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.
3D Blacksburg
Faculty Advisor- Nicholas F. Polys
Research Supervisor- Nicholas F. Polys
Description of Work- Th collection, translation and integration of geospatial information is increasingly important for safety, development, transportation and policy. This independent study will work on any of several aspects for 3DBlacksburg.org from the server to the client.
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
3D user interfaces for gaming
- Faculty Advisor
- Doug Bowman
- Research Supervisor
- Doug Bowman
- Description of Work
- Recent game consoles (e.g., Sony PS3 and Microsoft XBox 360) have sophisticated 3D spatial input capabilities (Sony Move and Microsoft Kinect). In this project, students will use these platforms to develop and evaluate 3D interaction techniques for navigation, selection, and manipulation in gaming contexts.
- Application Instructions
- Send a resume to bowman@vt.edu and explain your relevant background and interests in this project. Experience with GUI programming (CS 3744), HCI (CS 3724), and 3D graphics (CS 4204) is highly desirable, but not required.
- Project URL
- http://research.cs.vt.edu/3di/
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- bowman@vt.edu
3D User Interfaces for Scientific Visualization
- Faculty Advisor
- Nicholas Polys
- Research Supervisor
- Nicholas Polys
- Description of Work
- In the Visionarium Lab [https://snoid.sv.vt.edu/visionarium/] , we are using tablets and multi-touch tables to add 2D interfaces to immersive virtual environments. This project will explore alternative architectures and techniques to support scientific analysis.
- Application Instructions
- Email me.
- Project URL
- http://
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction, Problem Solving Environments, Software Engineering
- Compensation
- Work for Pay
- Contact
- npolys@vt.eud
A Handheld Approach to Mobile Augmented Reality
- Faculty Advisor
- Joe Gabbard
- Research Supervisor
- Joe Gabbard
- Description of Work
- The Mobile Augmented Reality Lab is researching novel definitions and applications of Augmented Reality (AR) technology. One of our goals is to transition the technology usage from cumbersome head-worn, tethered, and indoor contexts, to wireless and truly mobile user experiences. The specific project at this time, is to employ a camera-enabled handheld computer (e.g., PDA, mobile phone) as a "window to the world", overlaying location-based information onto a real-time video image. We are collaborating with SeeVT with the goal of providing additional user interaction techniques to mobile users across campus.
- Application Instructions
- Email me to setup a time to discuss more details. Creative approaches to the problem are encouraged.
- Project URL
- http://
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- jgabbard@vt.edu
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/AVresearch/ 2) Contribute to development of the AlgoViz Portal (http://algoviz.org). This might involve PhP programming, and/or learning about the Drupal Content Management System. 3) Help with our "Open Textbook" project, to create an online, "open source" free textbook for Data Structures where the text is integrated with algorithm visualizations.
- Application Instructions
- Contact Dr. Shaffer to set up an appointment.
- Project URL
- http://research.cs.vt.edu/AVresearch/vturcs
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit
- Contact
- shaffer@vt.edu
Augmenting Information Rich Displays
- Faculty Advisor
- Joe Gabbard
- Research Supervisor
- Joe Gabbard
- Description of Work
- To date, most augmented reality (AR) applications have focused on overlaying information onto the real-world, to provide information to users such as building labels, geo-rectified wayfinding indicators, etc. In these cases, the real-world background is typically a building, a road-surface, the sky, and so on. This project aims to explore the advantages of integrated information systems, where AR technology is used to augment information rich spaces. This work, for example, may involve using an AR display to augment the GigaPixel display, providing (potentially personal or sensitive) information on top of information. Creative ideas along these lines are also encouraged.
- Application Instructions
- Email to setup a convenient time to discuss details.
- Project URL
- http://
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- jgabbard@vt.edu
Client- and server-side web technology surrounding LibX
- Faculty Advisor
- Godmar Back
- Research Supervisor
- Description of Work
- Implement cool web technology with and surrounding LibX. For more information, see http://libx.org/ This project is for anybody who wants to learn modern, so-called "Web 2.0" technologies such as AJAX on both client or server. While our main application area is libraries (digital and traditional), the technology we develop transcends them. I have several projects "shovel-ready" and I am willing to entertain ideas (including for mobile applications) you may have. LibX-related projects have won multiple awards at past VTURCS symposia and have led to software that is used by tens of thousands of users world-wide.
