PepsiCo Educational Technology

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A multiyear community project led by Brenda Miller Holmes resulted in the impressive wall mural next to the Durham Arts Council. We built on that by adding an AR component to identify many of the people in the mural and supplement that with videos and other background material. Here is a simulation page for the AR program but it is best experienced in person.

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In collaboration with students at Rogers-Herr, we added an AR feature to the books they selected and wrote up. The AR was compiled in MyWebAR and linked together in a Padlet page.

In Led by the Duke Ed Tech Fellows, the Nasher Museum project is an in-progress work using Unity to create Augmented Reality models for works of art at the Nasher. The project is focused on creating a model for St. John the Baptist II, a painting by Kehinde Wiley. The model will be able to zoom in on details about the painting and allow viewers to change elements of the painting, such as the background and subject.

Data is everywhere! The data analytics project demonstrated kids the power of being able to access massive amounts of data and derive insights from them. The EdTech fellows-built data-driven projects that were both fun and relatable. The main objective was to educate children the process of gathering data and extracting meaningful insights from them. This cycle included collecting data from different data sets or conducting surveys with Google Forms, visualizing these data with CODAP (a data analytics tool that uses the “drag and drop method” to avoid the hassle of coding), plotting different charts, finding patterns, deriving insights from them, and analyzing the data. They used Kaggle to retrieve datasets for performing the analysis. One such fascinating data collection named Datasauras created a graph resembling a dinosaur by plotting random values! In order to develop healthier eating habits, the fellows also constructed a survey of eating behaviors using Google Form and a data set on cereals. We all could benefit from learning to have a healthier diet! This project teaches them the analytical abilities required to make sound dietary decisions based on data.

A fun and powerful tool that employs artificial intelligence to convert text prompts into visual masterpieces. With numerous possibilities to help kids bring their revolutionary ideas to life, the illustrations that can be created are endless! They can solve even the world’s most pressing challenges. The Edtech Fellows developed a few stories highlighting the vast storytelling possibilities for children to explore with Dall E 2.

The Duke John Hope Franklin Young Scholars, Rogers-Herr Middle School students, and Duke Ed Tech Fellows created an Augmented Reality experience honoring the life and legacy of Dr. John Hope Franklin, a Black historian, educator, and activist from Durham. The AR was created in MyWebAR and features videos and articles about Dr. Franklin. Visit Duke’s John Hope Franklin Center to check it out!

The Chromebooks distributed by the Durham Public Schools to all students were very useful in helping everyone navigate remote learning during the pandemic. But over time, the students tended to forget some of the basic rules for care and feeding of the computers. Rogers-Herr instructor Dorothy “Addie” Carr led a two-week challenge project with 16 8th graders to create a video to remind students about safe uses of the technology. David joined the class for those two weeks to provide technical assistance with the green screen and animation aspects. The resulting humorous video has been shown in all the classrooms.

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Kids love to read books over and over and sometimes a parent or sibling isn’t available.  The videos in this series, recorded by Durham Public School teachers and other local educators, aims to help kids absorb books as much as they want, even if they can’t read by themselves. These videos can also be used for ESL students who want extra time and practice with the English language.

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Over the summer of 2016, we teamed up with a group of students attending between grades 5 and 12 and created the Hidden Durham tour. It is the first tour to feature on Duke Explore, a mobile app with Global Information System. It can guide you on a walking tour or you can flip through the stops from the comfort of your home.

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In 2016, we received a $52,647 grant from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board to transform an abandoned prison into a sustainable farm and education center through the magic of virtual reality. We worked with eight high school students in the Advanced Game Design class at the Durham School of the Arts, veteran teacher, Robert Bourgeois, and youth participants from the nonprofit, GrowingChange. Our goal was to help others visualize this prison’s untapped potential. The final product includes a mobile VR lab that is currently traveling around to state as a tool to convince legislators to fund the creation of this project in real life.

Click here to read an article about this project!

It’s also free! Click here to find out how to get it!

Half-day Tech Fun Days for hands-on experimentation with educational technology hosted at Duke for Durham Public Schools students and teachers. Some previous topics include: 

• Stop Motion animation using iStopMotion app
• Green Screen animation using Green Screen by Do Ink app
• Osmo interactive games & app
• Google Cardboard apps

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Math encourages rigorous thinking. Literature teaches empathy. Arts and music inspire imagination and creativity. What about computer science? Computer science is not just about coding; it is the art of communicating between humans and machines.

For the Fall of 2018, our team introduced computer science to 2nd graders at George Watts Montessori Elementary School. In this series of lessons, students learned basic computer science concepts by participating in engaging hands-on activities. These activities prepared for programming using an online, free programming language called Scratch. The goal of these lessons was to use programming as a medium to teach problem-solving and creative thinking.

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During the Spring 2018 semester, we led a Technology Immersion Club at Morehead Montessori Elementary School.

They explored different technologies including green screens, stop motion animation, and 360 video with 2nd and 3rd graders. Students worked individually and collaboratively on a variety of multimedia video projects.

