Integrating mobile devices into the computer science curriculum

Mobile devices such as cellular phones and smart personal digital assistants out-ship personal computers (PCs) 20 to 1, and for many students the mobile device is becoming the computer. Such devices are becoming more powerful than the PCs of twenty years ago and they represent a useful tool for conveying important computer science concepts. This calls for innovations in the computer science curriculum, not only in some specific courses but across the curriculum to create a motivating framework for computer science students. After all, students expect faculty to integrate leading edge technology in the classroom. Here we present our approach for integrating mobile devices into the Computer Science curriculum, supported by an example of our experience in integrating BlackBerry devices into two programming courses, a distributed systems course, and senior capstone projects. Some of the courses are lab-intensive where students experiment with the devices, and develop and deploy applications for them. Teaching computer science and programming in the context of mobile applications provides a motivating framework for students and inspires them to excel due to the practical experience they gain allowing them to develop applications for their own mobile devices.