AS Level Computing
Information Technology (Software Development) Extended Diploma
Transition activities
Developing Mobile Applications
A major part of your course will be about using programming languages to develop software
applications. Many students will start the course without having experienced programming in any
form before and so this transition activity will help you to understand what programming is and how
to build your own application, in this case a mobile application that you can actually run on your own
Android mobile. Don’t worry if you don’t have a mobile phone that uses the Android operating system
because the software comes with an emulator that lets you run your apps on your computer.
Task 1
Visit the following link and read the introduction to what App Inventor is:
http://beta.appinventor.mit.edu/learn/whatis/index.html
Task 2
Now follow the instructions that can be found on the next link to install App Inventor and get it
running on your home computer system:
http://beta.appinventor.mit.edu/learn/setup/index.html
Task 3
Visiting the following link and complete the “HelloPurr” tutorial:
http://beta.appinventor.mit.edu/learn/setup/hellopurr/hellopurremulatorpart1.html
http://beta.appinventor.mit.edu/learn/setup/hellopurr/hellopurrpart2.html
Task 4
Now complete all of the basic and advanced tutorials that you find on the following link:
http://beta.appinventor.mit.edu/learn/tutorials/index.html
Task 5
Perhaps you have your own idea for a mobile application? Think of an app that you feel would be fun
to complete and would really test the skills you have gained from these tutorials. Create your
application.
Remember to keep all of your completed tutorials as you will be expected to demonstrate these to
your teacher during your first lesson.