Check out the students’ creations here!

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In the Fall of 2017, we led a Podcast Club at E.K. Powe Elementary School. In addition to listening to different genres of podcasts, the 4th and 5th grade students had the chance to create podcasts of their very own. Over the course of the club, they gained hands on experience in audio editing, digital music composition, and storytelling.

Listen to their podcasts here!

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During the Spring 2017 semester, we are conducting a Duke course for both Duke students and Durham Public School High School students. Using 27 Views of Durham as a guide, this course explores Durham from a myriad of perspectives through speakers, readings and discussions. 

The course is focused on viewing Durham and its history through specific lenses – what does the history of Durham, and Durham today, look like from the perspective of various communities? In order to explore this question, we have invited Steve Schewel, Pierce Freelon, John Burness, Shirlette Ammons and other Durham figures to share their experiences and thoughts with the class.

In addition, students are learning how to capture these perspectives using photography, audio, video and text. They will add their work to our GIS-based mobile app, Duke Explore, as part of the Literary Walking Tour of Durham. The tour will be published at the end of the Spring 2017 semester.

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For the Fall 2016 semester, we taught the first service-learning OLLI course!

We worked with retirees and 2nd graders at E.K. Powe Elementary School. Together, they explored a stop motion animation and a comic book generating application on iPad. The students (both retirees and 2nd graders) read books together and then brought them to life using the techniques they learned.

Watch our promotional video!

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Senior Program Coordinator

david.stein@duke.edu

For the last 20 years, David has been creating programs between Duke and Durham public schools, including introducing stop motion animation, green screens and other education technology to teachers and students. Prior to working at Duke, David served as the head of communications for the NC School of Science and Math and before that as a technology transfer officer at Harvard University.

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Technology Specialist and Unity Trainer

djzielin@gmail.com

Dave’s current research interests include AR/VR musical instruments, Social VR, audio synthesis, and physical/embedded computing. He has previously worked in the Duke Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies and the DiVE Virtual Reality Lab. Dave is a proud co-founder of the Durham Bike Co-op and a versatile musician who has performed locally in numerous bands.

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All Kibria is a sophomore studying Computer Science and Economics from Richmond, Virginia. He can be found taking photos all throughout campus from a variety of events to a range of sports. All is excited to make an impact as an EdTech fellow in the greater Durham community!

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Kevin Mokaya is a freshman international student from the lakeside city of Kisumu, Kenya planning on majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a certificate in Aerospace. He has a keen interest in technology, especially mobile and computer development and loves working on 3D models and CAD in the MakerSpace on campus. Kevin first got involved with the PepsiCo EdTech team working with David Stein on the Hidden Durham application over Spring Break. Outside of classwork, he has a budding interest in music and often practices playing the piano for fun, and taking long scenic walks around the Duke Gardens in spring!

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Tali Nam is a senior from Portola Valley, CA majoring in Computer Science and Visual Media. She’s been excited to work on creative and technical initiatives with the EduTech team, such as AR installations around Durham. Right now, she is also preparing for her first gallery show as part of her Visual Arts Capstone project, preparing to open in Spring 2025. In her free time, she enjoys painting, playing soccer, reading, and watching reality TV.

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Nikki Quinn is a sophomore from San Diego studying mechanical engineering and visual arts. She joined the EdTech team in 2024 to develop more efficient and effective methods for creating immersive virtual spaces and augmented reality interactions. She is particularly interested in how VR/AR technology can enhance the iteration and prototyping process and is excited for the opportunity to explore these possibilities with EdTech. Outside the lab, Nikki is a member of the Duke Women’s Volleyball team and enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including hiking, painting, playing guitar, surfing, writing poetry, and freelance graphic design.

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Ixa Sigler is a freshman from Asheville, North Carolina currently studying Computer Science and Sociology. He’s had a love of education since he was a kid, partly inspired by growing up homeschooled and partly by the endless philosophical musings of his parents. Ixa lives for game development, especially as a means to teach; he’s an education exec at DPAD (Duke’s game development club) and can’t wait to continue his work as an EdTech fellow. He’s especially interested in how education affects society or societal systems (and vice versa), particularly the intersection of these more sociological concepts with technology. In his free time, Ixa loves to read, bike around Durham, and listen to music. He also spends a lot of time watching TV (because who doesn’t?).

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Julie Mandimutsira is a senior from Texas majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science. She joined the EdTech team in Spring 2022 and is most interested in exploring the ways in which technology can enhance how we interact with the world around us, whether it be by improving the ease and efficacy of certain processes, increasing accessibility to scientific and cultural resources, and/or charting new ways of engaging and bringing together people from diverse backgrounds. In her free time, Julie loves reading mystery, thriller, romance, adventure, and fantasy novels, dancing, kickboxing (courtesy of classes at the Wilson), listening to music (particularly pop, R&B, rap, pop rock, etc.), and watching animated TV shows.

