points: Excellent=4 Good=3 Fair=2 Poor=1

Tota

l P

oin

ts

Creativity/Originality (Functionality)

Communicate Concept Clearly

Submission (Name and/or Code) O

vera

ll C

reat

ivity

an

d O

rigin

ality

Aud

ienc

e an

d M

arke

t A

pp

rop

riate

ness

Usa

bili

ty

Mar

keta

bili

ty

Ben

efit

to C

omm

unity

Com

mun

icat

ing

Con

cep

t

Dem

onst

ratio

n of

Con

cep

t

Ove

rall

Op

inio

n of

S

ubm

issi

on


Resource Materials— Descriptions and Links

All materials listed below are available for download on the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung Mobile App Academy microsite: www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.aspx.

•Mobile App lesson plans: Three suggested lesson plans encompass nine modular and adaptable student lessons. Student activities are connected to standards and accommodate various schedules for STEM curriculum integration in formal or informal education.

•classroom presentation [Slides 1–96]: Contain core information to provide an overview of the app development process. Each slide is numbered and keyed to correlate with lesson plans.

•Student Activities Materials: This package includes materials to support student activities.

› Creative Brief Sample Provided to guide students’ thinking and imagining. Illustrates how audience, tone, features, and special aspects are communicated for an app concept.

› Creative Brief Template Helps students write their own creative brief, a critical early step in their app development process.

› Project Briefs Project scenarios provided as challenges for teams to practice using the 5D Process.

› Functional Specifications Document (FSD) Sample Provides a road map of the workings of an example app.

› Functional Specifications Document (FSD) Template Helps students clearly outline and illustrate their vision and technical documentation for a proposed app.

› Concept Submission Form Sample Documents decisions and results of key steps of 5D development process for an example app.

› Concept Submission Form Template Template suitable for team or individual use, the mobile app concept submission form serves as their final project “deployment” document. Forms can be turned in for teacher assessment and feedback or serve as the basis for a final team presentation.

•App development resources and inspiration: List of industry-vetted URLs for cutting-edge mobile app development news, blogs, inspiration, methods, design, and programming can be downloaded at: www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy/resources.aspx.


Career Connections

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies positions closely associated with activities in this guide as software developers: “[They] are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or other device. Others develop the underlying systems that run the devices or control networks.”

Quick Facts: Software Developers2010 Median Pay $90,530 per year $43.52 per hour

Entry-Level Education Bachelor’s Degree

Work Experience in a Related Occupation None

On-the-Job Training None

Number of Jobs, 2010 913,100

Job Outlook, 2010–20 30% (Much faster than average)

Employment Change, 2010–20 270,900

What Software Developers Do: Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or other device. Others develop the underlying systems that run the devices or control networks.

Work Environment: Many software developers work for computer systems design and related services firms or software publishers. Others work in computer and electronic product manufacturing industries. Most work full-time, and nearly one-fourth worked more than 40 hours per week in 2010.

How to Become a Software Developer: Software developers usually have a bachelor’s degree in computer science and strong computer-programming skills.

Pay: The median annual wage of applications software developers was $87,790 in May 2010. The median annual wage of systems software developers was $94,180 in May 2010.

Job Outlook: Employment of software developers is projected to grow 30 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. The main reason for the rapid growth is a large increase in the demand for computer software.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012–13 Edition, Software Developers. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm.

Mobile apps are often developed for organizations by project teams integrating specialists in many disciplines. Related career fields involved in mobile and tablet apps development include:

Software Engineering Hardware EngineeringChemistry Hardware Product DesignSoftware Product Design ProgrammingCreative AdvertisingLegal Patent ResearchMarket Research Survey, Poll, or Focus Group Feedback FacilitationProduct Launch Product Production

Teaching Tip: To provide students more detail, suggest they search the Internet using the URL of the above description as a starting point, www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm, and then click on the “Similar Occupations” link.


App Development— Additional Resources and Inspiration

creating apps isn’t easy, but there are many resources available to help. The links below are additional useful tools and references to guide and inspire you in teaching your students the path to app development. This document can also be downloaded at www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy/Resources.aspx.

› Tech news and stories•www.techcrunch.com/

•www.mashable.com/

•www.engadget.com/

•bits.blogs.nytimes.com/

•pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/

•www.allthingsd.com/

•www.readwrite.com/

•www.smashingmagazine.com/

•www.thenextweb.com/

•www.theverge.com/

•www.businessinsider.com/sai/mobile

•www.venturebeat.com/category/mobile/

› Innovation inspiration•www.ted.com/

•www.fastcompany.com/

•www.psfk.com/

•www.samsung.com/us/it_solutions/ innovation-center/

› Design inspiration•android.inspired-ui.com/

•www.pttrns.com/

•www.lovelyui.com/tagged/android

•www.androidpatterns.com/

•www.androidux.com/

•www.androiduiux.com/

•www.behance.net/

•www.dribbble.com/

•www.bittbox.com/

•www.visual.ly/

•www.uxmag.com/

•www.thisiscolossal.com/

•www.design.org/

•www.ffffound.com/

•www.hackdesign.org/

› Wireframing and prototypingKeynote and PowerPoint can be great tools for creating simple wireframes and prototypes. And you probably already have access to one of them! See more on how to use Keynote as a prototyping tool at: www.keynotopia.com/guides/.

