SPAIN: Practical approach to Mobile App Development with UX Design: A Global Perspective

Students will engage with the Mobile application programming and User experience (UX) design faculty at the University of Leon to organize combined lectures and events. Lectures will be primarily held at the UW Leon center which is housed in the 16th century Renaissance tower of the Palacio del Conde Luna.

Leon is renowned in the area of Cybersecurity, which has been a popular topic in the design and development of applications for the last two decades. Participants will engage with robotics, flight simulator, and 3-D printing labs at the Universidad de Leon, take part in site visits to startups like Smartfense or Drainware, and visit the Supercomputer Center (SCAYLE). 

Students will apply the skills from the courses to a real-world internship based in Spain to gain an understanding of cultural and regional differences in requirements gathering and user experience design while overcoming the language barrier. This program provides the ability to use and readily apply principles learned in the classroom onto a real-world project. Participants will also collaborate with Spanish students studying at the Universidad de Leon and will reside with families in order to better examine and explore the Spanish culture.   

This study abroad program is taught by Professors Menaka Abraham and Raghavi Sakpal from UW Tacoma. 

**All participants must bring laptops loaded with the software needed to create and run mobile applications**

Academic Content

TCSS 450 - Mobile Applications Programming (5 Credits) 

This course covers mobile programming principles. Students will explore application life cycle, user interfaces, data management, graphics libraries, memory management, localization, and web services.

Mobile Application Programming has developed rapidly with the prevalent usage of mobile devices. There are two approaches to programming. Native programming is targeting the underlying operating system for the device. Example operating systems are IOS, Android, etc. Hybrid programming targets most mobile devices with a framework that allows you to deploy to any of the operating systems. Example frameworks are Ionic, ReactJS, AngularJS, etc.  

Learning goals include: 

• Describe and explain the unique challenges relevant to mobile programming. 
• Describe different mobile platform architectures. 
• Implement user interfaces using mobile design principles for mobile devices. 
• Program to support memory and power constrained devices. 
• Apply software engineering principles to develop, test, package, and deploy mobile applications.  

TCCS 452 - Human Computer Interaction (5 credits)

Human-computer interaction (HCI) concerns the deliberate envisioning of digital tools for use by people to better carry out their lives. In this course, we will carry out interaction design facilitated by a term-length design project. The basic activities involve generating and sketching design ideas, choosing from among design alternatives, representing and communicating designs through storyboards and prototypes, testing prototypes with prospective users, and reflecting on design activity. More than anything else, undertaking these activities means cultivating the ability to ethically attune to a design challenge and respond imaginatively to improve people’s lives. 

Learning Goals Include:

• Carry out user inquiry to understand human needs in particular contexts. 
• Construct design sketches and prototypes to manifest design ideas. 
• Construct narratives as means to envision designs in use. 
• Reflect on the design process to make learning visible. 
• Carry out usability studies to get feedback on the user experience. 
• Work effectively in teams to carry out much of the above work. 

TCSS 497 - Internship (2-5 credits)

Students will get an opportunity to work in groups towards a local internship in Leon, Spain that will allow them to apply the skills from the HCI course to develop a mobile app. To provide a full course load, the credits will be variable between 2 to 5.

Learning Goals Include: 

• Apply mobile app development and UX skills into completing a local internship in Leon 
• Learn about global workplace practices and expectations   
• Work effectively as a part of a team in the professional setting  
• Evaluate your own performance and behavior, such as effective learning patterns, communications skills, and self-management 

Program Schedule

The program runs from June 20 - August 18, 2023. Students will spend June 20-30 in Spain and will be required to participate in on-campus courses after returning from abroad. 

Housing

Students will stay with local host-families which are vetted and organized by the University of Washington Leon Center. 

Student Eligibility

Open to all students in "good academic standing" (2.0 or above) who have completed the following prerequisites or equivalent:  

TCSS 360 Software Engineering 

TCSS 325 Ethics 

TCSS 305 Programming Practicum 

Students of all disciplines with at least 1+ years of programming experience (preferably Java), group work experience (Software Engineering course) are preferred.

This program is aimed at all undergraduate Engineering and Computer Science students looking for a global perspective in the areas of UX Design and Mobile Application Programming. Spanish language speaking skills will be a great asset but are not required. Students will need to be flexible with native speakers who lack English language skills and be patient and understanding of the local cultures.  

Application Deadline

The application deadline has been extended to February 28th.

Those applicants who applied by the January 31 deadline will be notified of acceptance decisions by February 14, 2023. Once accepted to the program, applicants will need to confirm their participation in the program by March 1, 2023.

Travel Documents and Insurance

All program participants must have a valid passport in order to travel to Spain.

Visas

There is no visa requirement for U.S. citizens to travel to Spain

If you are a citizen of another country, you can research visa requirements by calling the consular offices of countries to where you will be travelling or visiting the following website: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country.html. 

The cost and requirements for obtaining visas vary. It is your responsibility to determine visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad including countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program. This is an especially important consideration if you are planning to do more than one study abroad program.

Insurance

The University of Washington requires students engaged in educational activities abroad – including study, research, internships or community engagement – to purchase UW Student Abroad Insurance. If you are a current UW student, you are required to purchase coverage UW Student Abroad Insurance. Details are on the UW Study Abroad Insurance page.

Program Cost

The program fee is $5000

Included in the cost of the program:

• $470 Administrative Fee
• Instruction (12-15 credits)
• Housing and meals while students are abroad
• Program activities and program travel

Not Included:

• Airfare
• Meals (except as listed above)
• UW Student Abroad Insurance
• Transportation to and from the airport in the U.S.
• Personal expenses (phone calls, eating out, etc.)
• Textbooks

Payment Due Date: July 7, 2023

Program fees will be posted to your MyUW student account and can be paid the same way that you pay tuition and other fees. Check your MyUW Account periodically for due dates.

Withdrawals

The $470 UW Study Abroad Administrative Fees are non-refundable once a contract has been submitted. Students withdrawing from a program are responsible for paying a percentage of the program fee depending on the date of withdrawal. More details about the withdrawal policy are included in your payment contract. No part of the program fee is refundable once the program has begun (please refer to Emergency Withdrawal information below, if applicable). The date of withdrawal is considered the business day a withdrawal form is received by the Office of Global Affairs. Notice of withdrawal from the program must be made in writing by completing the following steps:

Please email uwtintl@uw.edu and copy your program director(s) providing notice that you will no longer be participating in the program. You will also need to respond to any further communication from the Office of Global Affairs to finalize your withdrawal.

If a program is cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, student will not be charged either the UW Study Abroad Administrative Fee or the UW Tacoma Study Abroad Program Fee.

Emergency Withdrawal

If you cannot participate in a study abroad program, you may submit an Emergency Withdrawal Petition. If granted, the Emergency Withdrawal may allow for partial relief from your financial obligations to the program.

An Emergency Withdrawal Petition may be submitted in the following circumstances:

• Unanticipated change in financial situation
• Medical emergency
• Death in immediate family
• Active military duty
• Unusual or extenuating circumstances

To submit an Emergency Withdrawal Petition, complete this form and email it to uwtintl@uw.edu. 

Financial Aid and Scholarships

• A large percentage of UW students utilize financial aid to study abroad. Most types of financial aid can be applied to study abroad fees.
• For UW Tacoma students, you can submit a revision request to increase the amount of aid for the quarter you are studying abroad. These additional funds are usually awarded in the form of loans. To apply, fill out a revision request form, attach the budget sheet (available via the link at the top of this brochure) and submit these documents to the UW Tacoma Office of Financial Aid.
• For UW Seattle or Bothell Students, you can apply by filling out a revision request form, attach the budget sheet (available via the link at the top of this brochure) and submit these documents to the Office of Financial Aid.
• Consult the Financial Aid section on the UW Study Abroad website for more information on applying for financial aid, special considerations for summer and early fall programs, and budgeting and fundraising tips
• Please also review this list of scholarships: these are opportunities that can help fund your study abroad experience. Please note that many of them have deadlines before your study abroad application is due. For help with the application process, please contact uwtintl@uw.edu.

Budgeting Tools

We understand that figuring out your finances for study abroad can be complicated, and we are here to help. Here are some ways to find additional support:

• Click on the Budget Sheets link at the top of this brochure to view the estimated budget of all expenses for this program.
• UW Tacoma students can attend a How to Fund Your Study Abroad event - more information is on the Events page of our website.

Changes in Cost or Scope of Program

In the event of significant devaluations of the dollar, some adjustments to program activities may be necessary. If there are any political events that might compromise the safety of the participants, a rescheduling or cancellation of the program may be necessary. If such changes occur, students will be notified of the changes and options will be presented.

Orientation

To be eligible to study abroad, all program participants must attend an online pre-departure orientation facilitated by UW Study Abroad as well as your program-specific orientations, offered by your program directors. Orientation must be completed prior to the enrollment deadline for the quarter that you are studying abroad.

Program Cancellation

If viable enrollment is not reached by April 3, 2023 the program will be cancelled. Participants will be notified and the administrative and program fees will be refunded.

Disability Accommodation