Jason Frasca |||

Fall 2020 Semester Recap - No Code

Fall 2020 semester required reimagining.

Asking: How do students collaborate on startup projects while remaining miles apart?

Need to pivot away from physical products that rely upon the 3D Printing Lab for MVPs.

MSU does not have an engineering program. Computer science students don’t take entrepreneurship courses due to curriculum constraints. Student mix is 50% business, 25% art, and 25% across campus. Non-technical.

No Code as a Theme?

No Code sacks all the problems listed above:

  • Low technical requirements - if you can use a spreadsheet you can build a NoCode app.
  • Distanced collaboration
  • Impressionable MVPs

For these reasons, I themed the semester around No Code software.

And it has been a success. I have seen:

  • More enthusiasm to solve problems
  • A larger commitment from students working through challenges - as opposed to doing the minimum required
  • Multi-Team collaboration: working to understand the technology that crossed over between teams
  • Higher quality MVP output
  • Many students sharing with me they are jazzed by NoCode and are continuing to explore the possibilities.

The majority used Adalo or Glide. Some used Adobe XD - which is design prototyping (this got me thinking of Figma?)

Problems Students Addressed

Some of the problems the students addressed this semester:

  • Food allergies
  • Food waste
  • Anti-Social networks
  • Pet care
  • ESL document management
  • Phone addiction
  • Focus and productivity
  • Touchless shopping

There was one exception: A subscription box for isolated college students. They were passionate about the project so I lifted the No-Code rule for them.

I am running with the same theme in Spring 2021 - more No Code.

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© 2020 Jason M. Frasca