•www.balsamiq.com/

•www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle

•www.proto.io/

•www.fluidui.com/

•www.uxpin.com/

•www.cacoo.com/

› Programming and development•developer.samsung.com

•developer.android.com/index.html

•www.code.org/

•www.codecademy.com/

•www.coderace.me/

•www.teamtreehouse.com/

•www.khanacademy.org/cs/

pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/

http://www.samsung.com/us/it_solutions/innovation-center/

http://android.inspired-ui.com

http://developer.android.com/index.html

developer.samsung.com

bits.blogs.nytimes.com/


Key Terms

Advertising (paid Media): This form of marketing creates exposure for your application and is paid or purchased advertising or promotion. It can take place through various mediums (television, print, Internet, etc.).

Augmented reality (Ar): Takes real-world environments or views and augments those elements through computer-generated input.

bug: Typically uncovered during app testing, a bug is a technical or usability problem.

button: Allows a user to perform a specific action. Examples are tapping a button to travel to a different screen, or tapping a “submit” button to send information through the app.

concept or creative brief: A document used by creative professionals and agencies to develop a broad creative concept and a time line for application development. The creative brief also allows for internal approval and is required before work can commence.

competitor: Applications in the market with similar concepts, functionality, and capabilities. As an example, competitors to the social-media platform Facebook include Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.

elevator pitch or elevator Speech: A short summary used to quickly and simply define a person, product, service, or organization, and its value, in the time span of an elevator ride, or approximately 30 seconds to two minutes.

exposure: Part of the marketing strategy, exposure is the number of people who have seen or been affected by the product release and its marketing or promotional plan.

functional Specifications document (fSd): This document outlines the desired behavior, user experience, and interface of an application. Includes the wireframes and the actions that each screen will have.

home Screen: This is the first screen that appears when the app has loaded. The screen can be a log-in screen or an overview of the app contents such as navigation, buttons, and icons.

icon: Often the symbol on which users click. Represents information and action, and helps users understand an app and what it can accomplish.

language or code: How the developers program the app. There are multiple options, all of which allow different functions and experiences.

Market: For the purposes of this program, the term refers to the app market, and where apps enter and exist for consumers to download and use.

Marketing or Marketing plan: Defines the target audience, how or where promotion will take place, in what time period, and what action items are required to initiate the promotion. The goal is to let potential users know the app exists, and then to get them to download.

Metrics: Developers set up metrics to collect data on various aspects of app usage. This information allows them to analyze the app to evaluate where the app is successful, and how the app can be improved in future updates.

Mobile Application (App): Software that runs on a mobile device such as a smartphone and other mobile devices, and allows the device to perform specific tasks that are typically restrictive on computers.

navigation: How a user travels through the app. This usually remains in a fixed spot within the user interface as buttons, and allows users to tap and go from screen to screen.


Key Terms (continued)

near field communications (nfc): A technology that allows devices to “talk” to each other when the two devices are touching or in close proximity to each other.

object recognition (or): Isolating elements of an image and overlay imagery or video, 3D objects, etc., which allows finding an object in an image.

platform (hardware): Various electronic devices such as a notebook computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, music or video player, or handheld tablet.

platform (operating System Software): An application can be released on various platforms, such as an Android platform, BlackBerry, Windows, and iOS. The more platforms an app is released on, the more exposure and potential downloads an app will have.

primary navigation: Drives access to the app’s core features.

public relations (earned Media): Publicity generated through promotional planning and endeavors and which is not advertising. Reviews, blogs, and mentions in a variety of media are examples.

Quality Assurance (QA): A system used throughout the development and deployment process to ensure that the app is meeting the specified requirements.

Quick response (Qr) code: A matrix bar code used by smartphones, it can serve many purposes including a way to drive potential users and can be added to promotional materials.

reach: Part of a marketing strategy, reach is the potential customers it is possible to influence through marketing, promotion, and/or product release.

Secondary navigation: Additional navigation points.

Splash Screen: The image that appears as the app is loading.

Target Audience: A group of people in a desired market that a product or message is targeted toward.

Testing (Alpha and beta): Alpha testing is the initial testing done by the team to ensure the app is running without major bugs or issues. Once alpha testing is complete, the testing moves to beta, which is also known as “prerelease testing.” Beta testing is done by a sample group of the intended audience that uses the product, and then provides feedback on its interaction and experience.

user Acceptance Testing (uAT): Typically happening late in the app development process, user acceptance testing (UAT) is when an app is tested for functionality.

user experience (uX): The way a user interacts with the app, how he or she feels about the app, how easy it is to use the app, and how the app runs and functions.

user interface (ui): How a user interacts with the visual experience of an app, which permits the user to navigate and use the application.

user Journey: Labeled flow diagram of steps that users take to complete tasks within an app.

Wireframe: A visual tool, depicting labeled screens of the mobile device, wireframes illustrate the functions, experience, and interface of the app. They illustrate what the app will look like and how it will function.