This challenge is open to the students enrolled in Computer Science & IT programs (during Fall 2016) at Mohawk College.
This challenge is in no way part of any actual course itself, it is provided as a completely optional side project that is (hopefully) fun and challenging.
The challenge isn’t intended to be “Kobayashi Maru” hard. 
But it is intended to give you a chance to explore something completely new and different.
Due date
The challenge has to be completed and e-mailed to me at kevin.browne3@mohawkcollege.ca by Friday December 23rd 2016.
Reward
As a souvenir and reward in exchange for completing the challenge, you’ll receive a 3.5″ floppy disk, with a cover signed by me along with the year the challenge was completed, the name of the challenge you completed, and your name. I doubt these things will become like Knuth cheques, but it’s something!
Challenge
Build an Educational Application
The global market for educational software is estimated to reach almost $450 billion by 2020. Educational software includes everything from K-12 games targeting kids to software for corporate training.
This challenge is simply to build an educational application that teaches some concept, skill, knowledge or information to the user. The topic can be anything so long as it is educational – mathematics, computer programming, literacy, biology, physics, chemistry, or maybe how to use something (an application, a game, a product).
Requirements
Your application idea needs to be approved by me before the deadline to qualify. Send me an e-mail with your idea for me to approve the concept, and I may give you some ideas before giving the thumbs up.
Specific restrictions:
- Build either a serious game or somehow use gamification in your application
- Multiple levels of difficulty must be included
- Must be web-based
- Must teach some concept, skill, knowledge or information
- Must allow the user to practice their understanding of what they have been taught in some way.
Notes:
I’ll be hiring a student to work on ARIE grant funded work which involves building educational software, so this is definitely a chance to show me what you can do! I’d also really enjoy seeing students take their educational application to SURGE and grow it into a business.