The 2021 IceCube Afterschool group was the FIRST to do this exact challenge on this timeline. You can see examples on these week 4 slides starting on slide 12.

Dr. Shirey did a similar project with students in 2020, but they did not get to hear from all of these amazing scientists. Instead, they coded a tool to share a reflection on their experience with COVID-19. You’ll be doing a similar project (make a coded app or game or animation) to teach someone something about IceCube. Here is an example of a student project with some information and then a game. Here is another that’s more like a series of steps. This one is more like a Space Invaders game. They made their projects in code.org and could share the link so that others can see it. (All examples).

Check out the coding communication options page for more ideas on how to scaffold your work.

In a sense you are creating an outline of the requirements and purpose for your end result, but you don’t need to be stuck to it forever, we’re building in chances to revise our assumptions and interests as we go. So think of this sheet as a document of what you’re thinking about now, and that can change later.

Here’s some more specific information: 

In the problem definition worksheet, you are asked to please identify a stakeholder or a group that you’ll make the design for, and the criteria and constraints that you want your project to attend to (criteria are like your goals, your design can do them more or less and still be successful; constraints are mandatory requirements or strict limitations that determine success or failure in a binary fashion.) Maybe for me, I am interested in helping middle schoolers (Stakeholders). Maybe I really want them to know that there are different kinds of neutrinos and I think they’ll like games. So, a criteria might be, they learn about as many neutrino types as possible. A constraint might be, it’s a game (you can lose or win).

Once you have your main goals and restrictions laid out, then you’re asked to construct a refined problem statement that summarizes your thinking so far. My example might be: “We as aspiring game developers seek to design an IceCube video game in order to get more students to differentiate famous neutrino events for middle schoolers.”

From there, you are just supposed to brainstorm questions that you have. Mine might be, “What are the famous IceCube Events?” Or “Is it okay if I just make an animation and tell you where I’d put buttons if I knew how to make them?” 

If you have a design in mind now, you can make a note of it, but that’s what we’ll get into next week, “design exploration” which includes brainstorming and comparing options.

Sure do! One of your fellow interns gave me permission to share theirs. Click here.

There really isn't one single *right* way to do this challenge. The whole point is that you will make something to represent YOUR thinking and try to be as useful as you can to your audience. No two final products will be same. The only wrong way to do this challenge is to not do this challenge.

Check out some ideas for both phase 1 (problem definition) and phase 2 (design exploration) here.

You are welcome to try to do AR. Check out this Pygame AR example.

Did you know that IceCube has an AR app? See details below:

ICEcuBEAR app is now available on Google PlayStore and iOS AppStore. The links are:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.wisc.icecube.icebear

https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=1533578432

You can also find the application by searching 'ICEcuBEAR' in their respective stores. 

A demo

https://youtu.be/e22OISjkhZc

A recent EHE gold alert (Now you can see Tokyo Tower standing next to IceCube for scale)

https://youtu.be/bvS3Eav1xRs

Please allow camera access for AR. If you wish to receive notifications when alerts come please give permission. 

The initial download of the event list could take more than one minute.