iSchool Capstone

2017

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Offering Computer Classes at Derby Public Library

The Derby Public Library is a suburb of Wichita, Kansas with a population of 23,000 with a growing interest in technology classes. There are few options nearby for computer literacy training, especially training that is free. Crystal Prieb worked with the library to figure out what classes their patrons were most interested in, then spent several months presenting those classes. Eight classes were offered in total with class sizes ranging from one to ten and topics including “Introduction to Microsoft Excel” and “Library Databases and Resources”.
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Online Writing Tutoring and Accessibility

The University of Washington (UW) Seattle has a variety of in-person writing centers with a one-on-one conversational model. With growing online degree programs creating new demands, writing centers have become interested in online writing support services. Our team used focus groups, interviews, and surveys to analyze how online tutoring could change accessibility. We drew upon perspectives of writing center administrators, tutors, users, and potential users to gain a better understanding of barriers to access. We found that online tutoring could improve access for those who experience disability, commute long distances, identify as English Language Learners (ELL) or are non-traditional students.
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Opening Up the Data: Visualizing the effectiveness of Puget Sound restoration efforts

Interoperability, dispersed data, and inconsistent data formats are common issues across information science. This Open Data Literacy (ODL) Capstone tackles these issues in the realm of environmental restoration. Numerous restoration projects have been undertaken throughout the Puget Sound, but connecting investments in these projects to co-located indicators of habitat viability is challenging. Our team leveraged open, found data and open-source tools to build a scalable, sustainable data processing pipeline and an interactive, web-based visualization prototype. This helps our partners better tell the story of Puget Sound restoration efforts and demonstrates that open-source tools can help data curators meet open-data needs.
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Oregon Humane Society: Standard Operating Procedures

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are vitally important in any organization. They quickly explain what to do in almost any situation that arises. In animal shelters time is of the essence, especially when animals arrive that are neglected or injured, or families are ready to adopt their newest family member. This project consists of creating a new SOPs manual for the Oregon Humane Society for the on-site animal hospital in manual form and in local software. This project will continue through the year to include SOPs manuals for the animal shelter, and the investigations department and also manuals created in local software.
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Pariity

Data science is changing the face of the financial industry. Visible in the rise of quantitative funds, AI managers, and high frequency trading, 21st century technologies have produced unprecedented volumes of financial data. Without context or a way to capture the big picture, even the most engaged investors are getting left behind. Pariity takes technical, quantitative, and sentiment analysis and makes it accessible and digestible for everyone. We provide a holistic view of markets so that all investors can educate themselves, validate their thinking, and increase their confidence in trading.
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peer.io

Technology is revolutionizing the world however integrating technology into the education system has proven to be difficult. Students are more capable than ever and more inclined to use technology in their everyday life. Yet there is still a gap between education and technology. Peer.io is dedicated to bridging that gap. We have created a peer-to-peer platform for high school students to collaborate on for learning purposes. Features include discussion boards, tutoring sessions with other students and homework specific help. Our focus is to foster a community between students to promote the sharing of knowledge.
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Penny-fyt

Donating to charity is harder than liking a post about a cause on social media. Researching causes, putting payment info into different websites, and following up on how the donation was used are hurdles a donor must jump over while donating, while liking something only takes one click. Penny-Fyt removes the confusion in the donation process by combining social media and donating to create a platform where users donate by liking or commenting on a post created by a charity, in a community where donors can connect with charities and keep up-to-date with how their donations are making a difference.
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Phish Somewhere Else!: Phishing Awareness Learning Module

Our capstone project addresses the issue of improving phishing awareness among employees at UW Medicine. The project consisted of three phases: i) Designing and sending bait phishing emails targeting new employees who just completed their orientation (which included a presentation on phishing, and a warning that they would be phished), ii) Sending out a questionnaire to those employees asking why they did or did not click on the bait phishing email, iii) Designing and drafting a short, interactive, and engaging learning module to educate employees on how to identify phishing emails.
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PicFix

This winter, Seattle experienced an unprecedented volume of potholes, graffiti, and abandoned vehicles, among other symptoms of a rapidly growing city. These issues typically go ignored and unreported because people don’t know how to report them or are off-put by the large and unintuitive forms. PicFix aims to revolutionize the reporting process by utilizing computer vision and form auto-filling to make reporting problems as easy as taking a picture. Nearly all data required for the report is pulled from the photo to create a faster, simpler experience for the user. Smart images: worth more than a thousand words.
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Playground

Our team aims to solve the problem that many parents are very busy at work, so that their children are not receiving enough guidance and companionship. We developed an Android educational game application that allows parents to have a safe mind to let their 6 to 8 years old kids play independently while providing children a fun and engaging game to play with. Parents can select learning objectives from a list of soft skills for their kids to learn and track kids’ playing progress. Children can learn the skills while building their own story and playing mini games.