Mobile

Colorado Technical University Revamps Mobile App

• By Rhea Kelly
• 01/26/16

Students at Colorado Technical University can connect with their school, track grades and degree progress in real time, and participate in their courses any time, anywhere, all through a mobile device. The institution has just launched a newly redesigned mobile app, dubbed CTU Mobile, for Apple and Android phones and tablets.

Designed to help students "better fit education into their lives," CTU Mobile was developed with input from current CTU students, who shared their challenges and desired features in collaborative focus groups. For example, students helped define the specific push notifications that would be most valuable for their learning experience. 

"Push notifications can be distracting if they're not designed with intention," said Melissa Balsan, CTU's vice president of marketing, in a press release. "We knew that mobile notifications had the potential to open an entirely new line of communication with our students, so we were protective of the user experience and conservative with our messages." Other design priorities included "motivating students, helping students connect with the university, and preparing new online students for sustainable success," according to the university.

Features of CTU Mobile include:

• Learning Essentials: Students can play live or archived lectures, read and respond to discussion board posts, and submit individual projects from the cloud, anywhere they have Internet access.
• Real-Time Notifications: Students receive grade alerts, reminders when assignments are due, and notifications for class activities.
• Time Management: To-do lists organized by day and week help students plan their time. Tasks and assignments can be added to a personal calendar.
• University Contacts: With one tap, students can e-mail or call their professors, financial aid adviser or success coach. CTU departments are listed with hours and contact information.
• Degree Progress: Students can see their current grades, visualize degree progress, celebrate milestones and receive motivational messages from alumni and faculty.

The university reports that student response to CTU Mobile has been positive. "I definitely feel more connected to my education with CTU Mobile!" said Rosalyn G., a CTU student who attends the virtual campus, in a press release. "I find myself checking it throughout the day and planning ahead much more than before. My phone is always with me, and now, class is always one touch away."