Here is my latest update on my iPad use this semester:

I have used it as my primary way of displaying content to the class that I teach. while I have to resort to the laptop for several programs, it has been good for showing video and slides. I bought a wireless speaker to attach when I show video clips. Unfortunately I tried using apps with white board features but have not found them to be as useful in the classroom since it feels like there is a bit of a learning technique to writing on the small screen thats different from writing on the white board.

I use it for most of my notes, lists and organizational needs. I recently found the Mindly app to be a really interesting and unique way of organizing just about anything because I can nest tasks within tasks and it provides the ideal visualization for me. I wish I could easily check things off or visualize when something is completed in the app, though I am happy enough with the way it is.

I tried periscope a few weeks back and though it was tough getting through some of the material that was not useful, I found some students asking people to ask them math questions. Out of curiosity, I asked them a few questions about things I remembered from undergraduate classes.  What amazed me was their joy at being able to help and and the great explanation they gave. I can only think that if I had access to something like a virtual help room when I was taking those classes how much more I could have gotten out of them, especially with people who genuinely wanted to explain things.

I have used it to take some videos for an upcoming project I’m working on and Im hoping to eventually be able to integrate it with the ardiuno that I am using in the project.

Challenge: Design a mobile app that supports peer critiquing using gamification elements.

Restated from original: “How can we create a mobile environment that supports peer review and feedback through gamification?”

Process: This challenge was chosen after carefully evaluating the positive and negative attributes of each of the suggested challenges made by team members. Our evaluation included the following discussion:

What stood out about each idea?
Kate’s idea is good for faculty and students.
Chris’s idea is simple.
Ken’s idea seems like something people could use a lot, and use to make some income in an unstructured and unstressed way. It’s like Cuddle for the whole campus.
Shady’s idea has a lot of potential for presenting information visually through maps and reports, and create serendipity through GPS and potential for online discussion around events.

Are there patterns or areas of overlap?
Kate’s and Ken’s ideas could be somewhat combined for critiques and collaboration in the same app.

Are there areas of multiple interest in the ideas?
Kate’s idea could potentially be used as a portfolio site or for networking.

Strengths, weaknesses, needs, constraints.
Shady – mapping multiple events in the same building could get cumbersome
Chris – app doesn’t really do that much

Identify who each idea is for (audience)
Kate – faculty, artists, art students, possibly app developers and other students.
Ken – students, faculty working on projects
Chris – students
Shady – students, campus clubs, administration

Are the ideas focused on solving their problems?
Yes, each one will work to resolve specific problems for the intended audience.

What we know about the challenge we chose:

Students can benefit from feedback on their work
Gamification can be effective in incentivizing behavior

What we don’t know:
What methods of gamification can work for this application. Since it’s similar to Quora, we can perhaps analyze their methods.

What are the limits to the types of projects that can be critiqued?

Research Questions and Methods:
How can this be built as an app, from a technical perspective (i.e. what language or platform(s) to be used)
How can this be marketed?
What’s the budget?
What’s the target audience?

How is it supported?

Will the audience be willing to integrate it into their work flow?