Disclaimer: This project idea is the intellectual property of the Watson Mentor Team.
Team: Watson Mentor (Top 10 Finalist, 2019)
Team Members: Michael DiGiorgio, Arif Banai, Kei Nemoto
Link to Business Case Analysis.
Overview of the Project – Using IBM’s deep learning technology, Watson Mentor completely overhauls how students are guided and encouraged in their academic careers and beyond.
Problem – Survey numbers taken from both students and faculty, however, show a student body overburdened by other responsibilities and lacking information on extracurricular activities that will help set them apart after graduation. Gone are the days where a four-year degree is considered a distinguishing characteristic; in the year 2017, 34.2% of the US population has a four-year degree or higher, up from 21.3% in 1990. Students are expected to have work experience via internships and research before they graduate. Having a degree simply isn’t enough.
Approach to address the problem – We envision a scenario where every student has their needs met and a personal trajectory plan tailored to them, helping them every step of the way. Our app, called Watson AI Mentor, is a multi-featured app that helps students both inside and outside the classroom, in the short-term and long-term. It will both assist students in solving problems in their individual courses (thus making studying more time-efficient) and reveal opportunities for them to pursue outside of their curriculum.