This project was coded as part of the University of Michgan's MHacks 11 Hackathon. Check out the Devpost here: https://devpost.com/software/slidesync.
As students at the University of Michigan, our lectures are often crowded with many students. We wanted to design a project that would help bring students in lecture together and leverage the amount of students to improve the learning experience.
SlideSync has three main features that each student in a lecture can access:
- Slides synchronized to what the Lecturer is currently teaching
- Collaborative note taking where students come together to create notes
- Chat where students can talk to each other and the professor
Synchronized slides allow for each student to have a visual for what the professor is talking about without having to look at a far away projector screen. The professor can keep the pace of the class by making sure each student is focused on what they are currently teaching.
Collaborative note taking allows students to pool their energy to create a clearer understanding of each topic. Different interpretations of what is being taught by the professor might resonate more with different students allowing for better overall understanding.
Live chat also provides an opportunity for students to collaborate with each other. Chat allows for students to ask questions to peers and the professor without interrupting class. If students can answer questions instead of the professor, less time is spent answering questions and more is spent learning new content.