- Application Instructions
- Send email.
- Project URL
- http://libx.org/
- Area(s) of Research
- Digital Libraries, Human-Computer Interaction, Networking, Software Engineering
- Compensation
- Work for Pay or Credit
- Contact
- gback@cs.vt.edu
Collaborative Storyboarding
- Faculty Advisor
- Scott McCrickard
- Research Supervisor
- Scott McCrickard, Stacy Branham, Shahtab Wahid
- Description of Work
- This project explores issues related to the design of user interfaces through the creation of collaborative storyboards. The project team is investigating novel interfaces--large displays, tabletop computers, handhelds/tablets--that can facilitate the creative process.
- Application Instructions
- Contact the supervisors for details.
- Project URL
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Pay or Credit
- Contact
- mccricks@cs.vt.edu
Creating Java GUIs
- Faculty Advisor
- Chris North
- Research Supervisor
- Chris North
- Description of Work
- Paid (or for Credit) Undergrad Research job opening We are hiring undergraduate computer science students to work on an NSF-funded collaborative research project between Engineering Education and Computer Science. The project involves creating visual software tools for interactive concept maps to support engineering education applications. The position is for the Spring 2012 semester, but could start immediately and can continue into the summer and next year if desired. The hours and hourly rate are negotiable. Students can alternatively work for CS4994 course credit. If interested, please contact Dr. Chris North, north@vt.edu.
- Application Instructions
- email north@vt.edu
- Project URL
- http://
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Human-Computer Interaction, Problem Solving Environments, Software Engineering
- Compensation
- Work for Pay or Credit
- Contact
- north@vt.edu
Creating Location-Aware Notification Systems for Virginia Tech
- Faculty Advisor
- Scott McCrickard
- Research Supervisor
- Miten Sampat
- Description of Work
- As pervasive computing devices become more commonplace, we begin to see applications based on a user's location. Creating applications for such situations carries several technical challenges such as: determining current location, detecting artifacts in the environment, and real-time tracking of parameters that the users want information about. These systems are classified as "location-aware" or "context-aware". Through this project, students will work on creating applications on the seeVT location intelligence platform to build location-aware systems. Projects will involve developing applications for state-of-the-art handheld computers, and conducting usability tests on them. Come with your own domain ideas, or plug into one of the many ideas from around campus!
- Application Instructions
- Email Dr. McCrickard to apply.
- Project URL
- http://research.cs.vt.edu/ns/
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit
- Contact
- mccricks@cs.vt.edu
Creating Real-World Peripheral Displays
- Faculty Advisor
- Scott McCrickard
- Research Supervisor
- Scott McCrickard
- Description of Work
- Peripheral devices like stock tickers and sports score trackers are moving off the computer desktop and into the real world. The goal of this projects is to build a real-word device that displays information collected online in an interesting way. Examples of existing systems and ideas for things to build are available from Dr. McCrickard, or come up with your own!
- Application Instructions
- Contact Dr. McCrickard for details and to sign up!
- Project URL
- none
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- mccricks@cs.vt.edu
CTRnet (Crisis, Tragedy, and Recovery Network)
- Faculty Advisor
- Edward A. Fox
- Research Supervisor
- Description of Work
- NSF is supporting our developing a distributed network of sites around the globe, in different languages, to help those who face natural or man-made crises or tragedies, so communities can recover effectively. We collect and disseminate information, including through work with the Internet Archive, and provide tailored services to each of the many different types of stakeholder communities. Many different technologies and approaches are being incoporated.
- Application Instructions
- Contact Dr. Fox (fox@vt.edu) or Drs. Ramakrishnan or Kavanaugh
- Project URL
- http://www.ctrnet.net
- Area(s) of Research
- Artificial Intelligence, Data Mining, Databases, Digital Libraries, Human-Computer Interaction, Knowledge
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- fox@vt.edu
Demonstrating the benefits of immersion
- Faculty Advisor
- Doug Bowman
- Research Supervisor
- Doug Bowman
- Description of Work
- Immersive virtual environment technology (such as the CAVE) puts the user inside a 3D computer-generated world. Although this technology has been available for many years, we still know very little about the benefits of immersion. When should immersive technology be used, and what advantages should it provide? In this project, the student will implement a simple virtual world and design and run an experiment using the CAVE to demonstrate the benefits of immersion in this world. A wide range of experiments/worlds/tasks are possible.
