412 Connect Scavenger Hunt

Posted by Daniel Little

Company Details

Graduate School for Public and International Af...

Pittsburgh, PA

Remote Ok

FTE + Contractors

Description

Dear Prospective Software Developers, The Center for Analytical Approaches to Social Innovation (CAASI) is seeking a skilled and dedicated software development professional to collaborate with us on our mission of advancing social innovation through technology. We are looking for a contractor who possesses specific qualities and competencies, with expertise in Django, AWS, and React.

Qualities we value in a candidate:

  • Passion for Social Innovation: At CAASI, we are dedicated to driving positive change in society through social justice. A deep commitment to social impact and an understanding of the pivotal role technology plays in this context is essential.
  • Innovative Thinker: We are seeking someone who can think creatively, proposing unique solutions to complex challenges, and staying updated with the latest trends in software development.
  • Collaborative Approach: Collaboration is key in our projects, and the ability to work effectively with a diverse group of researchers, students, and other stakeholders is crucial.
  • Adaptability: The field of social innovation is ever-evolving, and we need a developer who can adapt to changing project requirements and evolving technology landscapes. Competencies we require from a contractor:
  • Django Expertise: Proficiency in Django, the high-level Python web framework, is a must. You should be able to design, develop, and maintain web applications using Django and adhere to best practices.
  • AWS Proficiency: We rely on Amazon Web Services (AWS) for our cloud infrastructure. Experience with AWS services such as EC2, S3, RDS, and Lambda is important for efficiently managing our projects.
  • React Mastery: A strong understanding of React and its ecosystem is crucial for building interactive and user-friendly web interfaces. You should be capable of creating responsive and dynamic web applications using React.

If you possess these qualities and competencies, we invite you to submit your application for a contract collaboration with CAASI. In the following sections, we will outline the specific responsibilities you will be contracted for, as well as the application process. Thank you for considering this opportunity.

Sincerely,

Daniel Little Center for Analytical Approaches to Social Innovation (CAASI) Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) University of Pittsburgh

Project Title: 412 Connect Platform Development Issuing Organization: Center for Analytical Approaches to Social Innovation (CAASI), University of Pittsburgh Issue Date: November 1, 2023 Submission Deadline: November 15, 2023 Contact Information: Daniel Little, Project Manager (djl126@pitt.edu)

1. Background: The Center for Analytical Approaches to Social Innovation (CAASI), a division of the Graduate School for Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh, is seeking a qualified software developer to assist in advancing the existing 412 Connect platform. The project aims to create a full-stack website that promotes experiential learning through classroom-based scavenger hunts. The platform currently features a React.JS front-end, Django back-end, and AWS database.

2. Description The contractor will be working with the project management team to advance a full stack website (react.Js front-end, Django back-end, AWS database) to accomplish 412Connect’s goal of creating a business scavenger hunt showing community-contextual landscapes of underrepresentation and social justice to university students. Two versions of the 412 Connect platform have been created: Version 1.0 and 2.0 strives to connect Black-owned businesses with the university community (see 412connect.org). We believe that this is mutually beneficial: consumers have much to gain from what these businesses have to offer, and these new consumers can make a difference for the businesses during these difficult economic times. Version 3.0 is aimed at allowing multiple classes to empower their students to experience the world in the same academic learning context in which they experience their academic classes, with a peer tutoring component aimed at encouraging students to learn about local businesses and places of interest.

To realize the vision of our 3.0 scavenger hunt, we’ve created the following objectives:

  • Create Classroom-Based Scavenger Hunts: Develop a user-friendly system that allows classroom instructors to create and administer unlimited place-based (map) scavenger hunts.
  • Student Participation: Enable students to participate in scavenger hunts, edit them (subject to permissions set by instructors), and easily discover and select hunts to join.
  • Permission Levels: Provide instructors the ability to set permission levels (private, public, invite-only, etc.) for their scavenger hunts.
  • Business and Places: Allow instructors to assign groups of students to create pages for local businesses and places of interest, including providing recommendations and showcase our pre-determined incentives for interaction with these establishments.
  • Badges and Points System: Implement a system to incentivize students’ interaction with businesses and places through point accumulation, badges, and recognition.
  • Administrator Capabilities: Enable administrators to promote scavenger hunts to student players and download their engagement data.
  • Badge to OCC Credit Conversion: Ensure that badges earned translate into Outside the Classroom Curriculum (OCC) credit.
  • Dashboard: Provide each student and group of students with a dashboard to track their engagement with each business.

