MALVERN, Pa. — Individuals interested in developing their own Android applications can enroll in a new course at Penn State Great Valley this spring.
Designed to follow Great Valley’s two noncredit Java courses, Android Application Development will shed a new light on programming capabilities. Using the Android Studio, students will create a series of small apps to gain a greater understanding of real-world software projects.
Taught by instructor Kathleen Malone, this course will provide students with an excellent opportunity to build on their existing programming skills.
Malone is a seasoned technology professional. After graduating from Villanova University with bachelor’s degree in economics, she started as a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. There, she worked with large datasets, sparking an interest in technology and data and ultimately cultivating a career change. She went on to earn a master’s degree in information systems from New York University and took a job with Hewlett-Packard as a solution architect.
But Malone also incorporated technology into her personal life. A busy mother of three, she needed a way to simplify child care arrangements with her babysitter. She developed Sitterberry, an app that allows babysitters and parents to communicate availability and make plans. The app was highly successful: it was featured by TechCrunch, which created an opportunity for Malone to pitch her app at an event in New York City. Sitterberry also was accepted into Facebook’s FbStart program, which supports app developers by providing mentorship, free software and advertising.
Malone, who also teaches courses at Delaware County Community College, enjoys the opportunity to instruct area professionals. Malone’s two Java courses at Great Valley attract a diverse group of students — ranging from individuals interested in becoming software developers to project managers who want to better understand the programming aspect of their jobs.
“Great Valley students are passionate,” she noted. “Even though they are enrolled in noncredit courses, I find them to be very self-motivated and driven. If someone wants to be challenged, I can assign him or her more technical work. I love being able to customize my courses.”
A recent speaker at Villanova’s Women in Technology Conference, Malone is excited to see more females get involved and show interest in programming. In Great Valley’s most recent Java course, women make up more than half the class.
“Programming skills are in demand,” Malone said. “Courses like Introduction to Programming Concepts Using Java and Object-Oriented Java Programming are wonderful opportunities for students to acquire basic skills. With the new Android Application Development courses, they can apply their abilities to a creative outlet. This can be a great way to make a career change or re-enter the workforce.”
The seven-week course will run on Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. Registration will open on Monday, Oct. 30. More information can be found on the Penn State Great Valley website.