Quotes on Rowan Engineer Professor's New App Pikme

GLASSBORO — Attention all teachers: Ever have trouble remembering a student's name? Find it difficult to get your charges involved in the classroom?

There's an app for that.
Rowan University's Dr. Smitesh Bakrania has invented an iPhone app called Pikme that will help improve the way teachers learn students' names and encourage better student participation.
It all started with a bout of nervousness in 2008 after Bakrania, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, joined the Rowan faculty.
"I was going to have over 35 new faces in my class, and I was worried that I would not be able to remember their names," he recalls. "While preparing for my first course, I came upon the idea for Pikme."
At first, Bakrania saved the names of his students and their photographs on his iPhone. Then he considered what other uses instructors might have for smart phones in the classroom.
Bakrania wanted Pikme to randomly select students to participate in class and get them involved in lectures. And he also wanted a way for professors to grade student input.
Last fall Bakrania enlisted the support of senior mechanical engineering student Ryan Sikorski to help develop the app.
Sikorski, of Blackwood, and a classmate, Mike Goldberg of Voorhees, designed, coded and programmed the app. About three weeks ago, Bakrania says, the app in its final form was submitted to the Apple Store and approved.
"It's exciting that the actual development of the app was done by Rowan students," says Bakrania. "Ryan made it into reality."
Bakrania says once the app is in place a teacher simply shakes the phone, and a student's face will pop up on the screen. After a question is asked and answered (or not answered), the instructor can apply a rating system based on how the student responded.
The app will select each student in the class once, then refresh itself and start over.
"I want my classes to be very interactive; I want everyone to be involved," says Bakrania. "And the app also allows me to get better feedback on how I'm doing -- whether or not I'm reaching the students."

But will the students like Pikme?

"I think everybody would be kind of afraid knowing that they're going to be picked (to answer questions)," said Zachary Toman, an engineering major from Flemington who will be a senior in the fall. "But I feel it could actually help with the classes because it would make sure the students are more prepared.
"And now no one can say the professor is singling them out. It's the app."
Jennifer Regina, an adjunct professor at Rowan, says anything that will get students more active in class is a plus.
It's a huge challenge nowadays for any professor to keep the attention of students.
"And they're scared to participate. But they love technology stuff. So I think for the student this will be a cool way for the professor to try and engage them. It gives the professor a cool factor.
"Also, it's a very organized way of keeping track of students," Regina added. "It will be a great tool for my iPad and I'll be using it in the fall."
The Pikme app is currently free from iTunes for the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
Reach Joe Cooney at (856) 317-7830 or email jcooney@camden.gannett.com