MIS3580– Mobile Application Development
Spring 2021
About the Instructor:
Prof. Taha Havakhor (taha.havakhor@temple.edu)
201C Speakman Hall
Phone: (215) 204-6945
Profile: http://community.mis.temple.edu/thavakhor
ITA: Matt Hilkene <matthew.hilkene@temple.edu>
Prerequisites:
MIS2402. Prior programming and/or web development experience is required.
Course Description:
The Mobile Application Development course intends to expand your knowledge of programming by covering the principles of designing native mobile apps. The course focuses on Facebooks’ React Native framework, an increasingly popular JavaScript-based way of developing native mobile apps. React Native allows you to design, test, and sell mobile applications for both Android phones and iPhones. Covered in the course are topics related to connecting your app to NoSQL databases, particularly Google’s popular Firebase database platform. The course also intends to increase your overall proficiency in application development and introduce you to up-to-date practices of managing and publishing your code via platforms such as GitHub. The course material is delivered in a learning-by-doing style, where you start by building small native applications in class to learn the basics and finish by completing a real-life prototype. The end goal is to enable you to build real-world applications and publish (or even sell!) them in Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store. In addition to the practice apps you build throughout the semester, the final evaluation is based on an independent project that you complete by building a mobile application based on your own idea or a set of app suggestions you receive from the course instructor.
Course Objectives:
- Learn and apply the basic principles common to mobile programming
- Develop the logical thinking skills to be able to break down tasks into component steps and express those steps in code.
- Be able to use debugging tools to identify problems with the code.
- Learn the basic structure and syntax of React Native and Firebase. Be able to use and combine these languages to present a complete mobile solution.
- Get an understanding of client/server interactions in mobile development.
- Be able to use REST APIs and Firebase to send and retrieve data in React Native framework.
- Publish and control your code through GitHub.
- Publish and sell your app both in Google and Apple marketplaces.
Textbook and Materials:
No textbooks required.
Evaluation and Grading:
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Grades are always communicated to the student as a percentage – i.e., on a scale of 0 to 100.
Once a grade is communicated electronically, students have a 2-week window of time in which they may approach the instructor during office hours and question the grade received. Grade adjustments will not be considered after this window has closed. Of course, during the last week of the semester, study days, and finals week, the 2-week window may shorten. Grade adjustments will not be considered 48 hours after the last day of final exams.
Evaluation:
Evaluations are based strictly on 5 assignments and a final individual project. There will be no impromptu (‘pop’) quizzes or exams.
Attendance and Participation:
Attendance and participation are essential. Students can miss up to 3 classes for any reason without detriment to their attendance grade.
After three absences, a student’s attendance grade will drop as follows: A student with 3 or fewer absences receives 100% attendance credit. A student with 4 to 7 absences receives 50% attendance credit. A student with 8 or more absences receives 0% attendance credit.
In order to track attendance, a sign in sheet will be distributed at the start of each class. Any attempt to sign in on behalf of another student will be treated as a case of academic dishonesty and will have serious consequences for both students. See the “Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty” portion of the syllabus for details.
If a student does miss class, it is the student’s responsibility to catch up if class is missed. While every student is encouraged to use office hours to gain a better understanding of class material, office hours are NOT for helping students catch up on material they missed because they were absent.
Finally, please be advised that the instructor may, at his/her discretion, deduct additional points from the attendance/participation grade of a student. A student who consistently fails to contribute to course-related conversation or who engages in classroom conduct that impedes the learning of other student can expect such a point deduction. This deduction will be applied at the sole discretion of the instructor, and without warning. This deduction may be applied to any student, regardless of the student’s documented attendance record.
If this attendance policy presents a hardship due to illness or other dire circumstance, please inform the instructor and provide any requested documentation. Exceptions to the attendance policy are possible, but not likely.
Extra Credit and Curved Grading:
Extra credit opportunities will not be offered as a way to compensate for poor academic performance earlier in the semester.
Individual exams and quizzes are not curved. A single curve to the overall numeric grades for the class may be applied at the end of the semester, after all quizzes and exams are completed, in order to conform the class to the GPA distribution expected by the school. There is no guarantee that such a curve will be applied.
