SU Software Engineering Team enters national competition
A team of
Shippensburg University students thinks it can enhance the Desire2Learn system
used at Shippensburg and at colleges and universities nationwide.
The team
has entered D2L Edge Challenge, a contest sponsored by the software’s developer.
Team
members sophomore Nick Hydock, junior Corey Peregord, sophomore Joshua Beck, sophomore
Stephen Bussey and freshman Tyler Dalious have been working on the educational
software for five weeks, said Dr. Carol Wellington, the team’s adviser and
mentor.
The D2L
Edge Challenge is for students and software developers across the nation. They
are asked to build something that matters and that improves an aspect of the
educational experience. Teams consist of five members and a mentor.
Shippensburg’s
team created “Tune In,” a program that allows students to tell their professor
in real time if they understand the material being presented. The software’s
interface looks like a car radio tuner and students let their faculty member
know if they understand by turning the volume up or down. The professor can see
if students understand the material and, if they aren’t, to make adjustments
accordingly. Additionally, students can
send a question to the teacher while remaining anonymous to the rest of the
class.
Tune In
works with smart phones as well as iPads, laptops and desktop computers.
According
to Wellington, the software engineering team has worked on projects for about a
year and a half, but this project began only five weeks ago. “When D2L
announced the competition, the team set about developing the core idea and the
theme all on their own. They’ve been working on the software nearly constantly
for 5 weeks,” she said.
Submissions
are judged on the concept and whether it makes an improvement in the lives of
learners, groups of learners or educators.
It will also be judged on its ease of use and design aesthetic. Winners
will be announced June 1 and will receive a $25,000 grand prize.
Whether the
team wins or not, Wellington said she’s pleased with the program they
developed. “I am very proud of the quality of the
system they have built and really excited by the submission.”
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