The Mobile Garage

Ending Mobile Central Support for Native BlackBerry Apps

 

For some time now we’ve been evaluating the usage of our platforms - always looking to increase the efficiency of our team, and focus on the areas of highest value to our clients. It is from this perspective that, with heavy thumbs, we have decided to end active support for the native BlackBerry platform, as of December 31^st 2012.

 

Your Right to Choose

Have you ever been on your way to tailgate when you realized you forgot to post a comment to your class discussion board? What do you do? About face, go back to your dorm, sit down, plug away and miss out on the fun? Or forgo the assignment all together?

How about neither?

What do I mean? Well, with Blackboard Mobile Learn, you can check grades, grab presentations and documents, even post on your class discussion board right from your phone. And, now access to the app is only a few taps away on iOS or Android.

UALR Mobile Makes Prime Time News

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) is making headlines with their new campus app! With everything from interactive maps and real-time trolley trackers, to Blackboard access, UALR is keeping students connected while they're on the go. Reporters were especially impressed when Peter Stuckey, associate director of Information Technology Services, gave a tour of the UALR campus (from the backseat of a golf cart) using Augmented Reality.

Check out the entire spot on Today's THV

"More and more people - especially college-age people - are accessing information via their smartphones and tablets more than desktop computers," said Stuckey. "UALR Mobile puts campus information and Blackboard classes in the palm of our students' hands."

Download UALR Mobile for iOS.

Bond University improves test scores with Mobile Learning (and gets an award!)

One of the biggest challenges in the mobile learning movement has been quantifying its impact. For tackling this challenge (and finding impressive results to boot), we are excited to announce that Dr. Shelley Kinash of Bond University has won this year’s Blackboard Catalyst Award for Mobile Innovation in Teaching & Learning.

Bond University has systematically studied the impact of Mobile Learning on student achievement and student engagement, and found that students who used iPads loaded with Blackboard Mobile Learn ultimately scored higher grades than their peers on quizzes, assignments, and final exams. They’ve published several academic papers on their findings, but have summed up their research in this video.

Dr. Kinash will receive her award during The Blackboard Catalyst Awards Luncheon at BbWorld 2012 on Thursday, July 12^th, and will give a feature presentation about Bond University’s Mobile Initiative from 8:30am – 9:25am earlier that day. We’re honored that Dr. Kinash will be making the trip to New Orleans all the way from Australia, and congratulate Bond University on their successful mobile learning program!  

Your Students Are Mobile, Why Aren’t You?

I recently posted on Blackboard Blogs about the positive effects of mobile learning in the classroom. Here’s an excerpt from that recent post:

Imagine this:a group of students sitting in a classroom with mobile devices in their hands and a teacher overseeing them with a similar mobile device in their hands. What are your first thoughts about the teacher overseeing their activities?

If your initial impression of this situation isn’t positive – you aren’t alone. The movement from the wholesale banning of mobile devices and technology in the classroom to their adoption as best practice in the classroom is happening fast and is still new enough that misconceptions linger. Whether it is embodied in the prevalent fear that mobile media encourages distraction or just a suspicion that it’s a way for teachers to shirk off their responsibilities – the shift to a pro-mobile learning mindset is far from complete.

All Signs Pointing to Mobile?

To read more check out the post on the Blackboard Blog