8-Week Mobile App Development Curriculum with an Emphasis on Foundational Certifications

8-Week Mobile App Development Curriculum with an Emphasis on Foundational Certifications

This 8-week curriculum is designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills required for entry-level roles in mobile app development, such as Android Developer, iOS Developer, and Cross-Platform Developer. It focuses on the core concepts of mobile development, the tools used for app creation, and foundational certifications such as Google Associate Android Developer, Apple Developer Program, and Flutter Certified Developer.  By the end of the course, learners will have developed key technical skills, hands-on experience through projects, and will be prepared to take certifications like Google Associate Android Developer, Apple Developer Program, and Flutter Certified Developer to increase their chances of landing a job in mobile app development.

 

Week 1: Introduction to Mobile App Development

Objective:

  • Understand the mobile app development landscape and the different platforms (Android, iOS, Cross-Platform).
  • Get familiar with essential tools and certifications required for mobile development.

Key Topics:

  • Overview of mobile app development: Native vs. Hybrid vs. Cross-Platform.
  • Introduction to the Android ecosystem and Google Associate Android Developer Certification.
  • Overview of iOS development with Swift and Apple Developer Program.
  • Introduction to Flutter for cross-platform development.
  • Mobile app lifecycle: Development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

Resources:

  • Google Associate Android Developer
  • Apple Developer Program
  • Flutter Documentation
  • Course: "Introduction to Mobile App Development" on Coursera or Udemy.

Week 2: Setting Up Development Environments & Tools

Objective:

  • Install and configure the necessary development tools for Android, iOS, and Cross-Platform development.
  • Understand version control and collaborative workflows.

Key Topics:

  • Android Development: Installing Android Studio, using SDK, and running an emulator.
  • iOS Development: Installing Xcode and setting up an iOS simulator.
  • Cross-Platform Development: Installing Flutter, Dart SDK, and setting up an emulator for both Android and iOS.
  • Git & GitHub basics: Version control and collaboration using Git.

Resources:

Week 3: Java & Kotlin for Android Development

Objective:

  • Learn the fundamentals of Java and Kotlin, the primary languages for Android development.
  • Understand object-oriented programming (OOP) principles.

Key Topics:

  • Java Basics: Variables, data types, operators, loops, and conditionals.
  • Kotlin Basics: Syntax, functions, and null safety in Kotlin.
  • OOP principles: Classes, inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation.
  • Setting up your first Android app using Java or Kotlin.

Resources:

  • Course: "Java Programming" on Coursera (University of California, San Diego).
  • Course: "Kotlin for Android Developers" on Udemy.
  • Kotlin Documentation
  • "Kotlin Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide" by Josh Skeen

Week 4: iOS Development with Swift

Objective:

  • Learn the basics of Swift, the primary language for iOS development.
  • Understand iOS-specific frameworks and tools for app development.

Key Topics:

  • Swift Basics: Variables, control flow, functions, and closures.
  • iOS app lifecycle: Views, view controllers, and navigation controllers.
  • UIKit: Building a simple UI using UIKit (labels, buttons, images).
  • SwiftUI: Introduction to SwiftUI for declarative UI design.
  • Working with Xcode Interface Builder.

Resources:

Week 5: Mobile App UI/UX Design Principles

Objective:

  • Learn key principles of mobile app design, focusing on UI/UX best practices for Android and iOS.
  • Build a simple app UI based on user-centered design.

Key Topics:

  • UI Design Principles: Consistency, feedback, accessibility, and simplicity.
  • Material Design (Android): Guidelines for building intuitive and consistent UIs on Android.
  • Human Interface Guidelines (iOS): Best practices for iOS apps.
  • Introduction to design tools: Figma or Sketch for wireframing and prototyping.
  • Using UI components: Buttons, text fields, lists, and navigation.

Resources:

  • Material Design Guidelines
  • Apple Human Interface Guidelines
  • Course: "Mobile UI/UX Design" on Udemy.
  • Tool: Figma (Free for students) or Sketch for prototyping.

Week 6: Introduction to Databases and APIs with an Emphasis on Firebase

Overview:

In Week 6 of the Mobile App Development course, students will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of databases and how to integrate them into mobile applications using Firebase. Firebase is a powerful Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform that simplifies database management, authentication, and cloud storage for mobile applications. Students will learn how to set up Firebase, integrate its real-time database, and leverage APIs to interact with stored data.

Objectives:

By the end of Week 6, students will:

1.    Understand the basic concepts of databases and APIs, and how they are used in mobile app development.

2.    Set up and configure Firebase in a mobile app for user authentication and data storage.

3.    Learn how to integrate Firebase Realtime Database and Firestore for storing and retrieving data in real time.

4.    Use Firebase Authentication for user login and registration in a mobile application.

5.    Understand how to interact with Firebase APIs to manage data, handle user input, and display dynamic content in a mobile app.

