The University of Wisconsin is currently considering the development of several mobile programs that would deliver campus information into the palms of students’ hands.
Noting a rise in the use of mobile technology, University Communications and the Department of Information Technology are working together to create programs aimed at students that are unique to the university.
DoIt spokesperson Brian Rust said one particularly interesting proposed application would allow students to enter a class into their phone and receive step by step directions to the building and classroom it is located in, as well as information about the class and professor.
He added while these elaborate applications may not be available until next fall, some more simple tasks — like the ability to access UW webpages on a Blackberry or other smart phone with a small screen — could be ready this semester.
UW spokesperson John Lucas said an example of how this kind of technology has been applied elsewhere is the Madison Metro Bus application, which allows bus riders to see exactly where their bus is at any moment.
Lucas added the project is in the very early stages, and few details have been decided upon.
The 2010 Horizon report, a survey published by the New Media Consortium and the Educause Learning Initiative found mobile technology is becoming more and more prevalent with every year.
The report said more than 4 billion people worldwide are mobile technology subscribers. It added over 1 billion new phones are made every year, with smart phones the fastest growing style of phone.
Rust said this is the perfect time to begin developing these projects.
“It’s in the news now. The percentage of ownership and the expectation by owners of these devices is sort of at a sweet spot for campus development,” Rust said.
Rust said the first thing developers will be doing is looking at the market for these applications at UW. He said the number of mobile devices that access UW’s webpages and the number of students and staff that own smart phones, netbooks and tablets will be important information.
Once this information has been assessed, programmers will work to choose the most relevant programs for UW students.
