“We should develop an app!”
How many times have you heard this (or shouted it yourself) when working on a project? After this “aha” moment, when you’re giddy with excitement, the dim reality often hits once you mention it to someone else:
“No way, they’re too expensive!”
“But aren’t there already enough apps out there?”
“Shouldn’t be just recommend good apps to people?”
“We would never be able to produce something people would want to use.”
“A mobile app? We’ll talk about that later.”
While there definitely are legitimate reasons why an app isn’t the answer to your prayers, there are also voids in the mobile learning world and real needs Extension produced apps could fill. 4-H-related apps are in short supply for example, especially project-specific apps. So why do we have this love/hate relationship with mobile app development? I think the answer comes from our knee-jerk reactions mentioned above. Instead of focusing on if we should or shouldn’t develop an app, I think the conversation needs to be re-framed in the sense of what do our clients need that we aren’t offering them? Unless your client is a gamer or needs a task streamlined, an app isn’t going to work anyway. But if we keep responding to app requests by saying “we can’t do that”, where does the conversation go? It usually stops dead in its tracks and thus a great idea gets shelved.
Many times, a responsive website is all that is needed. Not a mobile app, not a mobile website… but a responsive website:
There are many great Extension produced apps in existence, which supports the point that we can indeed create good apps if the need exists and there is support to develop them. Here are a few examples:
– University of Illinois’ “Catch the Carrot” game
– New Mexico State University’s “Eat-And-Move-O-Matic” game
– University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s “Beef Anatomy” app– NMSU’s apps for professional development use
So how do we get past this love/hate relationship and move on to making some decisions about where mobile apps fit into our work? Here’s what needs to happen:
- We must change how we question what our clients need in a mobile environment. Forget asking “do we need an app?” We need to first ask “What are our clients’ needs when on the go? / What would make their lives easier or more fun? / What can we provide that would fill this need?”
- We must use the P.O.S.T. method to determine People / Objectives / Strategy / and Tech (in that order) to further determine and strategically decide what technologies are worth using, and which are never going to be used.
- We need to look into the crystal ball. Extension is notoriously reactive and slow to change. We’ve jumped on the mobile app bandwagon ironically as it has begun to run off the road! Mobile apps are beginning to fill very niche areas like entertainment and utility… the rest are morphing into responsively designed websites now that developers realize people aren’t using them. Taking a look at future trends (or determining where everyone else is heading in the mobile app world) can help point us in the right direction.
I believe we’re at a pivotal time in Extension to have an enormous impact: if we can determine how to best fulfill the public’s mobile learning needs. Solving the mobile app dilemma in one step in the right direction.
~Jamie
Jamie, I like your approach on this article. In particular, I think that most need to consider “Many times, a responsive website is all that is needed. Not a mobile app, not a mobile website… but a responsive website.”
I think there is another question that should be asked before after #1. Are there existing apps that Cooperative Extension can capitalize on? If there are, then the question becomes, “can we develop a program around the app?” I recently heard of someone in Extension conducting a local program and using an app with a social interface to assist with peer to peer networking to enhance behavior change. This is a cool way to use what exists.
One of the big issues is to understand the adoption of the app. Will the app be used? There are zillions of apps that simply are not adopted. If you are developing an app for 4-H, you know that you are limited to the number of people in 4-H in that program to use it. A portion of that group will use it–but not all. If it accomplishes a goal, then the ROI per user may be fairly large. That is ok as long as there is a good understanding of what it takes to develop and maintain a native app (for example, specifically made for Apple and Droid apps–meaning two different programming efforts).
So the next question is about maintenance. Can you accomplish your goals with web page that is built for mobile devices? You allude to this, but those wanting an app should understand legal ramifications of working in native apps and the need for constant upgrades in at least two operating systems. Those outside of the IT world may underestimate the “costs” associated with this need.
One of the most downloaded Extension app I know about is a Winter Disaster Safety app that was created by North Dakota State: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/10/17/north-dakota-state-university-disaster-phone-apps You can ask Bob Bertsch about the number downloads if you are interested.
Another popular iPad app is Body Quest http://www.aces.edu/family-health/health-nutrition/bodyquest/iPadApps.php. It met a need as part of the SNAP-Ed program.
Thanks for bringing this topic to a public accessible area. I am all for smart decisions in developing apps.