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Celine Wang is a junior studying Biomedical Engineering. She can often be found staffing the Innovation Co-Lab, Duke’s on-campus makerspace, helping students and faculty with all sorts of projects or working on her own. She’s excited to be an EdTech fellow and share the fun of 3D-printing and AI technology with students in the Durham community. Her latest personal projects include a personalized shoe rack and trash can for her dorm. In her free time Celine likes to edit videos, go on long walks in the Duke Gardens, play piano, and yoyo!

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Alyssa Ho is a sophomore from Los Angeles, California. As a creative writer and computer scientist, she hopes to combine her interests through XR applications, especially in education. She’s currently building AR experiences on Snapchat for better ease and accessibility. Alyssa is excited to contribute to the EdTech team and connect with the Durham community. 

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Skylar Knight is a sophomore from Palo Alto, California. She plans to pursue an Interdisciplinary major in Computer Science and Visual Media Studies. As someone who’s passionate about STEM, design, and innovation, she’s excited to be a part of the EdTech team exploring AR and XR technology. She loves filmmaking and photography, working out, playing guitar, and is a member of the fencing team. Go Duke!

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Debi Ahitov is a sophomore from Istanbul, Turkey studying Computer Science and Neuroscience. As a student interested in STEM education research, mentoring, and learning optimization, she is very excited to be a part of the EdTech team and combine all her interests!

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Noelle is a sophomore from Tennessee. She is passionate about art, movies, and game design. Noelle was part of the first cohort of Duke Gap Year students; during her gap year, she spent 10 weeks in Indonesia as a computer skills teacher and painted her first four-wall mural.

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Dhivya is a graduate student majoring in Engineering Management and paving her way to becoming a social EdTech entrepreneur. She adores children, and turns into one when spending time with them:) She is am ambivert who may be seen socializing and ordering the same cuisine at restaurants or at home binge-watching TV. She is anxious to contribute to helping the EdTech industry thrive!

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Siba is currently a master’s student in Engineering Management at Duke University. She worked as a data scientist in a health-tech AI company after completing her BSc in Electrical Engineering at NYUAD and MSc in Human-Computer Interaction Design in the EIT Digital program (entry at University Paris-Sud in France; exit at University of Twente in the Netherlands)!

She loves the outdoors, reading, learning new languages (currently learning Spanish), and she is passionate about developing new products that will empower others and plans to pursue a career in product management.

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Elayna is a sophomore from North Carolina studying computational media. She is interested in making creative experiences with VR/AR and joined EdTech in January 2022. In her free time, she likes to draw, take naps, and play Tetris.

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Irene is a senior from Maryland majoring in International Comparative Studies. She loves dachshunds, movies, and taking long walks. Since joining the EdTech team in August 2020, Irene has enjoyed helping Durham students ask questions about the past, present, and future of our world through the lens of new technologies.

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Athena is a sophomore from Long Island, NY pursuing a double-major in Neuroscience and Visual & Media Studies. As someone who thrives at the intersection of STEM, art, and innovation, she’s excited to explore the future of AR/XR technology with the Ed Tech team. When she’s not giving VR demos in Duke’s Multimedia Project Studio, you can find her exploring the Durham food scene, painting in the art studio, or searching for the campus cats.

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Erika is a sophomore from North Carolina majoring in Computer Science and Visual Arts. She joined the EdTech team in August 2021 and is interested in exploring the intersection between art and technology. She loves watching movies, petting cats, and painting.

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Aryan is a junior from Bangalore, India majoring in Data Science at Duke Kunshan. He loves video games (especially VR!), writing stories, and trying new foods. He joined the EdTech team in January 2022.

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Yunyao is a senior majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science. A native of Shanghai, China, she loves exploring different cultures, languages, and disciplines. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing the piano, watching movies, and finding a good analogy. She joined the EdTech team in September 2018 and has been developing computer science lessons for elementary school students.

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Ali is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science and English. She is interested in the intersection between tech and arts, humanities, etc., and loves writing, playing guitar, sewing, and drinking coffee. She joined the EdTech team in August 2020 and has enjoyed working with Durham students, particularly on the children’s book project, and is excited to see a fun and engaging display of augmented

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Cyan completed an interdepartmental major between Computer Science and Visual & Media Studies titled, “Computational Media.” She spent her time at Duke exploring the intersection between technology, the humanities, and art. She joined the Duke PepsiCo EdTech team in October 2017 and has since enjoyed working on multimedia projects with students and teachers in Durham.

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Mike is a senior who is studying Mechanical Engineering in the Pratt School of Engineering. Initially inspired to study Mechanical Engineering by Mythbusters, he is a frequent user of the Duke Innovation CoLab and a member of the Duke University Quidditch team. Mike joined the EdTech Team in August 2018 and has been showing students how to use the 3D Printers & Laser-cutter, as well as using the 3D Printers to recreate various scenes from history.

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Mohamad graduated in May 2018. He majored in Global Cultural Studies and with a minor in Education. Hailing from Beirut, Lebanon, Mohamad has been working with David since August 2015. With an interest in film, technology, web development and education, Mohamad has been making educational videos and websites, providing technology training and support, and working with students.