RUB mobile – one month after the German HigherEd Market Launch

RUB mobile is a Blackboard app developed specifically for Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), one of Germany’s largest universities as well as one of Germany’s strongest research universities that has made it to the final round of Germany’s Excellence Initiative in 2007 and 2011.

RUB mobile was officially launched during the on campus RUB Mobile Day on 22 November 2011, organized by RUB to introduce the RUB app to students and staff. The event was, without a doubt, a big success! Not only did the RUB Mobile Day generate a large amount of media attention (Artikel Ruhr-Nachrichten vom 16.11.2011, idr - Informationsdienst Ruhr vom 22.11.2011, Interview mit Radio CT am 10.11.2011, Interview mit Radio CT am 22.11.2011) – it also created a lot of attention among students and staff. Only one month after the official launch of RUB mobile, the RUB app has already been downloaded more than 8,000 times!

Since the start of the “RUB mobile project”, the RUB eLearning staff has continuously encouraged students and staff to provide their feedback on the app, thereby keeping the RUB community engaged in the further development of RUB mobile. During the RUB mobile Day, students and staff were invited to provide their feedback and ideas on post-its.

In addition, RUB has developed their very own feedback module and integrated it in the RUB app. Available in the Apple Store, here are some of the very positive responses so far:

User rdkent wrote: “The app that was developed is great! Blackboard works flawlessly within the app! A must-have for every student at RUB!” [Ganz starke App die da gebastelt wurde! Selbst das BB funktioniert einwandfrei! Ein Muss für jeden RUB-Studenten!]

 User Palmoe wrote: “I downloaded the app today and all I can say is: super. Now I don’t have to browse through the entire cafeteria to figure out what they are offering today and I don’t have to google it any longer, I can simply look up the menu with RUB mobile.” [Habe mir heute die App geholt und kann nur sagen: super. Nun muss ich nicht mehr in der Mensa dauernd rumlaufen um zu schauen was es gibt oder noch eben im Internet danach googlen sondern kann es im App nachschauen.]

More RUB mobile user reviews can be found in the Apple Store and the Android Marketplace.

Overall a great launch for a great app and Blackboard was happy to be invited to support the event!

Finally, Blackboard and Ruhr-Universität Bochum are jointly organizing a contest among RUB students and staff in which contestants are challenged to unleash their creativity. It is an ideas competition in which contestants have to demonstrate how RUB mobile supports teaching and learning, anytime, anywhere. The contest takes place from 15 December 2011 until 15 February 2012. The judges, consisting of both Blackboard and RUB representatives, will award the top three submissions with great prizes:

1^st prize: Apple iPad 2

2^nd prize: Samsung Galaxy GT i9100 smartphone

3^rd prize: € 100,- voucher for the Apple Store or Android Marketplace

To find out more about the contest, please visit the RUB mobile Ideenwettbewerb website.