6.    Implement real-time data synchronization in mobile apps using Firebase.

7.    Understand the key principles of REST APIs and how to consume them in a mobile app.

8.    Build a simple mobile app that uses Firebase for authentication and data storage.

Topics Covered:

1.    Introduction to Databases

○     What are databases? The difference between relational and NoSQL databases.

○     Overview of Firebase's database options: Realtime Database vs. Firestore.

○     How Firebase integrates with mobile apps for storing and retrieving data.

2.    Setting Up Firebase for Mobile Apps

○     Creating a Firebase project in the Firebase Console.

○     Configuring Firebase SDK for Android/iOS.

○     Adding Firebase dependencies and setting up Firebase Authentication, Firestore, and Realtime Database.

○     Firebase Authentication basics: Email/Password authentication, Google Sign-In.

3.    Firebase Realtime Database and Firestore

○     Understanding Firebase's Realtime Database and Firestore.

○     Differences between Firebase Realtime Database and Firestore.

○     How to structure data for Firebase Realtime Database and Firestore.

○     How to perform CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) with Firebase Realtime Database and Firestore.

4.    Firebase Authentication in Mobile Apps

○     Setting up Firebase Authentication for user registration and login.

○     Using Firebase Authentication for email/password-based authentication.

○     Introduction to OAuth with Firebase: Google and Facebook login.

○     Securing data and managing user sessions in a mobile app using Firebase Authentication.

5.    Integrating Firebase APIs into Mobile Apps

○     How to call Firebase APIs from a mobile app (Android/iOS).

○     Sending and receiving data from Firebase in real time.

○     Using Firebase API for user authentication and data management.

○     Firebase SDK for Android and iOS: Setup, authentication, and CRUD operations.

6.    Consuming and Creating APIs in Mobile Apps

○     Introduction to RESTful APIs.

○     How to consume external APIs in mobile apps (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).

○     Making HTTP requests using tools like Retrofit (Android) or Alamofire (iOS).

○     How to parse JSON data and display it in the app.

○     Connecting Firebase with other third-party APIs for advanced functionality (e.g., weather API, geolocation API).

7.    Building a Firebase-Powered App

○     A practical exercise to build a simple app with Firebase backend, implementing user authentication and data storage.

○     Example app idea: A simple to-do list app with real-time synchronization where users can register, login, and manage their tasks.

 Week 7: Cross-Platform Development with Flutter

Objective:

  • Learn to develop cross-platform mobile applications using Flutter.
  • Understand the basics of Dart programming language and Flutter framework.

Key Topics:

  • Dart Basics: Syntax, data types, collections, and functions.
  • Flutter Widgets: Understanding Flutter's widget-based framework for building UIs.
  • Managing app state with Provider or Riverpod.
  • Building and testing a simple cross-platform mobile app with Flutter.

Resources:

  • Flutter Documentation
  • Dart Programming Language
  • Course: "Flutter & Dart – The Complete Guide" on Udemy.
  • Flutter Widget Catalog

Week 8: Testing, Deployment, and Certification Preparation

Objective:

  • Learn testing strategies for mobile applications.
  • Understand the process of app deployment on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
  • Prepare for certification exams, including Google Associate Android Developer and Flutter Certified Developer.

Key Topics:

  • Unit Testing and UI Testing for Android (JUnit, Espresso).
  • Unit Testing and UI Testing for iOS (XCTest).
  • App Deployment: How to deploy an app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
  • Preparing for Google Associate Android Developer certification:
    • Best practices for Android development.
    • Working with Android APIs and tools.
    • Exam tips and practice.

Resources:

  • Google Associate Android Developer Certification Guide
  • Google Play Console
  • Apple Developer Program
  • Course: "App Deployment and Testing" on Udemy.

Final Assessment and Portfolio Project

By the end of Week 8, students should complete a final project—a fully functional mobile app (either Android, iOS, or cross-platform using Flutter). This project will serve as part of their portfolio when applying for jobs.

Final Project Guidelines:

  • Choose one of the following:
    • Build an Android app (Java/Kotlin).
    • Build an iOS app (Swift).
    • Build a cross-platform app using Flutter.
  • Integrate UI design principles, database interaction, and API calls.
  • Add functionality for testing and ensure the app is ready for deployment.
  • Submit the project for review (or as a GitHub repository).

Certifications

To enhance employability, students should pursue the following certifications after completing the course:

  1. Google Associate Android Developer Certification for Android developers.
  2. Apple Developer Program membership to publish apps on the App Store and access resources for iOS development.
  3. Flutter Certified Developer to showcase skills in cross-platform development.