App-ology Accepted

At the Tennessee Board of Regents, examining and disseminating mobile apps have become a new discipline.

  • By Mary Grush
  • 06/04/13

This story appears in the May 2013 digital edition of Campus Technology.

Who gets up daily at 4 a.m. to review the deluge of new mobile apps and alert colleagues around the globe about those with particular relevance to education and workforce skills? Robbie Melton, that's who. In her position as associate vice chancellor for mobilization and emerging technologies for the Tennessee Board of Regents, Melton plays an instrumental role in TBR's groundbreaking Mobile App Education and Workforce Resource Center.

This spring, Melton shared her passion for 'strategic mobilization'--and the related policies and team practices she has implemented at TBR--with attendees at CT Forum 2013 in San Diego. We asked Melton to explain the goals and vision behind TBR's commitment to mobilization.

Why have you been dubbed the world's first "appologist"?


Courtesy of Robbie Melton and the Tennessee Board of Regents

"I have established a mobile apps education center where we house more than 70,000 mobile apps...[categorized] according to 125 program subject areas.... [My goal] is to develop a new [discipline] called 'appology,' which is the study of mobile apps to improve teaching, learning, and workforce development." --Robbie Melton

What is TBR's vision for mobile in education?


Courtesy of Robbie Melton and the Tennessee Board of Regents

"By recognizing the real opportunity of our BYOD learning environments...we can leverage apps for teaching, learning, communication, productivity, administration, and apps that help bridge the gap between a student's academic life and the workforce." --Robbie Melton

Does TBR have a program to introduce faculty to mobility and mobile apps?


Courtesy of Robbie Melton and the Tennessee Board of Regents

"We have teams that thoroughly examine and study current and emerging mobile technologies.... They establish standards for quality and pedagogies for teaching with mobile devices and apps. All of this encourages and inspires faculty to join our training programs."--Robbie Melton

Editor's note: To learn more about Robbie Melton's views on mobilization, read the Q&A "Strategic Mobilization: A Model for the Future."

About the Author

Mary Grush is Editor and Conference Program Director, Campus Technology.

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