# SUVIN Project Report Template

## Project Description

### Project/Tool Overview
**Project Name:** Interactive Physics Tutor Bot
**Associated Harvard Course:** Physics 15B, General Education 1188

**Summary:**
The Interactive Tutor Bot is designed to facilitate student learning in Physics 15B and GENED1188. Utilizing a user-friendly interface, the bot answers questions directly related to course materials, employing Python for logic operations and JavaScript for the UI, with content structured in JSON for ease of updates and scalability.

The larger goal is to create a similarly low-code UI for Professors hoping to create these multi-function AI bots, that not only tutor, but perhaps help professors live in lecture.

**Technology Stack:** JavaScript, Python, JSON, potentially incorporating OpenAI APIs for advanced question interpretation and the Wolfram API for mathematical queries and visualization.

### Learning Objectives and Benefits
**Objectives:**
- Provide immediate, interactive support for students tackling complex physics concepts.
- Enhance student engagement through interactive, AI-driven learning experiences.
- Create a low-code UI framework for faculty to easily create and tailor these bots.

**Benefits:**
Students gain a personalized learning assistant, capable of addressing specific queries with high accuracy, promoting deeper understanding and retention. The tool also offers professors a scalable way to supplement traditional teaching methods, potentially improving overall course performance.

## Bi-Weekly Update
**Date:** 20240220

### Interesting Developments
Suvin's tool is nearing the testing phase with students, having received satisfactory preliminary feedback from TAs and CAs. The integration of the Wolfram API and other mathematical tools for visuals is a highlight, aiming to enrich the standalone experience with broader computational capabilities.

### Resource Requests
Suvin is currently navigating IRB approval and legal permissions for using the textbook for the physics course, *indicating a need for legal and administrative support*.

### Best Practices & Learnings
The project has underscored the importance of versatile API integration and JSON scripting for creating a dynamic and responsive tool. Suvin highlights the challenge of maintaining data format consistency across different APIs and the potential of custom request methods to enhance functionality.

## Collaboration and Feedback

### Staff Collaboration
Suvin has engaged in discussions with course heads and teaching staff, particularly around expanding the tool's features and integrating feedback mechanisms. He has also been meeting with Greg.

### Feedback Implementation
Feedback from TAs and COs has been instrumental in refining the tool, with a focus on testing its effectiveness in enhancing student understanding and performance.

## Future Directions

### Next Steps
Immediate next steps include:

* resolving IRB and legal hurdles
* broader student testing
* a Hackathon led by Suvin, bringin g it other GAICAs who want to add tools to his larger framewrok.

### Long-Term Vision
Suvin envisions the project expanding beyond its current scope to include more subjects within the STEM field, using the insights gained from specific use cases to address and fix limitations.

He hopes Harvard might be more active in an "official" capacity, so we aren't working on the same problems as HUIT and other groups we may not be aware of (mw note: metalab is another party)

## Additional Notes

### Miscellaneous Information

* Hackathon is the evening in the LL will be planned in the next two weeks.

---

## Bi-Weekly Update
**Date:** 20240305

### Interesting Developments
Suvin has been granted legal permission to use the physics textbook in his tutor bot's training material, marking a significant milestone in the project's development. The current focus is on incorporating an API key and tools with "Level 3/4" privacy access levels, highlighting the challenges of building a secure and compliant tool. The question of the user interface (UI) has been pivotal, with considerations shifting from an independent website to potentially leveraging slackbots for integration.

### Resource Requests
Suvin's project is at a crossroads regarding the choice of development platforms, with a decision pending between Firebase and AWS for database management. This choice is crucial for supporting the bot's advanced training features and data management capabilities. *This indicates a need for expert consultation on database and privacy management*.

### Best Practices & Learnings
The transition from an independent website to possibly using slackbots underscores the importance of flexibility in project development. Suvin's exploration of mathematical visualization software integration challenges within Slack environments offers valuable insights into the complexities of embedding advanced computational tools in limited platforms.

## Collaboration and Feedback

### Staff Collaboration
The project's development phase is now heavily focused on database work and API integration, with Greg inquiring about Firebase's suitability for the project's needs. Discussions continue on the best platform for hosting the tool, considering privacy levels and the ease of integration with existing HUIT or Slackbot frameworks.

### Feedback Implementation
Suvin plans to enhance the bot's capabilities by incorporating training features based on user input, including a problem/topic bank and a UI for professors. These features aim to improve the bot's effectiveness in tutoring and offer valuable insights into student interactions.

## Future Directions

### Next Steps
Key objectives for the near future include:

* Finalizing the decision on the development platform (Firebase or AWS)
* Completing the bot's training feature set
* Preparing for the release of the tool right after spring break

### Long-Term Vision
Suvin's ambition for the project includes expanding its scope to facilitate broader subject areas within STEM, leveraging the bot's evolving capabilities to address educational challenges effectively.

## Additional Notes

### Miscellaneous Information

* The hackathon, aimed at discussing further development and integration strategies, is tentatively scheduled for March 11, 2024 (20240311).

---

## GAICA hackathon

defiing a timeline