Assignments:
Throughout the semester assignments will be provided to compliment classroom instruction. These assignments will be graded. There will be 5 graded assignments provided in the semester. Assignments typically begin as in-class activities. The assignment is begun in class with assistance from the instructor and the student is then left to complete the assignment independently.
Assignment solutions will not be provided by the instructor. However, assignment solutions may be reviewed in class, and/or also presented via video. Students who encounter difficulty with a particular assignment are encouraged follow along with the solution video or class capture, typing as they go.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:
Please see the following:
http://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/about-temple-university/student-responsibilities/
It is important to do your own work, and to not present the work of others as if it were your own. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class.
This zero-tolerance policy applies to class attendance tracking as well. Any attempt to impersonate the identity of another student on the class attendance sheet will result in both students being penalized.
Likewise, any attempt to deliberately interfere with the technology used in this class (e.g. the class server), or to electronically impersonate a student other than yourself, or to knowingly share your credentials with another student for the purpose of sharing your work, will also be treated as a case of academic dishonesty. All students involved in such events or activities will be penalized.
Penalties for such actions range from a failing grade in the entire course to expulsion from the program. Instances of cheating and plagiarism are very likely to be reported to the University Disciplinary Committee.
Disability Disclosure Statement:
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a documented disability, including special accommodations for access to technology resources and electronic instructional materials required for the course, should contact the instructor privately to discuss the specific situation by the end of the second week of classes or as soon as practical. Students should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) at 215-204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex to learn more about the available resources. The instructor will work with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities.
Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities:
The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link:
http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02
Getting Help
Students who wish to contact the instructor or the class ITA via email should use a simple subject line of “MIS3580”. Students who do this can expect to receive a response from the instructor by the end of the next business day.
Please be advised that email correspondence is not an ideal way to trouble-shoot / resolve a technical problem. In-person meetings are usually much more productive.
Students who need assistance are encouraged to do the following
- Visit the instructor during office hours
- Schedule a session with the ITA (These are first come, first serve, and subject to the ITA’s availability)
Schedule:
The following is a tentative schedule:
|
Week |
Class |
Topic |
|
1 |
1 |
Introduction to React Native |
|
1 |
2 |
Setting up the environment |
|
2 |
3 |
Principles of mobile design |
|
2 |
4 |
Principles of mobile design |
|
3 |
5 |
Views and Widgets |
|
3 |
6 |
Views and Widgets (Assignment 1 posted) |
|
4 |
7 |
OOP in React |
|
4 |
8 |
OOP in React |
|
5 |
9 |
Methods and events |
|
5 |
10 |
Methods and events (Assignment 2 posted) |
|
6 |
11 |
Wellness Day |
|
6 |
12 |
Error Checking- Review of Upcoming Lab |
|
7 |
13 |
NoSQL Integration |
|
7 |
14 |
NoSQL Integration |
|
8 |
15 |
External API’s and Native Features |
|
8 |
16 |
External API’s and Native Features (Assignment 3 posted) |
|
9 |
17 |
Multi-user Apps and Data Gathering |
|
9 |
18 |
Multi-user Apps and Data Gathering |
|
10 |
19 |
Multi-user Apps and Data Gathering |
|
10 |
20 |
Multi-user Apps and Data Gathering (Assignment 4 posted) |
|
11 |
21 |
Review of Final Project (Assignment 5 posted) |
|
11 |
22 |
UX and Figma |
|
12 |
23 |
Reviewing the Final Project Screen Designs (Deliverable 1 due) |
|
12 |
24 |
Reviewing the Final Project Data Models (Deliverable 2 due) |
|
13 |
25 |
Individual Project Feedback and Practice |
|
13 |
26 |
Reviewing the Final Project’s Main Screen (Deliverable 3 due) |
|
14 |
27 |
Individual Project Feedback and Practice |
|
14 |
28 |
Reviewing the Final Project (Deliverable 4 due) |
|
|
|
Individual Project Files with Feedback Applied Due on Official Exam Day |