Check out the student work submitted for real-world industry feedback! Learn more about submitting student work to receive real-world feedback here!

Grade: High School

PLTW Course: CS – CSP (Computer Science Principles)

Submission type: Project: Python Programming

Project overview: In the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Computer Science Principles class, high school students use Python® to learn the fundamentals of coding, data processing, data security, and task automation. After learning some coding fundamentals and how to creatively use computational tools, students apply their knowledge to develop a Create Your Own Adventure program using Python.

Student submission: 

[/image-wrapper]

Select judge feedback: 

“Hi, great job on this project. We are software developers working at a startup called elphi and we are located in the Boston area. We really enjoyed reviewing your project and we hope some of our feedback will help you with your future projects in STEM.

It was really smart to have previous choices affect the dialogue that appeared later in the story. There was also a really clear amount of thought and work involved in the creation of the story, and we really enjoyed the story that played out! It was great to see that there was timing involved when it came to reading the dialogue. It helped introduce the plot of the story and the different options a user could go through as they navigate the story.

Perhaps an improvement can be made in the user experience side, where if you type in an incorrect input, then the program could loop back to the previous question, instead of forcing the user to play through the entire program again. Another improvement would be to have the text show up slowly as if a user is typing the words. Different games with a similar style follow this approach and makes it easier for users to read while the words are typed. In addition, there was an occasion where the player had to simply click “a” to continue. We thought it could have been nice to add something more challenging there.

Overall, it’s clear that you are an extremely creative individual and we really enjoyed your approach to the problem. If you keep up your programming, you’re sure to be able to create even more elaborate games and stories, so keep up the great work!”

– Software Engineers, Elphi.io

“Hi! I’m a structural engineer working in Boston where I investigate, analyze, and design repairs or alterations to existing buildings. I did quite a bit of coding work in graduate school, but not so much since. Regardless, I really enjoyed your project! The creativity shown throughout your story was incredible and I really appreciated how smooth it was to navigate. One thing to think about in the future- make sure you do multiple practice runs of your story so that users don’t have to rush to read the text. Additionally, I know software engineers are always thinking of ways to shorten their code and increase efficiency. This will come as you discover new programming tools. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable project and I’m particularly fond of your creativity. As you grow and enter college/the workforce, be sure not to lose that! It’ll go a long way throughout your life. Good luck!”

– Structural Engineer, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates

Award: Innovation Award (2020-21)

School: Hopedale

Teacher: Sarah Wadehul