Interactive ICT Club Lesson

In this enriching session, you will:

• 
  Unlock the Power of Your Mobile: Discover and master the hidden features of your mobile phone, transforming it into a dynamic problem-solving tool.
• 
  Navigate the App Landscape: Clearly distinguish between mobile applications and web applications, understanding their unique functionalities and applications.
• 
  Explore the Realm of Artificial Intelligence: Delve into the fascinating world of AI, learning how it empowers individuals to tackle complex challenges with innovative solutions.
• 
  Identify AI in Your Everyday Life: Develop a keen eye for recognizing the pervasive presence of Artificial Intelligence, from the apps you use to the technologies that shape your world.

For your ICT Club project, you will create a technology solution, specifically an application that can run on a mobile device. Let’s explore how you can take advantage of the mobile device features to make the best solution possible.

FEATURES OF A MOBILE DEVICE

Mobile apps are software applications designed to operate on smartphones. They can use the phone’s built-in sensors, such as those for detecting location and sound, to gather information from the surrounding environment.

Check out some mobile device features by clicking on them!

Microphones, Cameras, Speakers

Allows you to take pictures, videos, and record sounds.

Think: How could an app use the camera to help identify plants?

Phone calls, Text messages, Contacts

Allows you to make phone calls, send text messages, and connect to people.

Think: How might an emergency app use contacts or messaging?

GPS

Shows the physical location of the device.

Think: What kind of app would be useless without GPS?

Web Connectivity

Allows you to send and receive information from the web on your device.

Think: How does web connectivity enable apps like social media?

Storage

Allows you to store preferences, images, and sounds on your device.

Think: Why is internal storage important for offline apps?

MOBILE APPS VS WEB APPS

You might have come across the term web app, which is not the same as a mobile app. In ICT Clubs, you’re allowed to create any of the following for your project: a mobile app, a web app, or a progressive web app.

It’s important to understand the differences between these types so you can choose the one that best fits your solution. Click on each type to learn more!

If you’re using App Inventor or Thunkable to code, you’ll be creating a mobile app. These apps can be tested and used on both Android and iOS devices.

App Inventor and Thunkable: Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

App Inventor (developed by MIT) and Thunkable (based on App Inventor) are visual block-based programming platforms designed to simplify mobile app development. A key advantage of these tools is their ability to create cross-platform applications, meaning apps that can run on both Android and iOS devices from a single codebase.

Here’s a breakdown of how this works:

• Visual Block Programming:

  Both platforms use a drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to assemble code blocks that represent different functions and actions. This eliminates the need to write complex text-based code, making app development accessible to beginners.

• Abstraction of Native Code:

  Behind the scenes, App Inventor and Thunkable abstract the underlying complexities of native Android (Java/Kotlin) and iOS (Swift/Objective-C) development. The platforms handle the conversion of the visual blocks into the appropriate native code for each operating system.

• Compilation and Deployment:

  When you build an app in App Inventor or Thunkable, the platform compiles your block-based code into executable files for both Android (.apk files) and iOS (.ipa files). You can then test these files on actual Android and iOS devices or emulators.

• Simplified Cross-Platform Development:

  This cross-platform capability significantly simplifies the development process. Instead of needing to learn separate programming languages for each operating system, you can create a single app that works on both platforms.

• Limitations:

  While App Inventor and Thunkable are cross-platform, there are some limitations. Apps that require very complex native functions or very high-performance graphic intense functions may not be able to be created using App Inventor or Thunkable.

• Benefits:

  This is especially valuable in a region like Uganda, where diverse mobile device usage may exist, enabling wider accessibility of the app. This also reduces the cost of application creation, as only one version of the application has to be made.

In essence, App Inventor and Thunkable provide a user-friendly way to create mobile apps that reach a broader audience by supporting both Android and iOS platforms.

Mentor Tip

These videos will provide a clear understanding of how technology can be used to solve real-life problems and some of the issues that come with technology, making the concept more relevant and engaging.

Guiding Questions to ask (Reflect & Type Your Answers):

WHAT ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?

Artificial intelligence is a strong and impactful technology that can enhance your app solution. While it’s not a required element for your project, it’s encouraged that you take the time to learn about AI and explore how it could be integrated into your idea. Although AI may not fit every type of solution, it can be a valuable feature in many situations.

But what is Artificial Intelligence? To define it, let’s break it down into two words. Click on each word!

So, one definition could be that AI is something made by people to emulate the human brain by solving problems.

AI can do 4 main things. Click on each one to reveal more:

Do these 4 criteria sound like things that humans are capable of? Yes, they do!

You can think of AI as something that tries to work or think like a human.

SOME EXAMPLES of AI in action (Click to learn more):

Understand or Sense

Toy robots and vacuums use sensors to find their way around.

Voice assistants can tell when you say their name and will respond to you when you do.

Learn

Netflix and YouTube learn what videos you like in order to suggest other videos to watch.

Use models to make decisions

Alexa learns to understand your voice. The more you talk to her, the better she understands what you say.

Google Maps and Waze use models of streets to plan directions.

IBM’s Deep Blue uses a chessboard model to learn to beat world champion chess players.

INTERACT WITH HUMANS

Chatbots like Siri or Google Assistant respond to what people say and can have conversations with humans.

Personal robots are able to read emotions and act like humans.

AI is used to solve all sorts of problems!

MENTOR TIP

As teams start thinking about how to solve their chosen problem, it’s important that they consider how technology can be meaningfully integrated into their solution. Encourage them to explore different ways mobile and web apps have been used to inspire ideas for developing their own project.

Use the videos below to expand your understanding of the use of AI in daily tasks and share it with your teams.

Guiding Questions to ask (Reflect & Type Your Answers):

Watch these videos to see different advancements made possible with Artificial Intelligence.

REVIEW OF KEY TERMS (Click to flip!)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Check out how some past ICT club participants used mobile apps to solve a problem in their community!

MAGIC CARDS

This app teaches young children new words.

CULTIMORA

This app helps users decide what crops to plant

HIDDEN WOMEN

This app empowers young women to pursue STEM fields through games.

And here are some projects that incorporated AI into their apps.

MAJI

Maji uses AI to determine real-time water quality and make information available to users.

ABOAT TIME

This app analyzes bird sounds to predict the health of a lake ecosystem.

QUAKE IT OFF

This web app helps to predict earthquakes and provide safe escape routes.