Developing Mobile Learning...Using Your Existing Toolkit!

Intro

• Chad Udell

• Solutions Architect - Float Learning

• Blog at Visualrinse.com and FloatLearning.com

What’s wrong with this?

There’s an app for that...

• First: It’s a marketing slogan.

• Now: It’s a C Level directive.

• They don’t know, nor they care how it happens

• They don’t know the tools typically involved in developing mobile apps

You’re left to create learning...

• Do you build an app for that?

• What purpose does that serve?

• How do you get smart about native app development in time?

• You can’t hire anyone!

Remember... why mobile?

Do you need an app?

• Are you using deep hardware integration?

• Do you need to monetize it?

Advantages, disadvantages

So, no native app?

• What then?

• Mobile Web Dev

• Cross Platform Dev and cross compile

• Considerations

• Demos

What’s up in Mobile Web?*

• Various JS Frameworks

• Sproutcore

• JQTouch

• Scriptaculous/Prototype

• Adobe Spry

• iWebkit

• iUI

• Sencha

Plusses in Mobile Web

• Overall, it works.

• Development is pretty easy

• Deployment is just like web dev

Minuses in Mobile Web

• Debugging stinks.

• Compatibility is a pain

• Device capabilities are not equal

• Hardware access – Not happening.

• Optimization - time machine to 1999!

So, I Guess I Need An App...

• Not too interested in learning a ton of new tech

• Need a quick and easy deployment path

• Need to hit multiple platforms

• Adobe Flash CS5/Adobe AIR

• PhoneGap

• Appcelerator

• Gianduia/Xcode?

Help me! I’m drowning!

Adobe’s Mobile Solutions

• The iPhone Debacle - CS5 Packager

• Android Mobile

• Flash Player 10.1, AIR

• Dreamweaver’s HTML5 Extension

• Device Central

PhoneGap

• Build once, deploy multiple

• Can build and package web apps as native

• Android, iPhone, Blackberry

• Not fully optimized

• Not much hardware integration

Appcelerator

• Build once, deploy multiple

• Can build and package web apps as native

• Android, iPhone, Blackberry (soon)

• Cross compiles to native code

• More HW integration

Making sense of it all.

Deploying to the cloud

What’s up there?

Next Steps

• Examine your toolkit for mobile deployment options and plugins

• Download the simulators, but look for hardware

• Check out the rapid development platforms

In Closing.

• Don’t jump to the “We Need an App for that” conclusion

• Educate your management

• Don’t discount JavaScript

• Try native development at your pace, using things you are familiar with.