We’re increasingly using a variety of handheld and mobile devices to connect, and IU systems need to be able to provide access at critical times and places where we need to retrieve data or update information.

To gather creative ideas on how to pursue this charge, the mobility team recently hosted a town hall gathering of tech savvy populations across all of IU’s campuses. Overall, participants envisioned a future in which “My mobile device is constantly aware of the time of day, my location, my IU calendar, what classes I am taking, and my employment status.”

Here’s an extended listing of ideas people shared:

In the classroom

Course registration: Bring together all the info from the registrar, course descriptions, professor ratings, etc. in OneStart — map this out so that I can see the locations of the classes, resources for my selected classes, etc.

My schedule for classes — give map of where classes are and how to get there. What’s on the syllabus? Where is the professor? Set up meetings; see locations on maps

Who is in class today? I want notes later … Or can’t get to class … App will tell me who is there so I can contact them for notes

An app where you can enter a target grade for a class, check your running grades in your courses, and receive alerts if you’re missing the mark (and find study sessions, etc.)

Peer to peer learning — more advanced students could help tutor others … mentoring relationships

An online poll application for classroom voting

In residence halls

Be in dorm and have 5 tags/keywords associated with you (ultimate Frisbee, chemistry, swimming, etc.) and then see other residents who are interested in the same things.

Who wants to play: Something that would help organize people to go skating, play Frisbee, etc. — grown up version of “do you want to go out and play?” for arranging more spur of the moment activities

Dorm menus … what’s for dinner?

In research and administrative offices

An app that combines databases about jobs with gps to streamline processes — provide someone with a device that gives information about a job (who, what, when, where, why) and displays that information using maps or other imagery

For researchers … know when their grants are done — what variables are set, rerun jobs

Research — do volunteer mashup with non-profit places … identify people to work with … people doing similar work, etc.

Scholar works — notifications when other scholars are citing your work; means to contact them

In the School of Medicine, have smart tags on patient wrist bracelets so that as a Med student walks into the room, their mobile device instantly brings up the patient’s chart and medical history (assuming they have authorization)

A mobile app to tell me the schedule of any facility resource, like the X-ray machine, or the availability of a nurse to give shots, etc.

On campus

Application that lets you identify classmates and locate study partners wherever you are

An app that finds where places are or functions are being held on campus by marking a map (i.e. ask the app a question: Where do I pay my bill? Where do I get a transcript? Where can I buy lunch/food? Where is my professor’s office for class ABC123? Where can I get help for X?) — Response shows a campus-specific map with pushpins and relevant information

In large buildings, a mobile app that allows you to navigate to certain end points (like a cafeteria), much like a GPS can do. It could give me directions based on my current location, and tell me to avoid an elevator that doesn’t work, etc.

A mobile app to show me a map of all vending machines on campus, point out my favorite snacks, and tell me about their availability

General resource system page: Are you exceeding email quota? Where are you with campus access? If you need to do something, provide a button to add money or whatever

Exchange textbooks with other students … rather than the TIS buyback or IU bookstore … provide a textbook — get a textbook swap

App would tell you if there was a free computer, pull in GPS info to tell you where the closest free computer is

Campus buses — app for GPS to let me know when the bus is going to be here — show me the bus … and where it is at … alert me when it is 5 minutes from my location

Parking lots — are there any free spots?

Virtual support center

Around town

Carpool info … Who can I hitch a ride with?

Events — real time data — have more people at the events … give incentive to people to attend an event … what is going on and where — map it. Note who will be there, etc.

What is the wait time at a restaurant? Allow me to request delivery if it’s too long

Event notification of friends … going to lunch … tell friends where I’m going (going to Target, need anything?)

What’s in front of me? Can tell me what building is next to me — historical walking tour, or current events in the buildings or filter on friends

More about wifi — where are the hot spots and what is the density of use in those areas?

Paperless tickets for events — show the phone — could also be your student ID and meal card