Teaching Students to Create Apps
Kids are born creators and artists. Early exposure to creative computing platform/tools in schools can help students unlock their full potential and bring their imagination to life with design thinking projects that prepare them well for whatever career they choose.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises on equipping students with essential skills like creativity, innovativeness, sense of aesthetics and art, problem solving, logical reasoning, digital literacy, design thinking, coding, and computational thinking. To achieve this, schools need ICT programs that offer creative and tech curriculum like App Design, Game Design, Web Design, 3D Printing, Robotics etc. to enable students to become innovators, collaborators, and problem-solvers.
Let’s understand how learning App Design & Development benefits school students
Today, we use apps for almost everything, be it – learning, banking, booking a cab, entertainment, shopping and so on. App Design & Development allows students to combine designing and coding to build such exquisite apps. It inspires them to apply their learning to solve real-world problems and transforms them from consumers of technology to creators of technology.
Design Thinking Process
Students use design thinking process wherein they research and gather data to gain a deeper personal understanding of the problem and the needs of the users for whom they are designing the app.
Based on their research and understanding – students identify and define the needs of the users and the core problems that need to be solved. Without judging or evaluating their ideas, they generate lots of ideas to address the problem.
Keeping in mind the needs of the users – students design, code, and create a model/prototype of an app that will solve the users’ problems. Then, they present their solution/model, work on the feedback received to refine their solution and create the final app.
MIT App Inventor
MIT App Inventor is one of the popular software that students use to create apps. It is an intuitive, visual programming environment that allows them to design an effective User Interface (UI) and create fully functional apps for smartphones and tablets through block-based tools in a fun and engaging environment.
21st Century Skills
Technological innovation is transforming education at a rapid pace and updating new skills for the future workplace. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robots expected to take up most of the jobs, empowering students with creativity and tech skills will ensure a successful career for them.
Learning app design & development expands 21st century skills like coding, computational thinking, logical thinking, sequencing, systematic planning, pattern recognition, analysis, ideation, unstructured thinking, empathy, and composition. It improves students’ academic performance and prepares them for future career opportunities like Mobile Designer/App Designer, App Developer, Art Worker, UI/UX Designer.
ICT 360 provides NEP aligned, STEM accredited ICT curriculum with ready-to-use content, design and computational thinking approach to projects as well as interdisciplinary learning material on an online platform that caters to today’s relevant technologies and future skills requirements. It is designed to help teachers improve their instructional practices with 21st century teaching skills through train-the-teacher program, build a strong foundation to empower students with the ability and skills to design & create amazing things on their own in a fun & engaging environment, excel in academics and prepare them to be industry- and career-ready.
With 50+ partner schools across India, it aims to empower students with creativity, problem-solving, design and advanced tech skills from an early age. These skills are essential for future job roles like AI & ML Specialist, Game Designer, Graphic Designer, Software & Applications Developer, Animator, Robotics Engineer, Data Analyst, and IOT Specialist.
