KSU students create data-driven website

Staff report

kent

Students from Kent State University’s schools of Journalism and Mass Communication and Digital Sciences have created a data-driven website, www.opencampuskent.com, that features a recent feed of what’s happening in the Kent area, including Kent State campus buildings.

Visitors to the OpenCampus Kent website will be able to get the latest crime updates, news, event listings, information on discount deals and restaurant reviews.

Users can also check out the latest Kent photos and videos uploaded to Flickr and YouTube.

“This resource will have a community-building effect, helping students and local residents look at what they have in common, be more knowledgeable about what’s going on around them and make better decisions about what to do with their time,” said Jacqueline Marino, assistant professor in Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

OpenCampus Kent is a product of the Kent State 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.

Bridge Grant recipients were tasked with developing new academic applications of projects already funded by the Knight News Challenge.

According to the AEJMC, the goal is to implement these projects in ways that enhance the education of future journalists for the new media landscape.

“I think it’s great to collaborate with programmers and designers,” said Brad Tansey, graduating news journalism major.

“In the real world, it’ll help us all improve and get jobs,” he said.

The course also appealed to students who are not studying journalism, but are interested in developing digital start-ups.