When it comes to the online digital space, those between the ages of sixteen and thirty are spending an average of 3.2 hours a day on their phone or 22.4 hours throughout a seven-day period. For universities, this poses an opportunity for connecting and engaging with students, as it’s no secret that the majority of those on campus will have access to a smartphone, tablet, or portable laptop. This has led many Canadian universities to create education apps and university apps specifically for their student population. These university apps offer a wide range of services, from enrolling in classes and making fee payments for tuition and books to getting access to campus security and timetable scheduling. Without these mobile applications in the form of educational mobility solutions, students would likely still participate in these activities, albeit in a less efficient manner through a mobile web browser or third-party application.
1. The University of Dalhousie Mobile Application.
The Dalhousie mobile application, DalSAFE, takes a different approach in that it provides an integrated safety messaging system that provides security information for safety precautions in the form of campus alerts. Campus alerts provide information about campus closures, major campus hazards, and urgent events that community members, staff, students, and faculty need to know about on a pressing basis. The application has been live for over five years and has eight thousand concurrent subscribers. Features include getting access to push notifications about security updates, quick access to emergency contacts, a BlueLight service which discreetly informs the Dal Security of a serious incident in progress, and access to Dalhousie’s Tiger Patrol (free shuttle service). Beyond this, students get access to campus maps, parking information, a virtual walk-home service (Friend Walk), and information on human rights & equity services as well as healthcare and wellness services. Students who want campus alerts without downloading the application can subscribe via SMS. It is available on IOS, Android, and Blackberry.
2. The University of Toronto Mobile Application.
Students who are attending the University of Toronto have access to the UofT mobile application which provides students, visitors, staff, and faculty members with access to a wide plethora of information. The mobile application combines all sources of information from the University of Toronto’s website and places it at your fingertips. You can get access to the University of Toronto’s following social media platforms Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube as well as their present’s blog, “ULife,” announcements, and important dates. Beyond this, the application does have a course finder which allows you to search through courses and see session information. You may also get access to important events, the education portal, and the library portal. It is available on Android – Google Play.