- Application Instructions
- Send email to set up an appointment if you would like to apply. Experience with HCI (e.g. CS 3724) and computer graphics (e.g. CS 4204) is recommended, but not required. Experience with the design, administration, and/or statistical analysis of experiments is a plus.
- Project URL
- http://research.cs.vt.edu/3di/
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- bowman@vt.edu
Designing and Evaluating Notification Systems
- Faculty Advisor
- Scott McCrickard
- Research Supervisor
- Scott McCrickard
- Description of Work
- Notification systems attempt to efficiently and effectively deliver current, important information to users in multitasking situations. Examples of notification systems include instant messengers, stock tickers, and ubiquitous systems. This independent study examines this emerging research area through team activities and semester projects in a fun but challenging environment.
- Application Instructions
- Email Dr. McCrickard for more details or to sign up.
- Project URL
- http://research.cs.vt.edu/ns/
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- mccricks@cs.vt.edu
Desktop Supercomputing with the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
- Faculty Advisor
- W. Feng
- Research Supervisor
- Description of Work
- Today's high-definition displays, e.g., 1080p = 1920x1080 > 2 million pixels, support a frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps) so that fast-actioned video appears smooth to the viewer. In other words, 60-million pixels must be updated every second. Such processing capability amounts to needing a supercomputing device (in this case, a video card) to update the display at such a fast rate. Consequently, this project seeks to 'hijack' and re-purpose the use of the video card, or more specifically, the graphics processing unit (GPU) within the video card, for general-purpose computing. Target GPUs include the following: AMD Radeon HD 5450, AMD Radeon HD 5870, AMD Radeon HD 5970, AMD Firepro V7700, NVIDIA GTX 280, NVIDIA GTX 480, NVIDIA GTX 580, NVIDIA Tesla Fermi, and the much-ballyhooed AMD Fusion. To actually see the power of the GPU in action, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPBFenYg2Zk. There are a myriad of component projects associated with this project. A sampling is provided below: 1. GPU and the 13 Dwarfs. http://www.gpucomputing.net/?q=node/275. 2. "Compute the Cure" for Cancer using GPUs. Google 'Feng Compute the Cure' for more information. 3. Molecular dynamics in support of rational drug design. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPBFenYg2Zk. Note: For those interested in human-computer interaction, a nice interface to the above would serve as a nice project as well, or an interface to our existing codes.
- 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://synergy.cs.vt.edu/ and http://accel.cs.vt.edu/
- Area(s) of Research
- Bioinformatics, Human-Computer Interaction, Parallel Computation, Problem Solving Environments, Software Engineering, Systems, Theory, Databases, Data Mining, Knowledge
- Compensation
- Negotiable
- Contact
- feng@cs.vt.edu
Digital Government
- Faculty Advisor
- Andrea Kavanaugh, Manuel Perez-Quinones
- Research Supervisor
- Andrea Kavanaugh, Manuel Perez-Quinones
- Description of Work
- Assist with requirments analysis, software design and field testing, or with data analysis from ongoing interviews, surveys and community focus groups. We study the use and impact of information technology on citizen-to-citizen interaction and deliberation. Are online resources increasing civic engagement? For whom -- an elite or a more broad spectrum of citizens? Do we need better tools (or modifications to existing tools) to support deliberative democracy and to integrate online feedback from citizens to government? Which social media are effective for what types of interaction for which users?
- Application Instructions
- Contact Andrea Kavanaugh by email (kavan@vt.edu), or phone (231-1806). My office is 1137 KnowledgeWorks II (CS Department at the corporate research center).
- Project URL
- http://diggov.cs.vt.edu
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction, Theory
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- kavan@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
Ensemble Pathway to Computing Education Resources
- Faculty Advisor
- Edward A. Fox
- Research Supervisor
- Description of Work
- Virginia Tech is a key part of the NSF-funded Ensemble project, in charge of its distributed portal, to support those who want to make learning about computing easier and better. Our aim is to improve access to educational materials related to computing. At VT we work with Drupal, Fedora Repository, Facebook, Second Life, WebCat, and other innovative systems. We need people to work on interfaces, ontologies, social networks, personalization, and many other challenges.
