Mobile applications are everywhere – not just on smartphones and tablets, but already on TV sets and the traditional desktop as well. With this proliferation of applications that are not only designed for mobile use, but to be ubiquitous themselves, today’s students require a solid foundation of how to develop these types of applications. Furthermore, user require access to applications using a variety of underlying operating systems. As part of eduction in the mobile space, students need to be exposed to cross-device AND cross-OS development.

CPS396M – Mobile Computing: Android (Spring 2012)

As initial mobile application development course, CPS396M – Mobile Computing: Android will be offered as special topics course at Central Michigan University’s Department of Computer Science in Spring 2012. This course is split into two hands-on parts, introducing students to the Android development ecosystem and how to leverage their existing knowledge in programming (typically in Java) for Android application development during the majority of the semester.

The remaining part of the semester will provide students with the opportunity to work individually or in groups on a specific project. This project could be the next killer app, a fun idea or a research idea that can be realized in the mobile space. We will deploy the final app at the end of the semester, if applicable.

The course textbook will be Pro Android Pro.

A tentative syllabus and course outline is now available: CPS396M_General_Syllabus_Spring_2012