Senior Project - ActiveClass

To assist in educating Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering students at the University of Colorado, a web-based software system utilizing wireless technology was proposed. This system would allow an instructor to create questions, ask students to answer them in class, and then receive feedback on how well the class appears to understand the topic. The system also would allow students to post questions for the instructor to answer during the lecture.

This wireless learning environment consists of Personal Digital Assistants and laptops with a wireless Internet connection for the students. The PDAs and laptops run client software in a web browser, which interacts with backend software on a server. A unique and powerful aspect of the system is the capability for arbitrary users to create arbitrary question types that can be integrated into the system.

The ActiveClass system strives to involve students more directly in the learning process, and create a more dynamic classroom environment. The goal is to make learning more approachable, allowing students to participate in the lecture and thereby further their understanding the topics. While this system is initially designed for the Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering disciplines, it is also intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of wireless technology in the classroom in general, which may help further the integration of similar systems into all areas of education.