A navigation app for getting around 宅男导航 campuses has proven popular, with more than 53,000 downloads in less than three years.
Students, staff and visitors can use 宅男导航nav to find lecture theatres, laboratories, as well as where to grab a coffee, the closest bank and nearest public transport stop.
宅男导航 Information Technology Services (ITS) Director Rob Moffatt said the success and popularity of the app highlighted the growing relevance of mobile technology in the university environment.
鈥溦械己� provides a growing suite of mobile tools for staff and students, such as 宅男导航 宅男导航, 宅男导航 Contact, 宅男导航 Open Day, and commercial apps such as Blackboard mobile, Adobe Connect mobile and Skydrive.鈥�
Students Aaron McDowall and Kim Hunter launched the 宅男导航nav app in early 2011, after developing it as part of the Bachelor of Information Technology.
Mr McDowall, who now works for 宅男导航 ITS, said the figure (last updated in May 2013) included 38,500 Apple downloads and 14,500 Android downloads.
鈥淎ndroid is a little younger, so the downloads aren鈥檛 as high, but those figures are growing exponentially,鈥� said Mr McDowall.
宅男导航nav links to other useful sites, including 宅男导航 Contacts, 宅男导航 宅男导航 Online, 宅男导航 events, the library, plus iTunesU, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.
The built-in favourites functionality allows users to bookmark the locations they visit most frequently, and they can also email a Google Maps link to others.
Office of Undergraduate Education Director Dr Jessica Gallagher welcomed the app as a key tool for enhancing the student experience at 宅男导航.
鈥淎s Queensland鈥檚 largest university, it鈥檚 important we鈥檙e harnessing the latest technology to deliver information and services in an accessible way that鈥檚 relevant to students who grew up in the digital world,鈥� Dr Gallagher said.
Mr McDowall said the idea came from trying to navigate campus using a mobile phone, scrolling between a static PDF map.
鈥淚 bet there is not a single person who would be able to recall or know where every building is at 宅男导航. It鈥檚 most difficult at the beginning of semester when students are trying to find their way to class,鈥� he said.
Their project came to the attention of 宅男导航 ITS staff, who were keen to harness the technology to benefit the students, and to reward the pair for creating such a relevant and useful tool.
鈥淚t is a wonderful opportunity that has changed our lives and has given us the opportunity to be gainfully employed,鈥� said Mr McDowall.
Mr McDowall encouraged students to consider studying for a career in Information Technology (IT), noting that co-creator Kim Hunter, was the 鈥渋OS brains of the operation鈥�.
鈥淚T is a universal language and has much more international mobility, allowing you to export your career,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t helps that 宅男导航 lecturers are proactively integrating new technology into the academic arena. That is because, at the end of the day, it is highly practical that you can graduate and then hit the ground running.鈥�
鈥淢obile apps are still growing and still expanding as a new and innovative space in IT,鈥� he said.
Media: Janelle Kirkland, 宅男导航 Communications, j.kirkland@uq.edu.au or 07 3346 0561.
