General information

This course provides an introduction to mobile application development based on the Android platform; it also covers different aspects related to mobile computing. Additional information is available in the course syllabus. The course takes place entirely online and is mostly based on independent learning supported by both the provided material and the online modules.

The course material is available under the corresponding section in the MyCourses workspace of the course (the one you are currently viewing) and consists of different resources, ranging from documents, videos, and a collection of other material available over the Internet. Hands-on material useful to complete the assignments is available under tutorials.

Online modules include programming assignments and exercises, both available through the A+ learning management system. Programming assignments consist in developing simple Android applications; exercises are made of both questionnaires (either single- or multiple-choice) as well as free-text answers to questions and problems related to the course material. Assignments and exercises are automatically graded and feedback is given by the system as soon as the submission is processed (it may take a few minutes for the Android assignments).

The course has a code of conduct that has to be followed for all related activities.

Assessment

Online modules give a up to 120 points. At least 30 points are needed for the assignments and 10 points for the exercises to complete the course. Each online module has an opening date, a submission deadline as well as a late submission deadline. All modules allow a one-week late submission with 50% point penalty. Grades are given based on the number of points, according to the following table:

Points     Grade
0–39 0
40–55 1
56–71 2
72–87 3
88–104 4
105+ 5

The table shows indicative values: the actual thresholds for given grades could be relaxed at the end of the course. Thus, if you target a certain grade in the table, you will not be given a grade lower than that.

A+ workspace of the course

The A+ workspace of the course is available here. You must enroll in the course the first time you visit the corresponding page. The main workspace page shows the online modules and the related information, including the opening time, the standard and late submission deadlines, and the total number of points currently obtained in that module. The same page also shows the number of points for the two categories of online modules (i.e., assignments and exercises) on the right, together with the thresholds for the minimum number of points to be obtained in each category. The left side of the page has a menu with links to different resources for quick reference; they also include a link to the MyCourse page and the Slack channel of the course (see below for the details).

Contacting the course staff

The course staff can be reached in two different ways.

  • On Slack through the Aalto MCC workspace. The Aalto MCC Slack workspace is shared between different courses and has several channels. The one relevant to this course is #mad and can be used for any course-specific queries, including discussion on practicalities, exercises, and assignments. Slack channels in the Aalto MCC workspace are public, namely, their content is visible to all channel members. Do not send private messages to the course staff but send an email to the course alias should you anything confidential to discuss (see below for the details). Slack is the recommended option to interact with course staff. You have to join the Aalto MCC workspace through your Aalto email address.
  • Over email through the course alias. As an alternative, you can send an email to the course email alias; please use a subject that starts with the course code and is followed by a brief summary of your message. This is the preferred option for anything that you do not want (or you should not) share publicly over a channel. Do not contact the course staff through their individual email addresses, but rather use the course alias as it reaches all staff members. Note that you must use your Aalto email to reach the course email alias due to a university policy.

See also a related section on the code of conduct of the course.

Last modified: Monday, 7 September 2020, 4:22 PM