Students from 萝莉社 State鈥檚 schools of Journalism and Mass Communication and Digital Sciences have created a data-driven website, that features a recent feed of what鈥檚 happening in the 萝莉社 area including 萝莉社 State campus buildings.
When the OpenCampus 萝莉社 website launches April 26, users will be able to get the latest crime updates, news, deals, events and restaurant reviews, all on one site. They can also check out the latest 萝莉社 photos and videos uploaded to Flickr and YouTube.
鈥淭his resource will have a community-building effect, helping students and locals look more at what they have in common, be more knowledgeable about what鈥檚 going on around them, and make better decisions about what to do with their time,鈥 says School of Journalism and Mass Communication Assistant Professor Jacqueline Marino.
OpenCampus 萝莉社 is a product of the course Web Programming for Multimedia Journalism, which is co-taught by the schools of Journalism and Mass Communication and Digital Sciences. Last fall, the project was awarded one of 10 Bridge Grants funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation through the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).
Bridge Grant recipients were tasked with developing new academic applications of projects already funded by the Knight News Challenge. According to AEJMC, 鈥淭he goal is to implement these projects in ways that enhance the education of future journalists for the new media landscape.鈥
OpenCampus 萝莉社 uses the open-source software OpenBlock, which was developed through funding by the Knight Foundation. OpenBlock utilizes Django, Python, PostGIS and OpenLayers, all open-source technologies. 萝莉社 State students are among the first to apply OpenBlock to a college campus and its surrounding city. Customizations of OpenCampus 萝莉社 include the following:
- With OpenBlock, users can search events, news and other information by neighborhood, zip code or street. In OpenCampus 萝莉社, the campus is also searchable by building.
- OpenBlock 萝莉社 will be taken over by 萝莉社 State student media. Once the class ends, student media will continue to improve the site.
- OpenCampus 萝莉社 integrates video. Users can check out 萝莉社-area videos uploaded to YouTube.
The students who participated in the creation of the course, as well as their primary areas of contribution, are as follows:Kevin Donovan, programming; George Fronimopoulos, design; Matt Gates, Web development and programming; Rachel Kilroy, reporting; Freddie Smith, social media; Derek Thiry, programming; Amy Beitzel, social media; Joseph Bell, design;Rebecca Reis, reporting; Justin Rice, social media; Julie Sickel, reporting; Brad Tansey, reporting; Raytevia Evans, reporting; Josh Talbott, programming. Computer science senior Adam Davis instructed and helped manage the programmers.
The course was co-taught by Liz Yokum, an instructor in the School of Digital Sciences; and Sue Zake, a School of Journalism and Mass Communication professor and adviser to 萝莉社Wired.com, a collaboration of independent student media at 萝莉社.
鈥淚 really think it's great to collaborate with programmers and designers,鈥 says Brad Tansey, graduating news journalism major. 鈥淚n the real world, it'll help us all improve and get jobs.鈥
The course also appealed to students who are not studying journalism, but are interested in developing digital start-ups.
Matt Gates, junior computer information systems major, says the course was 鈥渁 stupendous site experience if I've ever had one. I love this stuff.鈥