FAr Question Seeker (FAQS)

Inspiration

We observed how students would often miss out on questions asked by fellow students over the course of lectures or classes, and we figured there must be a better way to help out these students get the most out of their time. So we decided to create an application that would help aggregate all questions asked by fellow peers for the benefit of all students, with the aim of ensuring that no student gets left behind in the pursuit of knowledge into a simple interface that serves as a reliable archive for future reference.

What it does

The application is designed to transcribe all questions asked by students in the course of a lecture or class session with the professor as a facilitator (who will also use the application). For each question asked, the professor will repeat the question into the application, which will record the question and display it in written form for all students who are connected to the lecture through the application. The professor or instructor will then dictate their answers, which will be picked up by the application's voice interface and transcribed to compile an effective FAQ for students.

How we built it

We used a Figma board to build the model prototype for the application, making use of templates and components found in iOS applications to render the application's interface and UI design. We also used HTML and CSS elements to help render the workflow and pages of the application prototype.

Challenges we ran into

There were some challenges related to the rendering of the application prototype's various elements, especially with regards to how to effectively integrate them together into a dynamic mobile application that would be user-friendly in design but also varied in function. We had to decide how we would have the application delivered to possible users and predict for possible use cases and scenarios that our application could encounter, which we then had to further incorporate into our application design and workflow to build fault-tolerance.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our application, though in its prototype stages, was a key step forward that acted as a building block for an innovative idea that could improve the accessibility of classroom teaching, especially in the case of remote and virtual learning environments. We are glad that we were able to work on an idea with profound impact and positive implications for students everywhere from all walks of life, no matter their background or access to learning resources.

What we learned

Throughout the process of creating our application prototype, we learned how to better integrate many disparate components and elements common to mobile applications together in a new collaborative environment, learning how to leverage Figma as an effective platform for building powerful concept models. We also learned how to integrate iOS elements together through the prototype stage, picking up skills in user experience and user interface (UX/UI) design.

What's next for Far Acquiring Question Sourcer (FAQS)

We hope to potentially continue this endeavor and develop our prototype into a functional mobile application, building a tangible product that is capable of helping students and learners no matter their background or access to learning resources. With enough time and energy, we hope that this idea will benefit not just students but also educators by helping to create an open and inclusive classroom environment where knowledge is shared with all who seek it.