Helping students be keeners
In his third year of studies, computer science student Jason Brennan is already putting his skills to work in a practical way - by developing an application for the Apple iPhone.
The application, called Keener, is like a "to do list" program geared specially for students. The program keeps a record of marks to calculate grades in a course, and issues reminders when exams are near and assignments are due.
"I realized there were a lot of ‘to do' applications for the iPhone, but none of them were really focused on schoolwork," says Brennan.
"I thought, hey, this is a good idea. There are a lot of young people who have iPhones and iPod Touches - so it's a perfect market, really. I wanted to make it with the student in mind."
Brennan, who is studying at the University of New Brunswick's Fredericton campus, has been interested in computer programming since he was young.
"A long time ago, I used to play video games quite a bit, and I wanted to make my own," says Brennan. "When I got into high school, I stopped playing video games, but I was already half-interested in this programming stuff. I realized there were other things I could do with it, so I branched out from there."
Making technology accessible
Brennan chose to take a degree in computer science because of the importance computers have in the today's world. The number of venues for people to interact with technology is constantly increasing, opening up numerous opportunities for people like him to make technology more accessible.
"I really enjoy working with software that is very usable," he says. "That's why I think the iPhone is such a unique platform - it's a whole new way of interacting, with a giant touch screen and an accelerometer. Those sorts of things are really interesting to me, and I'd like to continue my career finding new ways for people to interact with computers.
"I think for some people, computers are terrifying. Making them more usable for the average human being is a very important thing."
Brennan put his programming knowledge to use once again this past summer, doing freelance iPhone application programming out of Ottawa - the city he discovered while doing co-op terms through the computer science faculty.
A human approach to computing
UNB's renowned Computer Science faculty - the first in Canada - made the Fredericton campus a "natural choice" for Brennan, who is also from the city. Three years into the program, he says the professors he's worked with are incredibly supportive of students.
"The professors are really helpful - they'll go above and beyond," he says.
"I was struggling this past year in one of my computer science courses and met with the professor a couple of times over the semester. He would tutor me for hours and hours until I got the material."
