National American U Adds Smartphone Apps

A university based in Rapid City, SD, which offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses, has recently released smartphone apps to provide tools for students receiving Web-based instruction.

According to a news release from National American University, the new app was "designed to help students increase efficiency and improve time management skills to aid in their online college courses."

With the apps, available for Apple, Android, and Blackberry devices, students can:

  • Check their grades;
  • Chat with peers;
  • Hold discussions;
  • Submit class assignments;
  • Access university news; and
  • Connect to the university's Facebook and Twitter feeds.

"We are pleased to offer students a way to stay connected with their online classes, school news, and information," said John Buxton, CEO of National American University, in a prepared statement. "With smartphones playing a large role in today's society, particularly for college students, we believe the app will be successful in helping students efficiently manage their time with online classes."

The university pointed to a study by the Student Engagement and Experience Journal that concluded students find the use of smartphones helpful in learning.

"Increasingly students own smartphones and, as with other aspects of their lives, they will turn to them as a matter of course to enhance their experience of learning. This study has shown that once students begin using their smartphones for learning they begin to appreciate the benefits and the further possibilities that exist within their current frame of reference," a portion of the study reads.

National American University provides more than 60 associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree programs in the areas of health care and business. They are offered on traditional campuses in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and through online and hybrid models.

For more information, visit national.edu.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    New Nonprofit to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a new nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Launches Claude for Education

    Anthropic has announced a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

  • chart with ascending bars and two silhouetted figures observing it, set against a light background with blue and purple tones

    Report: Enterprises Embracing Agentic AI

    According to research by SnapLogic, 50% of enterprises are already deploying AI agents, and another 32% plan to do so within the next 12 months..

  • college student working on a laptop, surrounded by icons representing campus support services

    National U Launches Student Support Hub for Non-Traditional Learners

    National University has launched a new student support hub designed to help online and working learners balance career, education, and family responsibilities as they pursue their education. Called "The Nest," the facility is positioned as a "co-learning" center that provides wraparound support services, work and study space, and access to child care.