- Application Instructions
- Please contact Dr. Fox for more details. Also involved are Drs. Shaffer and Edwards and Fan.
- Project URL
- http://www.computingportal.org
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Digital Libraries, Human-Computer Interaction, Knowledge
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- fox@vt.edu
EPIC
- Faculty Advisor
- Adrea Kavanaugh
- Research Supervisor
- Adrea Kavanaugh
- Description of Work
- The EPIC project is an investigation by the Center for Human-Computer Interaction of the use and impact of community computer networking in Blacksburg and Montgomery County supported by NSF. Undergraduate research assistants could help this summer with interview data analysis (using NVIVO software), survey data processing (using SPSS), and/or session logging analysis. If you are interested, please contact Andrea Kavanaugh (kavan@vt.edu or 231-1806)
- Application Instructions
- Contact Andrea Kavanaugh (kavan@vt.edu or 231-1806)
- Project URL
- http://epic.cs.vt.edu
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction, Networking
- Compensation
- Negotiable
- Contact
- kavak@vt.edu
Genomics Visualization
- Faculty Advisor
- Chris North
- Research Supervisor
- Robert Settlage
- Description of Work
- Are you considering a career in Bioinformatics? Let’s get your feet wet. In this project, we will develop and build a visual tool for assembling genomes from vast amounts of DNA (or RNA) sequence data. The problem is this: a) the NextGen sequencing machines are producing vast amounts of data (>25Gbases per day) which are outpacing our ability to analyze the data and b) current algorithms all have manual steps where human interaction is the key to completing the project and yet the tools for performing the manual analysis are not optimized for the scope of the problem. Here we are looking for an individual(s) with knowledge in perl, relational databases, Java, and a drive to produce a usable product to help in creating an interface for genome sequence assembly.
- Application Instructions
- Contact:
Robert Settlage, Director, Data Analysis Core (DAC), Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech,
- Project URL
- Area(s) of Research
- Bioinformatics, Digital Libraries, Human-Computer Interaction, Problem Solving Environments, Software Engineering, Computational Biology, Databases
- Compensation
- Work for Pay or Credit
- Contact
- north@cs.vt.edu
GUIs, Visualization, GigaPixel Displays
- Faculty Advisor
- Chris North
- Research Supervisor
- Chris North
- Description of Work
- Learn to design, develop, and evaluate graphical user interfaces and data visualizations, including for non-traditional interactive display systems such as our GigaPixel Display or Multi-Touch tabletop, in a variety of open research projects.
- Application Instructions
- Email north@vt.edu
- Project URL
- http://infovis.cs.vt.edu/
- Area(s) of Research
- Bioinformatics, Computer-Aided Instruction, Digital Libraries, Human-Computer Interaction, Networking, Parallel Computation, Problem Solving Environments, Software Engineering, Databases, Data Mining, Knowledge, Artificial Intelligence
- Compensation
- Work for Credit
- Contact
- north@vt.edu
Information and Communication Technology for Human Development
- Faculty Advisor
- Aditya Johri
- Research Supervisor
- Aditya Johri
- Description of Work
- Are you interested in the use of information technology for changing the lives of 2.5 billion people on the planet who live on less than $2.5/day? Do you see the use of computer science for improving human development? My lab is doing several research projects related to this topic and we are looking for students to join the research.
- Application Instructions
- Please email Dr. Aditya Johri (ajohri@vt.edu) to apply or if you have any questions.
- Project URL
- http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ajohri
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction, Knowledge
- Compensation
- Work for Pay or Credit
- Contact
- ajohri@vt.edu
Investigating the Application of Pervasive Computing Concepts to Teaching and Learning
- Faculty Advisor
- Scott Midkiff
- Research Supervisor
- William (Bill) Plymale
- Description of Work
- The focus of this project is to learn how pervasive computing concepts and technologies can be used to enhance the areas of teaching, learning, and other university experiences. Pervasive computing concepts will be studied, and realized using hardware prototyping and development kits. Team-based projects will associate pervasive computing concepts with real-life student experiences at Virginia Tech. Sun Microsystem's SunSpots, Arduino controller and development environment, Crossbow and Sentilla/Moteiv motes, and the Processing programming system will be used for hands-on work.