3. Scope of Services: The following services require either development from scratch or completion based on the groundwork laid by a previous developer. Our team members possess in-depth knowledge of the code base and are available to provide guidance and address any questions that may arise during the contractor’s onboarding process. The previous developer can also be consulted, as they are known to be responsive to inquiries. While this is a complete list of service, services or development priorities may change based on client feedback. The following services include:

  • How to Play - As a user, I need to be given an overview of the 412 Connect platform and see feature scavenger hunt so I know what to expect
  • Carousel Modifications - As a user, I want to be able to highlight map pins that correspond to the places of the scavenger hunt that I scroll over in the carousel, so that I can tell which places are included in a given scavenger hunt when multiple scavenger hunt are displayed on the map simultaneously.
  • User Agreement Acceptance - As a user, I need to be able to see and accept User terms and conditions so I know legal frameworks to abide by.
  • Password Reset - As a user, I need to be able to reset my password, so I can continue to use my account if I forget my password. Use built in Django functionality to enable participants to password reset.
  • Link to Places’ Social Media - As a student I need to be able to visit a places’ social media profile, so that I can follow the place. Add Clickable Icons linked to URLs in business’ (places) database objects.
  • Add Multiple Images to place - As an admin, I need to be able easily to add multiple images to represent a place, so I can gain multiple visual perspectives. In the business body via React plugin Editor JS.
  • Sequence Places - As an admin, I need to deliberately sequence places within scavenger hunt, so that I can present information in an order that aligns with my experiential learning curriculum
  • Social Media Follow Confirmation Dialogue - As a student, I need to accumulate and confirm that I’ve accumulated points for following a place’s social media page, so I can earn points towards obtaining badges.
  • Scavenger Hunt to Do List - As a student, I need a task to be marked as completed so I know the questions I’ve answered and the actions I’ve taken on that given place.
  • Trivia Question Confirmation - As a student, I need to receive confirmation when I complete a task or answer a question correctly, so I know when I’ve received points, and navigate to the next screen to answer the next question, so I can continue playing the game.
  • Student Point Accumulation Dashboard - As a creator, I need to monitor the amount of points each student has earned, so I can grade different students.
  • (Admin) Group Assign - As a creator, I need to assign multiple students participating in my scavenger hunt to a named group/team, and monitor that team’s point accumulation, so I can grade group work.
  • (Admin) Grading Dashboard - As a creator, I need to understand the places created/modified by students and the questions a student answered correctly/incorrectly, So I can assign students and/or groups a grade based on effort.
  • Student Dashboard - As a student, I need to know how many points I’ve accumulated/need to earn the next level badge, so I can track the effort needed to receive the next badge
  • Question Weighting - As a creator, I want to be able to assign a different amount of points to questions, so I can weigh how much a question factors into my grade.
  • Error Fixing - 13 Major errors and 14 minor errors have been discovered that need to be fixed.

4. Acceptance Criteria: The development and milestones will be subject to audit and thorough quality assurance testing. Payment will be contingent upon the successful completion and approval of each milestone by the Project Manager, based on the Acceptance Criteria. Additional testing may be conducted as necessary.

5. Schedule and Milestones: The project is expected to be completed within a 5-week timeline. The total effort required for this project is 111 hours, with specific milestones grouped determined in Schedule A. More details available in Schedule A - Scope of Work. Schedule A can be shared upon request.

6. Key Personnel: Project Manager: Daniel Little (djl126@pitt.edu) CAASI Director: Dr. Sera Linardi (seralinardi@gmail.com) Tech Leads: Collin Griffin (@collinjgriffin@gmail.com), Leo Jung, Elias Benbourenane Data Leads: Alex DiChristofano, Dr. Michael Hamilton CS faculty mentor: Dr. Nick Farnan UI Design: Tyler Olin (tco8@pitt.edu)

7. Fees and Payment Terms: The total budget for this project is $4,385, to be distributed according to the Payment Schedule outlined in Schedule A - Scope of Work. After the initial payment, payment terms are subject to successful milestone completion.

How to Apply

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