IV. Similar Mobile Applications

The University of Oregon [11] uses a similar app, only as an iPhone app, to help their students find their way around campus. The app is designed to help new students navigate their way through the campus during the university’s Week of Welcome Orientation. Over the last 20 years, their InfoGraphics Lab gradually built its database with geographic information about the school to help fulfill the university’s operational needs (such as showing maintenance crews where the circuit breakers are located) and populate its digital maps with features. In 2007, the lab decided to create an interactive web map of the campus to help new students and faculty members familiarize themselves with their new environment. This specific school does not use Microsoft or Google maps but customized their own map. They used their data collection, including aerial photos of the campus, from the past few decades and created their map. The free app plays a major role in the university’s Week of Welcome. The app helps the students find their dorms, bookstores, registration events, and classrooms. The developers used the iPhone GPS to give walking directions to find all the buildings on campus, which they called the “Walk Me” feature of the app. This feature displays the start/end positions on the map and estimated walking time.

The University of Colorado [13] also uses a similar app, as iPhone and Android app, but provides so much more. This school offers their entire website as an app. The CU Denver mobile app includes the following:

·      Interactive map of the campus

·      Downtown Denver weather updates

·      Campus news, events, updates and safety alerts

·      Contact directory for academic and student service offices

·      Checklists for new students, financial aid applications, graduation procedures

·      Social media such as Twitter feeds, YouTube videos, and student polls

·      Info on Admissions, campus resources, student policies, tuition and funding, and registration

·      Quick links to webmail and Blackboard

This app can be used all year and by all students. The CU Denver mobile app access fine location sources such as the Global Positioning System on the device, where available.

The University of Connecticut [12] uses a similar concept but is not an actual app. The university simply linked everything together with different websites. If you have any device that can get an internet connection you can access the campus map. The university uses Google maps for both their desktop and mobile version. The difference with this school is that you can search for buildings by the code, name, department, or category (arts/culture, food/cafes, residence halls). It also shows photos and descriptions of the building so you know exactly what you are looking for and know when you have arrived. The school also provides detailed driving directions in case you want to use your own GPS. If you are driving the website will provide details information on public parking for popular facilities.

Penn State [14] also uses the same concept as the University of Connecticut, not an actual app but a website with everything linked together. However, Penn State provides a little more information. The school uses Google maps with custom code to show icons for buildings with available computers. Using the mobile app, balloon markers for the buildings will be shown in green, yellow, and red depending on the percentage of open computers. Mobile text pages are available so you may select a campus, then building and room will show room details, and it will show who utilizes that room along with their contact information. The website will show when the room is scheduled to be used, whether it is for a class or a meeting.