District releases Saddleback and IVC Apps for Android phones
An overall screenshot of IVC’s App, soon to come for Saddleback. (Photo courtesy of IVC )
Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College students and faculty with Android phones rejoice, the Android applications for both campuses have finally arrived.
Jim Gaston, the associate IT director for the South Orange County Community College District, was the mastermind behind the app.
“Gaston started the idea for the for the app,” said Amy Wheeler, the public information officer at Saddleback. “[He built the app to] communicate with the [students] in a way that they’re comfortable with and to make use of the new technology.”
The Android and iPhone apps have added a map and GPS feature that will show the specific location of classrooms or any area on campus.
In addition, if an instructor is using Blackboard, students can now access class content and engage in discussions right from his or her phone.
Saddleback College was actually the first community college to have an app for the Apple products, according to Wheeler.
“I think [the Saddleback and IVC Apps] are great,” Wheeler said. “We hope to get them out on other mobile phones as soon as [we can]. That is our next step after launch.”
The app will soon expand to Blackberry phones. Also, a mobile web version will be developed so that students will be able to access the app’s functions on any smart phone through a browser.
“We have had over 6,000 downloads, so we’re pleased with the level of interest our students have shown in [the apps],” Gaston said.
The Android app and iPhone app are nearly identical to each other. Both apps can access the school directories, campus map, blackboard, the class index, and have a button for emergency numbers on campus.
Android has separate apps for each campus, whereas the iPhone has one app that serves both campuses.
Also available with the app is a feature called Contact Us that will allow students to view a list of frequently called numbers on campus.
Both the Saddleback and IVC apps became available for download on Aug. 20.
Students and faculty can go online to the Android store website http://market.android.com to download the app.
According to Saddleback’s website, the apps for Blackberry products are coming very soon.