Simple App Creation for Ecologists

Workshop

&

Eco Hackathon

LOOK FOR US NEXT YEAR.

Workshop #18: August 6, 2017: 8 am - 5 pm

EcoHackathon: August 6-10, 2017

Portland, Oregon

The event includes both a 1-day Android app development workshop and a development marathon event and contest, the Eco Hackathon. Participation in the Eco Hackathon is optional.

The workshop launches the hackathon, an event for beginning and experienced Android app developers to create apps for use in research, education, and outreach in ecology. You do not need to participate in the workshop to compete in the Eco Hackathon, but the workshop will enable those without prior programming experience to compete in the beginning developers category.

As an event sponsored by the ESA Committee on Diversity and Education, we are particularly interested in introducing app development to underrepresented students in ecology and technology.

​App development in ecology is a new and exciting area for exploration and development. Mobile devices connect us to the internet, each other, and, with the many sensors available on mobile devices, to our environment.

The theme of the ESA 2017 conference is "Linking biodiversity, material cycling and ecosystems services in a changing world" and builds on the theme, Ecological Science at the Frontier. We are seeking to bridge the gap between the tech world and the field of ecology by opening another avenue for research and development and by developing a novel way to engage students in learning by using their mobile devices.

Backed by the MIT App Inventor Team

For participants who have no programming experience, the workshop, "Simple App Creation for Ecologists using MIT App Inventor" will provide an in-depth introduction to Android app development utilizing MIT App Inventor (AI).

AI is a simple web-based visual development platform that allows users to rapidly build mobile apps. Instead of writing text based programs, users learn to assemble program blocks in a similar fashion to putting together puzzle pieces. This easy to learn approach to app creation allows users to build complex Android apps for use in research, education, and outreach in a short period of time.

This workshop will provide the basic skills necessary to support participation in the Eco Hackathon app development contest.

For participants with app development experience, we invite you to create an app for use in research, education, and/or outreach during our Eco Hackathon. Show us your skills. FOR ECOLOGY!

August 6 - 10, 2017

The Eco Hackathon will launch with the workshop on Sunday August 6, 2017 at the conference center and will end with the submission of participant apps by Wednesday evening and a presentation or pitch of the apps in front of a panel of judges on Thursday August 10, 2017. Only one team member needs to be present to pitch their apps on Thursday.

Participating teams will work on projects independently during and after the workshop. You will work on your own schedule and will still be able to attend meeting talks and functions. We will be holding office hours after the workshop.

Winners will be selected based on the applicability of their app to research, education, and/or outreach in ecology and how well the team demonstrated the functions and concepts of mobile computing through their apps. Prizes will be awarded to winning teams.

The top three apps will be selected in the following categories:

Best Modified or Original MIT App Inventor App (beginners)

Best Original Android App (experienced)

To participate in the Eco Hackathon you can register during the workshop or if you are not participating in the workshop you can send an email to jboudell@expeditionhack.com

2016 Eco Hackathon Rules and Information 

​2017 Rules and Information coming soon!

MAI is supported by the MIT Center for Mobile Computing, is free, and is supported for Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux operating systems and many Android devices. Tutorials will be provided. Participants need to bring their laptop and if possible an Android mobile device such as a smart phone or tablet. Participants without Android devices can test their apps using the MAI emulator or work with a partner. We will have a limited supply of Android devices. You also need a Gmail account and the Chrome web browser is preferable.

Snacks will be provided.

Our ESA 2016 workshop and Eco Hackathon participants worked hard and developed a number of unique apps for use in ecology education, outreach, and research. Please view the gallery below for screen shots and app descriptions. Download winning apps below. This is easiest to do by clicking on the link using your mobile device.

Congratulations to the winners of the ESA 101 Eco Hackathon!

Beginning Developers:

First Place: Overheard at ESA by Ava Hoffman, Beth Kuser Olsen, and Shar Siddiqui

      Overheard at ESA App   AI Code

Second Place: Talkin' Trash by Mary Keilhauer and Catherine Louie

      Talkin' Trash App   AI Code

Third Place: Mojo Invasion by Elizabeth Chi and Jeanelle Brisbane

      Mojo Invasion App   AI Code

Honorable Mention: Plot Locator Pedometer by Beth Middleton

      Plot Locator App   AI Code

Our ESA 2015 workshop and Eco Hackathon participants worked hard and developed a number of unique apps for use in ecology education, outreach, and research. Please view the gallery below for screen shots and app descriptions. Download winning apps below. This is easiest to do by clicking on the link using your mobile device. For some apps, only the app inventor code is available as the apps have become buggy.

Congratulations to the winners of the ESA 100 Eco Hackathon!

Experienced Developers (those with some programming experience):

First Place: Mad Scientist developed by Leila Hadj-Chikh

      AI Code

Second Place: Tree Structure Data Recorder by Nicole Meister and Wenge Ni-Meiser

      Tree Structure App   AI Code

Third Place: Near Me by Hsieh Hsunyi, Ma Ziyu, and Denis Valle
      AI Code

Beginning Developers:

First Place: Quadrat by Sonya Geange, Houston Harris, Emily Kalnicky, and Bryan Nguyen

      Quadrat App   AI Code

Second Place: Raptor by John Herrmann

      Raptor App   AI Code

Third Place: EcoPic by Anna Carter, Elyce Gosselin, and Amanda Young