BY KARINA RAJTAR
Editor in Chief
Saint Mary’s University is offering a topics course in iPhone application development as a kick-off to the university’s membership in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program for Universities.
“Students are able to actually develop apps that they can use on the iPhone,” said Ann Smith, associate professor and department chair of computer science. Smith said the program was started by Apple “to encourage universities to introduce iPhone application development into their curriculum.” Smith said students are able to learn and develop applications through an emulator on a computer and then “push” their applications to their iPhones if they have them.
“To do that without cost, we went through the process of becoming a member (of the Apple program),” Smith said. The university went through an application process and legal agreements with Apple, but the program itself is free of charge, Smith said.Students in the topics course will focus on eight programs before working on their own application. Smith said that during the last few weeks of the semester, students will design and develop an application to meet some sort of educational need. “They’ll be able to build pretty sophisticated projects by the end,” Smith said, adding that there will be “some sort of gathering” for faculty and students to have the opportunity to see the final results.
Smith believes the program has a lot to offer students, giving them a skill that is “really popular right now.” Smith is also excited that the students have the opportunity to create applications to “fulfill real needs.”
“It gives a way to enjoy the work that we’re doing with a different sort of angle,” she said.
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