MSP Android Course
Over several semesters during my time at LMU Munich, I co-supervised the “Praktikum Mobile und Verteilte Systeme” (MSP), often referred to as the Android development practical course. This intensive lab course provided students with hands-on experience in designing, developing, and testing native applications for the Android platform, primarily using Java and later Kotlin.
The course consistently followed a two-phase structure:
- Introductory Phase: Focused on imparting fundamental concepts of Android development, relevant APIs, architectural patterns, and necessary tooling through lectures and guided practical exercises.
- Project Phase: Student teams collaborated on developing a complete Android application based on their own concepts or provided themes. My role involved providing continuous technical mentorship, architectural guidance, code review feedback, and support in project planning and agile execution to each team.
Emphasis was placed on applying software engineering best practices within the context of mobile application development.
Key Learning Areas
Students gained practical experience in:
- Native Android App Development (Java/Kotlin)
- Android SDK, Activity/Fragment Lifecycle, UI Design (XML Layouts, Jetpack Compose later)
- Client-Server Architecture & Networking (e.g., Retrofit, Volley)
- Using Wireless Local Networks (WiFi / Bluetooth APIs)
- Implementing Location Services (GPS / Fused Location Provider)
- Background Processing and Services
- Data Persistence (SharedPreferences, SQLite, Room)
- Teamwork and Collaborative Software Development (Git)
- Agile Methodologies and Project Management Tools
