In early 2023, Carleton University launched its new Carleton Mobile app for students, refreshing an application originally launched in 2011 to provide quick access to essential student systems and services.
As Taylor Smith, Manager of Student Social Initiatives (Web/Digital), explained, “the impetus for the new app was to reimagine how we could deliver an excellent user experience to students, while utilizing cutting-edge technology and app development best practices”.
The renewal of Carleton Mobile is an ongoing effort that is being carried out in phases with joint effort by the Office of the Vice-President, Students and Enrolment (OVPSE) and Information Technology Services (ITS).
The first phase of Carleton Mobile was launched in January 2023, and the renewed app features a modern design, news and events feeds, course schedules, student account information, student service search, campus map, emergency notifications, grade notifications, push notification customization and a bookmarking function. The new Carleton Mobile app is currently available for download on both the Apple App store and Google Play.
With the leadership of Greg Aulenback (OVPSE) and Danny Brown (ITS), resources across campus were brought together to get this project completed on a compressed timeline. The development of the new Carleton Mobile app involved various teams across OVPSE and ITS.
“Collaboration with teams across campus has been vital to the success of this project,” says Smith, “Collaborative efforts like this demonstrate what we can achieve when we work together towards continuous improvement and a shared goal of making things better for our students.”
The Benefit of In-House Development
The new Carleton Mobile app was developed in-house, with a foundation from Modus, and runs on both iOS and Android devices.
“By developing the Carleton Mobile app in-house, we can quickly iterate and apply new features and functions by leveraging our existing skills and cross-functional teams,” says Smith.
This approach ensures a more responsive development process and enables quick updates to the app, without having to rely on external vendors. In this way, the Carleton Mobile app can promptly adapt to meet the evolving needs of the Carleton community.
Building on Previous Knowledge
Developing the new Carleton Mobile app was a significant undertaking, but the teams behind it used their past project experiences to streamline the development process.
According to Jared Losier, Senior Programmer Analyst with the Software Development team at ITS, the various teams applied their knowledge from previous projects. “We’re pulling in all those lessons learned immediately—we’re starting on a stronger framework, a stronger codebase, with less issues and generally more efficiency,” he says.
The team in OVPSE had already created several in-house web applications, including the Wellness Services Navigator and the Student Affairs Registration Management System (SARMS); these played a role in shaping the vision of the newly revamped Carleton Mobile. The Wellness Services Navigator provided helpful insights into user interface design and content strategy, which were valuable when the team started to examine what Carleton Mobile could be. And SARMS is a Laravel app that informed the development approach of Carleton Mobile.
One of the major components of the Carleton Mobile app is its integration with Banner, the university’s enterprise resource planning system, so that it can interface with student information. Thanks to the API Store, which launched alongside the cuScreen project, it only took two days to integrate the new Carleton Mobile app with Banner.
The API Store has built-in optimizations that enable students to retrieve information rapidly. For a student logging in for the first time, it can take as little as one tenth of a second for the app to authenticate them, make an API call through the network, pass through layers of security to interface with the API Store and access the information they are looking for. On subsequent logins, the process can be even quicker due to optimized caching.
These swift response times enhance the student experience by providing them with quick access to information.
Positive Responses from the Carleton Community
Since its launch, the new Carleton Mobile app has received positive feedback from students across campus. With more than 7,000 installs on iOS and an additional 1,600 on Android, the new app has already made a significant impact on the Carleton community. Moreover, the app has achieved an impressive 4.5/5 rating on both the Google Play and Apple App Store.
Nadine Basil, a third-year marketing student, expressed her enthusiasm for the app, saying “Carleton Mobile has everything I need to prepare me for my day at Carleton.” She highlighted the convenience of having easy access to her timetable, upcoming events, and important announcements with just a touch of a button.
For third-year law student Diya Modhera, the app has been a helpful tool for staying up to date on class activities. “The app is very easy to use and helps me stay updated on what’s going on in my classes, especially with the notifications that let me know when a grade is posted,” she said. “It makes the little things easier.”
Quinn Lin, a fourth-year psychology student, praised the app’s well-designed and user-friendly interface. “I feel like I’m getting more out of the app than I did before!”
The Next Phase
The renewal of Carleton Mobile illustrates Carleton’s commitment to providing an exceptional student experience through the innovative use of technology.
Following the success of its launch, the Carleton Mobile app will continue to be renewed in phases. The university is currently assessing the potential for many exciting new features, some of which include:
- Student exam schedule
- Exam schedule notification
- Updated campus map
- Campus Card features
- Student Experience Questionnaires
The collaborative efforts between teams, as well as the advantages of having an in-house development team, have resulted in the creation of an app that meets the specific needs of Carleton students. As the app continues to evolve and improve, Carleton Mobile will remain a vital tool for Carleton students.
This story is a part of ITS’s Year in Review for 2022/23. Read more at our Year in Review homepage, or follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #ITSYearinReview. Thanks for reading!