University launches its first smartphone and tablet app
Students and staff alike are now able to visit the Apple store and download the University of
Bath's first official app, following a development project by the English Language Centre (ELC).
Launched on 26 March 2013, this app is designed to support non-native speakers in the healthcare
professions, who are preparing to work in an English speaking environment.
Utilising the benefits of smartphone and tablet technologies, the app offers students new
interactive and more flexible pathways for learning. Driven by a need to find more effective ways
of supporting prospective and existing students' learning beyond traditional methods, the ELC is
delighted to have been able to harness the capability of those technologies with which their
students are becoming increasingly familiar.
Kevin Renfrew, ELC Project Leader, said:
'Healthcare professionals are busy, but highly motivated to learn. An app is an ideal method
for them to learn and allows them to take advantage of any free time they may have in order to
develop the language skills they need. We are delighted to have launched this app which we hope
will prove to be a trailblazer for similar developments across the University.'
Available as a
free download from the Apple store, the app contains 12 exercises together with
a study guide. It also features a statistics panel enabling users to track the overall time spent
studying, time spent studying by skill, how much they have completed and their accuracy. Students
can buy a further five packs containing 30 exercises each, available via in-app purchases.
Following the app launch, the ELC will start the second stage of its project to explore other
areas including developing disciplinary-specific ELC teaching materials to enable prospective
students to familiarise themselves pre-arrival, skill-specific materials to provide current
students with easily accessible guides to academic skills to enhance their study and for the
promotion of the ELC more widely.
You can download the app from the Apple Store and explore its functionality. We would welcome your feedback to inform future developments. Please email Kevin Renfrew, UBELT Office, ext 3817 with ideas, feedback or for further information.
