Informatics interns in action
2015 saw a number of our undergraduates impress the University’s Learning, Teaching and Web team when they joined them as paid interns.
Fourth year students Fraser Lennon, Craig Peden, Mattias Appelgren and Hans Christian Gregersen (who worked with Paul Sinclair and Judy Duong) wrote blogs about their projects.
The interns’ work was reported in BITS, the University’s Information Services magazine while Fraser and Paul were featured on the University’s website, alongside Professor Ewan Klein, in an article called Shakers, makers & co-creators.
Anne-Marie Scott, Head of Digital Learning Applications and Media, University of Edinburgh, said:
“We had quite a few interns this summer from Informatics and we were very impressed indeed.”
Fraser Lennon
Computer Science student Fraser delivered ODL Snapshots, a University Educational Design and Engagement initiative.
The project involved running a campaign to encourage Online Distance Learning (ODL) students to share their experience by sending in an audio clip of themselves talking about their experiences, thoughts and feelings on the nature of online studying, together with a photograph of where they are studying.
Craig Peden
Craig, who is studying Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science, worked with the University’s Digital Learning Applications and Media team to support the simplification of data analytics for Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs).
“MOOCs are online distance learning courses offered by the university with the provision that they are free and open to all,” said Craig in his blog. “To maintain the quality of these courses, it is important the University can analyse the data generated… to more deeply understand the age, level, or location of their online users.”
Mattias Appelgren
Informatics student Mattias built a Cookie Audit tool, to detect privacy-invasive cookies on the University website.
“The EU and the UK have introduced legislation trying to restrict their usage,” explained Mattias in his blog. “My job is to create the next generation of cookie auditor.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with different technologies in order to understand how to use them together and have gained a lot of experience in the process.”
Hans Christian Gregersen, Paul Sinclair and Judy Duong
Computer Scientist Hans and fellow interns Paul Sinclair and Judy Duong worked in close collaboration with the Timetabling Department to develop a real-time, study space booking app.
Book.Ed was prototyped at this year's Smart Data Hack, during the University’s Innovative Learning Week. The programme for Innovative Learning Week 2016 is now online.
Useful links
BITS magazine (see ‘Student Partnerships in Action,’ p 12)