Uni students put computer science into practice

Calling all businesses, not-for-profits and community organisations: are you looking for help in creating that killer app or web-based learning tool?

Waikato University computer science students are looking for real-world projects to hone their programming and project management skills.

The Department of Computer Science's software engineering project is a three-month exercise for third-year students to work in groups to design and implement a medium-sized software project for a client.

Last year, students tackled a range of projects including a programme to help preschoolers learn the alphabet, a website to link volunteers with community projects, a gesture recognition programme for helping people learn sign language, a visitor iPhone app for the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust and a programme to better display scientific data.

The students worked closely with clients to develop requirements and a specification for the project, design the system structure and user interface and carry out documentation, implementation and maintenance.

Their clients ranged from a Tauranga-based company monitoring media sentiment to Asthma Waikato.

Vicki Blundell of Asthma Waikato was so impressed with last year's project that she's coming back for more.

"The Waikato students developed an iPad game using Asthma Waikato's Sailor the Pufferfish mascot which aimed to teach kids how best to manage their asthma," she says. "It's been a great success, and we now have a couple of other projects we'd like to develop with students this year."

Dr David Streader, who'll be supervising this year's projects over the course of the next semester, says it's a great opportunity for organisations to get some free help from senior students.

To find out more, contact Dr Streader on dstr@waikato.ac.nz or 022 646 5793. B semester begins on July 16.