Universities UK and Jisc recently challenged developers to submit ideas to feed into the open data mashup day on Tuesday. Ian Powling rounds up the six entrants ahead of the event.
The challenge organisers were looking for ideas for an app that would use open data sets to help university students navigate key points in their ‘student journey’ – from first thoughts about choosing a course through to leaving and looking for a job.
The entrants will participate in the Open data mashup day on Tuesday, an immersive day of learning and creativity for universities and developers. They will contribute their ideas to a mashup team session, supported by data gurus from the sector and the digital industries.
The teams will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and the most promising idea will be eligible to win £5,000 of support from the digital technology charity Jisc.
The challenge entrants were asked to upload a video pitch to Jisc’s Elevator website along with a a short description and they came through with an exciting range of creative concepts
This also enabled entrants to promote their ideas to their peers and we were impressed with the numbers of votes cast in a short space of time. The ideas are presented below:
Uni Plan – Coventry University (386 votes)
A place where you will have access to your timetable, without the hassle of constantly logging in. Team: Samrawit Alemseged
The Digs Stuff – Sheffield Hallam University (158 votes)
The Digs Stuff’ includes everything a student needs to know when choosing their university and accommodation. Team: Lucy Shanks, Josh Elliot, Tara Seipel
Find my match – University of Southampton (153 votes)
Frustrated by choosing your university? Find my match helps you identify the university courses that best suit your needs. Team: Llorenç Vaquer, Luis Daniel Ibáñez
Ready for your next step? UniU – University of Leeds (122 votes)
UniU is an app for students that works with universities and employers, making sure you never miss a chance. Team: Ivana Balkan, Jamie Robinson
BookMart – Lancaster University (58 votes)
‘BookMart’ uses open data to help university students locate the books they require in the most cost effective way. Team: John Lacey
Rate your student home – Coventry University (13 votes)
Peer-reviewed student homes app to help support your student house hunt. Team: Martha Grace Karungi, Kate Green
Ian Powling is Digital Programmes Lead at Universities UK.
