Course Compass

Missing Deadlines? Tired of writing to-do list manually? We present Course Compass to simplify MSU life by managing classes, tasks, & deadlines in one app. Never miss a beat in your academic journey!

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Inspiration:

Course Compass, which leverages the potential of D2L integration, was motivated by the need for a simplified, efficient approach for MSU students to manage their academic calendars, assignments, and contact with peers and instructors, all in one straightforward interface.

What it does

Course Compass serves as an academic navigator for MSU students, providing a consolidated picture of their daily schedules, coursework, and deadlines as retrieved straight from D2L. It makes task management easier with an intelligent to-do list that prioritizes and rolls over chores, keeping students on track.

How we built it

Our prototype, Course Compass, is a web-based application meant to help Michigan State University students manage their academic life. It uses custom data to build daily to-do lists and calendars by synchronizing assignment, project, and exam dates. The site also allows for the creation of personal assignments, ensuring that nothing goes through the gaps. The eventual objective is to develop this into an app that uses D2L's API to automatically import and organize a student's academic commitments from multiple sources. This will entail examining syllabuses to appropriately arrange work. Unfinished chores carry over to the following day, ensuring that students keep on top of their assignments. Course Compass is more than just a planner; it's a complete academic helper designed to boost student productivity and achievement.

Challenges we ran into

We overcame several obstacles in creating Course Compass, a customized scheduling and resource platform for MSU students. We first had to come up with creative ways to integrate various academic data without having direct API access. As a result, we built a large, unique dataset that closely resembles actual academic structures and guarantees current, accurate, and relevant data. There were challenges with the user interface design as well. Iterative design and user testing were needed to balance functional clarity and aesthetic appeal while producing an intuitive, interesting, and accessible platform for a varied student body. A coherent, working prototype needed to be produced, which included strategically prioritizing features and using effective project management to keep the project scope inside the constrained hackathon schedule.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are immensely proud of Course Compass, a project at Michigan State University that exemplifies innovation, teamwork, and a thorough grasp of student needs. Our team has created an easy-to-use platform that easily connects with the academic framework, ensuring a personalized experience for every user. Course Compass not only simplifies class scheduling, but it also conveniently manages assignment deadlines and exam dates. We've included a dynamic to-do list tool that alters based on task completion, allowing students to easily manage their workload. Course Compass is more than simply a tool; it is a companion for students, leading them confidently and smoothly through their academic path.

What we learned

We delved deeply into the problems and complexities of combining academic systems to create a more simplified student experience while developing Course Compass. We discovered the value of user-centered design, which prioritizes straightforward navigation and useful features such as daily task scheduling and automatic deadline changes. Our experience with API integrations without direct access to MSU's systems taught us innovative problem-solving and the importance of mock data in mimicking real-world scenarios. We refined our talents in front-end and back-end development, emphasizing the need of efficient data management and flexible design. This project demonstrated the power of teamwork, good communication, and unwavering determination in the face of technical challenges. We are delighted to apply what we've learned to improve instructional tools and student engagement.

What's next for Course Compass

Future improvements will include enhanced analytics for study habits, integration with extra academic resources, and expanded communication features to facilitate more collaborative and interactive learning experiences.

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