Browse Active Research Projects
Undergraduates can participate in projects for credits by registering in CS 4974 or 4994. Consult the Faculty Advisor or Research Supervisor before you register for this course.
Participation on a VTURCS project could also lead to an honors thesis for CS majors interested in graduating with honors.
Can't find anything that piques your curiousity? Don't be afraid to check out the Computer Science faculty list for someone who has a research interest you'd like to know more about. They might just have something for you.
Algorithm Visualizations
Faculty Advisor- Cliff Shaffer
Research Supervisor- Cliff Shaffer
Description of Work- Help to advance our research program on algorithm visualization. Options include 1) Create one or more algorithm visualizations to be used in courses such as CS2606. We do our implementations as Java applets. This will extend our library of algorithm visualizations for use in courses at Virginia Tech. For examples of our previous work, see: http://research.cs.vt.edu/algoviz/ 2) Contribute to development of the AlgoViz Wiki (http://algoviz.cs.vt.edu). This might involve developing analysis tools to explore the wiki catalog, or developing information content for the wiki. This work will contribute to our fundamental research efforts to understand what makes a successful algorithm visualization.
Application Instructions- Contact Dr. Shaffer to set up an appointment.
Project URL- http://research.cs.vt.edu/algoviz/vturcs
Area(s) of Research- Computer-Aided Instruction, Human-Computer Interaction
Compensation- Work for Credit
Contact- shaffer@vt.edu
Automated Grading Meets Test-first Coding
- Faculty Advisor
- Stephen Edwards
- Research Supervisor
- Stephen Edwards
- Description of Work
- Web-CAT is an automated grading system used in some of our classes to grade students based on how they test their own code. We would like to support other schools who want to use Web-CAT for their courses too. Unfortunately, there are a number of institutional, policy-oriented, and technology-oriented problems that stand in the way of this. This project would involve plotting out a path towards a real open-source project that could be used by multiple schools, as well as towards accommodating the various administrative requirements of different institutions. This project would involve helping to architect a real-world web application designed for open-source development and educational use.
- Application Instructions
- Stop by during my office hours to discuss possibilities.
- Project URL
- none
- Area(s) of Research
- Software Engineering, Computer-Aided Instruction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- edwards@cs.vt.edu
Deep Media Blacksburg
- Faculty Advisor
- Nicholas F. Polys
- Research Supervisor
- Nicholas F. Polys
- Description of Work
- This collection, translation and integration of geospatial information is increasingly important for safety, development, transportation and policy. This independent study will examine the feasibility of data sources mashups from numerous sensor modalities including imagery, topography and LIDAR, weather and more. Using datasets for VT campus and Town of Blacksburg, we will integrate them into X3D-Earth [http://www.web3d.org/x3d-earth/]. The X3D Earth Working Group uses the Web architecture, XML languages, and open protocols to build a standards-based X3D Earth specification usable by governments, industry, scientists, academia, and the general public. X3D-Earth efforts encompass client-side, server-side, authoring, and conversion technologies. Credit will be assessed based on the following prototype and report: using real spatial contexts for regional data, the student will document and innovate the translation, integration and delivery issues in producing X3D-Earth Blacksburg.
- Application Instructions
- Email to setup a convenient time to discuss details.
- Project URL
- not online yet
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Digital Libraries, Human-Computer Interaction, Databases
- Compensation
- Work for Credit
- Contact
- npolys@vt.edu
Do Cell Phones Teach Computing Skills?
- Faculty Advisor
- Andrea Kavanaugh, Manuel Perez-Quinones, Deborah Tatar
- Research Supervisor
- Andrea Kavanaugh, Manuel Perez-Quinones, Deborah Tatar
- Description of Work
- This project, entitled Scaffolding Technology for Low Literacy Groups: From Cells Phones to Desktop Computing, seeks to understand the role that cell phone usage might play in helping adults with low reading and computer literacy to learn computing skills. We are also designing and developing tools to provide an interface between cell phone applications (e.g., contact list, text messaging) and comparable programs on desktop computers (e.g., email, word processing).
- Application Instructions
- Contact Dr. Andrea Kavanaugh by email.
- Project URL
- http://
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Human-Computer Interaction, Theory
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- kavan@vt.edu
NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
- Faculty Advisor
- Daniel R. Dunlap, Andrea Kavanaugh
- Research Supervisor
- Dunlap, Kavanaugh and others in the Center for Human-Computer Interaction
- Description of Work
- We have positions for undergraduate researchers funded by the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. The projects involve user-centered design and evaluation of collaborative virtual environments and applications. Specific projects include a collaborative learning environment for science students, a knowledge management system for public school teachers, extensions to the Blacksburg Electronic Village, and quality-of-life support for military personnel. Technical questions include -- how can collaborators maintain "awareness" of one another in virtual environments?, how can we log and evaluate "sessions" in distributed systems?, what is the impact of community networking on families and community groups?, how can military personnel maintain their personal lives while serving thousands of miles from home? We will hire at least 6 undergraduates in this program, and probably 8. Students can also arrange to work for course credit of various sorts, including service learning, independent studies, and honors theses.
- Application Instructions
- Send email to dunlapd@vt.edu, kavan@vt.edu
- Project URL
- http://java.cs.vt.edu
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction, Software Engineering, Systems, Computer-Aided Instruction
- Compensation
- Work for Pay or Credit
- Contact
- dunlapd@vt.edu
Reimplementing the GeoSim "Sense of Place" module
- Faculty Advisor
- Cliff Shaffer
- Research Supervisor
- Cliff Shaffer
- Description of Work
- Reimplement the GeoSim module "Sense of Place" in Java. For some background about Project GeoSim, see http://geosim.cs.vt.edu. This module allows students to explore a database of counties and states of the United States by "rating" desirable features.
- Application Instructions
- Contact Cliff Shaffer
- Project URL
- http://geosim.cs.vt.edu
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit
- Contact
- shaffer@cs.vt.edu
Updating the GeoSim Module International Population
- Faculty Advisor
- Cliff Shaffer
- Research Supervisor
- Cliff Shaffer
- Description of Work
- The maps and database for the International Population module of Project GeoSim needs to be replaced. See http://geosim.cs.vt.edu to see the current implementation.
- Application Instructions
- Please contact Dr. Shaffer to set up a meeting.
- Project URL
- http://geosim.cs.vt.edu
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- shaffer@cs.vt.edu
Virtual Computing for K-12 Pedagogy
- Faculty Advisor
- Wu Feng
- Research Supervisor
- Description of Work
- Computing has become an indispensable tool for enhancing productivity, accelerating scientific discovery and innovation, and enriching K-12 education. However, with respect to the latter, computing has arguably had limited impact on children, parents, and teachers in rural and economically disadvantaged areas and serves as additional evidence of the ever-expanding digital divide between the “haves” and “have nots.” To address this inequity as well as reduce the overall cost of adopting and maintaining information technology (IT) infrastructures in K-12 education, we propose to build upon our virtualization project: • To simplify and expedite the delivery of educational content anywhere and anytime. • To create an engaging and “kid-friendly” curriculum so as to improve the quality of IT education holistically from elementary school through high school and in support of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
- Application Instructions
- E-mail a resume to feng@cs.vt.edu. Optional, but preferred, materials include unofficial undergraduate transcript and a brief one-paragraph statement of what interests you about this project.
- Project URL
- http://service.cs.vt.edu/
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Systems
- Compensation
- Negotiable
- Contact
- feng@cs.vt.edu