1.
The Live Technical Thought Process Evaluator
Problem Statement:
The Goal: Assess how a student solves a problem, not just the final answer. Analyze their real-time
activity in the code editor and on the canvas to evaluate their problem-solving methodology.
Core Task: Create a module that monitors and evaluates the user's step-by-step process.
For Coding: Did they start with pseudocode? Did they write tests first? Did they refactor their code?
How did they debug errors?
Example Feedback: "Excellent job starting with pseudocode to outline your logic. Your approach to
solving the problem was very methodical. In the future, try to consider edge cases like an empty input
array earlier in your process. Your final solution was correct, but focusing on edge cases first is a key
industry practice."
Success Metric: A prototype that generates a "Thought Process Report" which visualizes the student's
problem-solving timeline and provides at least one strength and one area for improvement in their
methodology.
2. Making Code & Language Learning More Engaging
Problem Statement:
Investigate and build features to personalize and gamify code or language learning platforms for
increased engagement and accessibility.
Evaluation focuses on:
• Did the student start by mapping user personas and motivational triggers?
• Did they brainstorm and prototype gamification elements (points, badges, real-time
feedback)?
• Did they create and refine personalized learning paths?
• Did they test accessibility across audiences and iterate based on feedback?
• Did they include effective error handling and adaptability mechanisms?
Success Metric:
A “Learning Engagement Report” visualizing the student's timeline, showing strengths (e.g., thorough
personalization mapping) and areas for improvement (e.g., integrating adaptive difficulty earlier).
3. AI Creativity in Business
Problem Statement:
Design a system to use AI for personalized marketing, promotions, and loyalty programs, including
features to predict campaign success.
Monitor and assess:
• Did the student start with research—identifying target audiences and existing campaign
patterns?
• Did they design data models for personalization?
• Did they simulate and A/B test campaign ideas before finalizing?
• Was predictive analytics incorporated (success metrics, ROI forecasts)?
• How did they address edge cases (customer privacy, atypical buying patterns)?
Success Metric:
The system generates a “Business Creativity Thought Process Report,” highlighting methodical
audience research and predictive modeling as strengths, and noting if earlier consideration of
customer data privacy was needed.
4. Enhancing Product Documentation (VSCode Integrations)
Problem Statement:
Develop a VSCode extension that improves the readability and discoverability of technical
documentation, making it easier for users to understand and interact with product docs.
Evaluate the workflow:
• Did the student start with user pain point exploration and competitor analysis?
• Did they model different UI/UX integration concepts?
• Did they prototype and test extension features (e.g., live previews, inline tooltips)?
• Did they refactor their code and documentation based on feedback?
• Did they anticipate edge cases (non-standard docs formats, accessibility requirements)?
Success Metric:
A “Documentation Design Thought Process Report” with a timeline showing strengths, such as user-
centric prototyping, and improvement areas, like earlier accessibility considerations.
5. The Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Analyzer
The Goal: Go beyond scoring "appearance." Build a coach that analyzes a candidate's non-verbal cues
to provide actionable feedback on body language and emotional expression.
Core Task: Use computer vision to analyze the student's video feed and provide insights on:
Eye Contact: Track the percentage of time the student looks at the camera vs. away.
Facial Sentiment: Detect expressions related to confidence, enthusiasm, nervousness, or confusion.
Posture & Gestures: Identify positive cues (e.g., open posture) or distracting habits (e.g., touching
face, fidgeting).
Example Feedback: "You maintained strong eye contact, which conveys confidence. We noticed that
when discussing your previous project's challenges, your expression appeared anxious. Remember to
stay composed even when discussing difficult topics. Your hand gestures were effective in
emphasizing your points."