- Application Instructions
- Please contact Bill Plymale (plymale@vt.edu) with an expression of interest. Include a current resume and/or a list of technical courses taken and any other relevant experiences.
- Project URL
- Area(s) of Research
- Databases, Human-Computer Interaction, Networking, Systems
- Compensation
- Work for Credit
- Contact
- plymale@vt.edu
MicroCoordination Study and Development for Data Analysis
- Faculty Advisor
- Deborah Tatar
- Research Supervisor
- Joon Suk Lee
- Description of Work
- We have a number of multi-person collaborative Sudoku games that differ in the kinds of collaboration they afford to users. We are currently seeking a research assistant for our “Micro-coordination” project. A student (research assistant) will have a chance to participate in an administrative process in an on-going HCI research project as well as in a data analysis tool development process. Administrative part will involve running experiments with subjects, preparing materials for running experiments, and preparing data for analysis. For data analysis tool development part, s/he will be asked to develop a set of data analysis tools. S/he can choose any programming language (preferably Java and/or Python) but minimum knowledge on file I/O handling, and GUI programming is required. The research assistant will keep written record of their hours and accomplishments and attend research meetings(once a week), prepared to talk about their experiences and accomplishments. The student will evaluated by (1) his or her accomplishment of the assigned task and/or (2) his/her negotiation about how to handle obstacles and (3) the quality of his/her communication about progress and obstacles.
- Application Instructions
- Please send email to dolomite@cs.vt.edu and cc dtatar@cs.vt.edu.
- Project URL
- http://
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit
- Contact
- dolomite@vt.edu; dtatar@cs.vt.edu
Mobile 3D Graphics
- Faculty Advisor
- Nicholas F. Polys
- Research Supervisor
- Nicholas F. Polys
- Description of Work
- This project will devise 3D and web-based applications and interfaces especially for mobile devices. How do we use the extra speed and dimensionality to improve work, play, and usability? We will look at remote maintenance scenarios and augmented reality.
- Application Instructions
- Email to setup a convenient time to discuss details.
- Project URL
- not online yet
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Credit
- Contact
- npolys@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
Parallel Programming with Video Cards and More ...
- Faculty Advisor
- Wu Feng
- Research Supervisor
- Description of Work
- The world of computing is now irrevocably parallel. CPUs have "topped" out roughly 3.0 GHz. So, while performance in the past has doubled roughly every 2 years due to increases in clock frequency, future performance increases will be due to the doubling of the number of cores in a system every 2 years. As such, we are looking at programming models, environments, and applications on multicore and manycore architectures. Of particular relevance and accessibility for VTURCS students are mapping applications onto traditional multicore (Intel and AMD), hybrid multicore (Cell and PlayStation3), manycore (video cards), and reconfigurable multicore (Tilera TILE64) architectures.
- 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://synergy.cs.vt.edu/
- Area(s) of Research
- Bioinformatics, Human-Computer Interaction, Parallel Computation, Systems, Theory, Computational Biology, Data Mining
- Compensation
- Negotiable
- Contact
- feng@cs.vt.edu
Social Computing
- Faculty Advisor
- Andrea Kavanaugh
- Research Supervisor
- Andrea Kavanaugh
- Description of Work
- Working with local groups in the community to help them become information producers through the use of tools for non-experts (for example, authoring web materials, customizing content, and collaborating online with wikis or blogs). Various local groups include medical (New River Health District), educational (Montgomery schools), ethnic (Christiansburg Institute), civic (Literacy Volunteers), and socio-economically disadvantaged (New River Community Action, Appalachian Women's Alliance).
- Application Instructions
- Contact me by email (kavan@vt.edu) or telephone (231-1806); my office is 1116 in KnowledgeWorks II, the CS Department building in the corporate research center.
