Student Projects
My main interests lie in developing tools that can assist people in learning. Additionally, I like to have theory-based rationale for the work. Student research projects will typically involve:
  • understanding the problem and its theory & rationale via literature "research" and discussion
  • planning the project and "testing" the plan
  • designing, developing, and testing "good" code
  • preparing some sort of summary/description for the web
  • (perhaps) producing a paper on the project that includes or addresses the motivation and rationale for the project, the development process, the program features and use, testing conclusions, and summarizing project results and providing suggestions for further work
  • publically presenting the work and its results
  • working 60 (or more) hours for each hour of credit

While my interests relate to learning tools, almost certainly, software to implement them would have much wider application. The study and development will, in any case, be useful intellectually and practically.

Possible Projects
  • Notes
    Work on a system to aid students in recording, studying, and inter-relating notes, e.g., class notes, research notes, etc. This would be a re-design of my doctoral project into a system available via the web. The whole project is too large for most undergraduate projects, but pieces could be completed by individual students. Graduate students might well be able to complete a relatively large chunk of the system. Some of those pieces might be:
    • general user interaction and interface
    • database or other storage organization (& input interface?)
    • study processes (& interface?)
    • cross-referencing search engine (& interface)
    • incorporation of graphics into the system
    • . . .

    These projects allow students to work on some portion of a relatively large project and specialize in some aspect of it, e.g., user interfaces, database connectivity, information indexing/organizations, etc.
  • Web 2.0 Site
    Help design and implement a Web 2.0-like system that allows users to discuss, collect, and make available personal biographies. This particular site would be for teaching biographies but the system would be very general. The system would involve at least several interfaces, a searchable database of biographies, and some mechanism for recording and retrieving threaded discussions.
  • Simulator
    Design and produce an interactive animation that shows how some aspect of computer systems work, e.g.,   cpu,   internet operation,   cryptographical systems,   image representation and data compression,   etc.
    these projects allow students to work with animation on the web.
  • Web-Based Class Notes
    Provide a class-notes Web page template that instructors could use to as the basis for class notes. The template would involve both HTML and CSS to provide reasonable (and easily changed) formatting as well as identification of various types of content, e.g., information, questions, activity, etc. Of particular note would be scripting that would allow for the notes to have some portions that provide answers that do not appear until after a specified time (e.g., students could see a question to be addressed in class but not see the answer until after class time). I would also be interested in exploring how this could be done on a Wiki in addition to the normal Web.
  • Academic Planner
    A web-based system allowing students to enter a schedule of courses to take to complete graduation requirements. Students could update the plan periodically and department facutly & staff could access the plans for advising purposes. The overall project might have several subparts, e.g., different components for student and for staff/administration.
    These projects allow students to work with web-based interfaces and information storage and retrieval.
  • . . .
I am open to student suggestions for additional projects for students who might be interested in working with me