The MIT Council for Educational Technology (MITCET) and the Office of Digital Learning (ODL) are pleased to announce OfCourse as the grand prize winner and MIT Locate as the runner-up of the 2014 iCampus Student Prize competition.
Presentations
The two finalists in the 2014 iCampus Student Prize competition participated in a poster session and gave presentations to the judging panel on May 2, 2014.
Daryl Neubieser and Michael Everett present OfCourse
Aidan Bevacqua demonstrates MIT Locate
2014 Winners
Grand Prize Winner: OfCourse
Source: Brandon MuramatsuOfCourse
To allow students to create their course schedules, OfCourse allows for a quick copy-and-paste data entry, aggregates all the useful information from MIT sources, and makes recommendations based on course requirements and how much other students with a similar background enjoyed a class.
The start of the school year is marked by the (mad) scramble of students figuring out what classes to take next. MIT’s Course Catalog and Evaluations are difficult to sort and filter for each student’s needs. Other tools help pick out only what is required, and takes too long to enter classes. Other options only help when students know the classes they will be taking.
Daryl Neubieser, ’16, and Michael Everett, ’15 developed OfCourse to address these issues. OfCourse allows for a quick copy-and-paste data entry, aggregates all the useful information from MIT sources, and makes recommendations based on course requirements and how much other students with a similar background enjoyed the class. According to Dean Freeman, the head of freshman advisors, this would also help advisors make course recommendations.
OfCourse was awarded $3,000 as the grand prize winner in the 2015 iCampus Student Prize competition.
Runner Up: MIT Locate
Source: Aidan BevacquaMIT Locate
MIT Locate is a smartphone and web application that enables MIT students to locate each other on campus, as well as set alerts to notify them when a friend is nearby.
Aidan Bevacqua, ’16, noticed that MIT students are always running 5 minutes late even when meeting up with friends. Every “Where are you?” text increases the tardiness. Aidan developed MIT Locate for the Web and Android mobile devices. MIT Locate uses Wi-Fi access point data to allow students to broadcast their detailed location to their friends. It can pinpoint the exact room they are in, making it more useful than other social location apps. Users can set up alerts to notify when a friend is nearby or have arrived at a particular room or building.
MIT Locate was awarded $1,500 as the runner up in the 2015 iCampus Student Prize competition.
Final Round Presentations
Video coming soon!
More Information
Further information on the iCampus Prize, as well as announcements of future competitions, can be found at iCampusPrize.mit.edu.
About the iCampus Prize
The iCampus Student Prize recognizes the innovative and creative application of technology that improves living and learning at MIT. The competition builds upon the entrepreneurism and spirit of service exhibited by MIT students to solve the world’s problems by focusing attention of what might be improved closer to home in MIT’s education and student life.
The competition is open to all current MIT undergraduates and graduate students, both individuals and groups. Entries must involve the use of technology to enhance living and learning at MIT, and they must be developed to the point where MIT could adopt them and integrate them into MIT.