Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Mobile Application
- Creators: Computer Science and Engineering Program
This project explores how modern mobile technology can be used to provide support for domestic violence victims. The goal of the project is to create a proof-of-concept iOS mobile application that maintains a discreet safety front and provides domestic violence victims with resources and safety planning. The design and implementation are disguised as a hair salon app to maintain a low profile on the user’s phone. The HairHelp app features quick exit navigation, a secure database to store a user’s private and personal documents in case of emergency, and a checklist of safety planning measures. The steps taken in this project serve as the foundation for a larger project in the long term.
This research study investigates the design principles and best practices for incorporating gamification in EduMobile apps for teaching about mosquito breeding grounds. With limited research investigating the effectiveness of EduMobile apps in engaging and educating students on complex topics, this study aims to uncover best practices for designing EduMobile apps for early learners (elementary and middle schoolers). A convenience sample of adults who were not part of the target demographic were recruited to test the app. The System Usability Scale was used to measure user satisfaction, and question-wise t-tests were conducted to analyze the effectiveness of specific design changes. Results show a significant difference in user satisfaction between the original and revised designs, with question 5 of the System Usability Scale driving the overall difference in score. Inconsistent design was found to increase extraneous cognitive load and split attention, while consistency within different views was shown to increase user perception of system integration. These findings suggest that incorporating gamification and following best practices in designing EduMobile apps can increase student engagement and motivation in learning about mosquito breeding grounds.
This project seeks to motivate runners by creating an application that selectively plays music based on smartwatch metrics. This is done by analyzing metrics collected through a person’s smartwatch such as heart rate or running power and then selecting the music that best fits their workout’s intensity. This way, as the workout becomes harder for the user, increasingly motivating music is played.
For my creative project thesis, I have designed and developed a video game called Amity Academy. Amity Academy is a strategic resource management simulator that aims to subvert genre expectations and challenge generally accepted definitions of success and leadership both in-game and in the real world. It does so by moving the focus away from amassing large amounts of in-game currencies and becoming politically or militarily dominant towards caring for the denizens of the social unit the player controls. The player acts as an administrator at a school where they must make decisions on how to best run the institution. Although they are allowed to lead the school however they see fit, the emphasis is on prioritizing strong interpersonal and intracommunity relationships and connections and the wellbeing and happiness of those under their ward. Amity Academy is also part of the newly-emerging “wholesome” or “comfy” game genre. Unlike serious strategy games that can be stressful, Amity Academy presents a self-paced, low-stakes situation. This mood is further encouraged by calming environmental noises and music, a gentle color palette, and a charming art style. The game feels domestic and quaint, almost reminiscent of a Jane Wooster Scott or Mary Singleton painting. You can download and play Amity Academy here: https://mvaughn8.itch.io/amity-academy