Inspiration
We were inspired by the idea of using a game to foster healthy competition in a class (like Kahoot!) and we wanted to make it specifically for improving English-writing skills in students, who often struggle with using concise language and the appropriate tone. We wanted it to provide instantaneous feedback to reduce the time for the teacher.
What it does
This app allows students to take a given text and write their improved response based on tone and style instructions. They submit it and the app automatically grades it and displays a leaderboard.
How we built it
We used Python and Django framework for all of the back-end. HTML5, CSS and Bootstrap was used to create a responsive front-end. We used machine learning algorithms and google cloud to parse students' responses and give a score.
Challenges we ran into
We had a tough time choosing an idea that was challenging but doable in this time, so we tried various tactics like independent brainstorming, group discussions to settle on one. We were also all new to the APIs that were used as well as full stack dev, so integrating resulted in a whole host of issues.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
The "room" functionality and the fact that we implemented complex scoring algorithms by reading academic papers ourselves!
What we learned
We improved our Django skills and got to use Machine Learning in an educational context, which was interesting.
What's next for Shake the Sphere!
Expanding to allow for larger data sets for given texts, more detailed feedback provided to students, and additional UI features.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.