- Project URL
- http://www.cs.vt.edu/node/682
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction, Theory
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- kavan@vt.edu
TeacherBridge
- Faculty Advisor
- Dan Dunlap
- Research Supervisor
- Dan Dunlap
- Description of Work
- The Center for Human-Computer Interaction is seeking applicants for 2 NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) positions with the TeacherBridge Project (http://www.teacherbridge.org). Ideal applicants would be highly motivated undergraduate students in Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields who are interested in research with technology and local K-12 teachers. The positions will involve approximately 10 hours per week at $11 per hour for Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 semesters. The tasks will involve research and evaluation related to the TeacherBridge project, system, and participants. This includes a wide range of possibilities such as data collection, analysis, field research, and related tool development. Please contact Dan Dunlap 231-2345 for more information.
- Application Instructions
- Contact me.
- Project URL
- http://www.teacherbridge.org
- Area(s) of Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Compensation
- Work for Pay
- Contact
- dunlapd@vt.edu
The Adaptive Concept Map (large-scale node-Link diagram visualization)
- Faculty Advisor
- Dr. Christopher Williams; Dr. Chris North
- Research Supervisor
- Description of Work
- The goal of this project is create a new type of “digital textbook” for an engineering course. While the content would be standard, the innovation lies in the visualization of the structure of the information. The online tool we aim to create, termed “the adaptive concept map” is a navigable node-link diagram (concept map) of the course topics that provide the user the ability to “zoom-in and zoom-out” of varying levels of topic detail. Expert generated concept maps (node-link diagrams designed to visualize an expert’s cognitive structures) have been shown to improve learning and retention when used with classroom instruction or as a way to organize digital information. As with any node link diagram, however, when maps become too large they become very difficult to process. Existing strategies to combat this problem include animating the creation of the map or creating a nested map structure. While both of these strategies have been shown to reduce cognitive overload, neither of them are optimal solutions for all learners and both hinder navigation of the information in some way. At its core, the proposed adaptive concept map is a series of linked content pages. These pages would be mostly traditional webpages that provide information on a specific idea from a course (about 20 minutes of classroom instruction). In addition to the content itself, the pages would include tags indicating the related ideas, tags indicating the nature of those relationships, and tags indicating any groups the individual idea belongs to (such as chapter or course groups). Once the content pages are created, the adaptive map software would be used to navigate these pages. Users would be able to view the information at different levels of abstraction. At the lowest level of abstraction (highest detail) the user would view an individual idea in the form of the content page created by a content expert. If the user “zooms out” they begin to see the concept map structure. The content page that is the current focus of the user gets reduced to a node with a short description. Using the metadata embedded in the pages, the adaptive map tool would build up other related concepts around the central node. As the user continues to zoom out more and more layers of related nodes build upon the focus node. As more nodes become displayed, less information is displayed for each node. First descriptions and then the titles themselves disappear. As this happens, clouds form over groups of nodes showing the groups the nodes belong to. Chapter titles and then course titles become visible over groups of nodes. At any level of abstraction except for the lowest level, the user will also be able to navigate the structure by clicking on other nodes in the display. The adaptive concept map tool is hypothesized to help visualize and navigate large concept maps. Large concept maps could be used to structure information for an entire course and link together several courses over a curriculum.
- Application Instructions
- Please send a resume and statement of interest to Dr. Williams (cbwilliams@vt.edu) and Dr. North (north@cs.vt.edu).
- Project URL
- http://
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Databases, Digital Libraries, Human-Computer Interaction, Knowledge, Software Engineering
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- cbwilliams@vt.edu
Undergraduate Researcher in Digital Libraries
- Faculty Advisor
- Edward A. Fox
- Research Supervisor
- Edward A. Fox
- Description of Work
- Many projects related to digital libraries, from theory to software to systems to performance to applications (especially to education). The URL below lists many research ideas. See also Digital Library Research Laboratory www.dlib.vt.edu or Faculty Advisor's home page http://fox.cs.vt.edu for more info.
- Application Instructions
- Contact E. Fox, x5113, 2160G Torgersen Hall
- Project URL
- http://fox.cs.vt.edu/talks/Research.htm
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Digital Libraries, Human-Computer Interaction, Software Engineering, Theory, Databases, Data Mining, Knowledge, Artificial Intelligence
- Compensation
- Work for Credit or Volunteer
- Contact
- fox@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://myvice.cs.vt.edu/
- Area(s) of Research
- Computer-Aided Instruction, Human-Computer Interaction, Systems
- Compensation
- Negotiable
- Contact
- feng@cs.vt.edu