by A new technology-focused class had its first semester this spring at NCC. The newly created iPhone app development course will wrap up its maiden voyage at the end of this semester.
Instructed by mobile industry veteran Mark Koberlein, students learned how to build from scratch an app for Apple’s iOS mobile operating system with a specialized programming language named “Objective-C”.
Koberlein encouraged students to explore the artistic side of app development, something he stressed was important as the programming, learning to properly layout user interfaces and create new art in Adobe’s Photoshop.
Koberlein has been involved in developing applications for desktop and mobile platforms for almost three years for several companies on software for mobile credit card readers, AR Drones, and Park services.
Asked about how he would improve the class, Koberlein said, “I’d actually like it more if the class was split into two semesters, so I could go a little bit slower and spent more time doing some mobile Web stuff and then transition into more native stuff.”
For a final project, students set out to create an iPhone app of their own design from scratch. Tom Stambaugh, a second-year computer science major, demonstrated his final project to the Commuter.
“It’s a flash card application,” he said “There are two modes: studying and spell study. You can create your own cards and save them for study later.”
With mobile apps becoming the go-to way to consume media for many, the ability of these students to produce quality applications could positively affect their careers as more companies clamor for employees with app development skills.
