Improving the experience of Welsh-medium students at Swansea
Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University has launched a new bilingual mobile app for the University’s students and prospective students who speak or are learning Welsh. The Arwain app brings together the essential information needed by students who want to study and live through the medium of Welsh at Swansea University.
By using the app, students are able to see what courses and modules are available in Welsh, receive information about the Academi and the University’s Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Branch, and learn about the academic, financial and pastoral support available to students studying through the medium of Welsh.
Academi Hywel Teifi Director, Dr Gwenno Ffrancon said: "Improving the experience of Welsh-medium students at Swansea is an important element of our work at Academi Hywel Teifi and we are very pleased to be able to provide our students with this new app. Arwain, hopefully, will not only be facilitating how students can receive information from, and about, the University, but also enable the Academi to work in a greener, more contemporary and sustainable way."
One of the main features of the app is the events calendar that is specifically for Welsh-medium students. The events calendar function includes details of academic events as well as events held by the Students’ Union, the Welsh Society and local initiatives. Students can also choose to receive message alerts reminding them of specific events.
Academi Hywel Teifi staff have been working alongside students to develop the app and commissioned Galactig Rondo Media for its design and creation. Derick Gwyn Murdoch, Galactic Digital Manager, said "It was a pleasure to work on Arwain with Academi Hywel Teifi. The module browser will make it easier for students to plan their work. Enabling the Academi to start a conversation with the students was key to the outcome of the process. We are looking forward to adding new and innovative features in the future."
The free Arwain app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.