Creating a Mobile Application
As outlined in the 'rationale' section and the drawbacks to the options for students that already exist, there is room for the creation of a mobile application that allows physics students within Alberta to connect with each other. This would allow for students to discuss the curriculum to achieve the following benefits:
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Expand the Zone of Proximal Development for all students in Alberta
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Increase the students' scientific communication skills
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Make physics education more equitable across Alberta
General Application Parameters
The following is a general list of parameters to be designed into the mobile application: • Students would have to login using their school board's email to verify that the users are Alberta students • As part of the user agreement, it will explicitly stated that the application will not be used for cheating on homework or tests • An equation builder would be built in to allow for algebraic solutions to be easy to read • To allow for peer-to-peer communication, a poster would create a thread with a question and other students would respond within the thread • Students would be able to type, use their microphones, and/or record a video to allow for mutlimodal forms of communication
Application Design
The mobile application would be primarily designed for peer-to-peer communication, thus it can be designed with a minimalist concept. Below is a flow chart of of the menu hierarchy:
