Native apps are costly. They require particular skillsets, such as iOS development or Android development which are not currently core to what we do. In addition, they often require us to develop multiple versions of the same app for specific device types.

Progressive Web Apps instead use modern web capabilities to bring features we usually expect from native apps, without having to cater for specific devices. This can remove the requirement to build multiple applications which do the same thing, and requires a skillset most if not all of our web developers already possess.

Progressive Web Apps enable the following features:

• Add to Home Screen allowing mobile app users to have a MyEd icon just like a native app
• Instant loading using offline cache
• Native push notifications allowing us to deliver integrated features for mobile phones and desktops
• Location awareness to deliver relevant content based on the user’s current location
• Offline/limited network capability allowing us to deliver a consistent experience to students regardless of the quality of their internet connection

Using these modern techniques, we can deliver a better, engaging experience for students using MyEd.

This innovation project would produce a prototype application which delivers on the key features identified above. This project is linked to the User Centered MyEd digital transformation proposal, essentially reducing the technical risk by proving key technical concepts.