App Development Standard
Create a working prototype of an app in 10-12 sessions
Primary, Secondary and FE
10-12 sessions
In-class or extracurricular
Zero to basic programming
Course Summary
- Student work in teams or individually to design and build an app that solves a problem they care about
- Students work their way through a range of activities, split across 10-13 sessions
- Optional sessions to support development of team working and presentational skills
- See below for the scheme of work, student workbook, and learning objectives
Course sessions
Login or sign up now to access all of the sessions
- Session 1: Course Launch
-
Session 2: Team Building (Optional)
-
Session 3: Spotting Problems
-
Session 4: Screening Ideas
-
Session 5: Industry Engagement (Optional)
-
Session 6: Understanding Your Users' Needs
-
Session 7: UX Design
-
Session 8: Click-through Prototype
-
Session 9: Planning Your Build
-
Session 10: Build Your App
-
Session 11: Test Your App
-
Session 12: Pitch Your Ideas
Core resource
Course workbook for students
- Printable student A4 workbook containing practical activities.
- Guides you and your students through the course.
- Fully editable, making it easy for you to adopt to meet your needs.
Core resource
Scheme of Work
- Get a quick overview of the course structure
- Review the learning objectives and otucomes for each session
Core resource
Expert Feedback Tool
This video explains how to use our brand new Expert Feedback tool to obtain personalised feedback on your project from our Industry Expert volunteers.
-
Session 1
Course Launch
Learning objectives
Core
- Understand how problems can be solved using technology
- Be able to set yourself success criteria for a project
Challenge
- Be able to analyse existing apps and understand what problem they solve
Go to session
-
Session 2
Team Building (Optional)
Learning objectives
Core
- Understand the importance of teamwork
- Understand what makes a good team member
Challenge
- Be able to agree common team values
- Be able to negotiate and agree the ground rules for your team
-
Session 3
Spotting Problems
Learning objectives
Core
- Be able to identify the communities you belong to
- Identify everyday problems which could be solved by a mobile app
Challenge
- Understand a range of techniques which can be used to generate new ideas
-
Session 4
Screening Ideas
Learning objectives
Core
- Be able to expand and develop initial ideas to create a better understanding of the problem to be solved
- Gain a better understanding of potential obstacles that your app ideas could face in the existing market
Challenge
- Be able to critically evaluate app ideas and select the strongest to take forward
-
Session 5
Industry Engagement (Optional)
Learning objectives
Core
- Be able to convey the key concepts of your app idea in a 30 second pitch to an industry expert
- Be able to obtain constructive feedback on your app ideas
Challenge
- Understand the apps market and be able to identify your main competitors
- Be able to act on constructive feedback to improve your app
-
Session 6
Understanding Your Users' Needs
Learning objectives
Core
- Gain a better understanding of the technical requirements of your app
- Be able to draw wireframes and create paper prototypes
Challenge
- Be able to define your minimum viable product
- Be able to adjust your app designs to ensure that they are technically feasible
-
Session 7
UX Design
Learning onjectives
Core
- Understand how the design of your app can affect the user experience
Challenge
- Be able to improve the user experience of your app by considering its design and flow
-
Session 8
Click-through Prototype
Learning objectives
Core
- Understand how to create screen layouts using App Lab
Challenge
- Be able to build a click-through prototype of your app using App Lab
-
Session 9
Planning Your Build
Learning objectives
Core
- Understand how to use pseudocode and flowcharts to plan out your app
Challenge
- Create detailed flowcharts and/or pseudocode to plan out the development of your app
-
Session 10
Build Your App
Learning objectives
Core
- Understand how to add functionality to your app using App Lab
Challenge
- Be able to build a technical prototype of your app using App Lab
-
Session 11
Test Your App
Learning objectives
Core
- Understand the importance of testing in the app development lifecycle
Challenge
- Be able to act on the feedback received to improve the functionality and usability of your technical prototype
-
Session 12
Pitch Your Ideas
Learning objectives
Core
- Understand potential ways you can fund your app development
- Understand how to present your ideas effectively
Challenge
- Be able to summarise the key points of your app in a short presentation
- Be able to reflect on your progress during the project