Pearson Announces Second Annual Student Coding Contest
Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 03, 2014 -- Pearson announced today the launch of the second annual Student Coding Contest. According to Code.org, by 2020, there will be 1,000,000 more computer science jobs than students. Opportunities for software developers are exploding and exposure to computer science can lead to high-paying jobs. The contest was created to encourage students to think creatively, showcase and apply the knowledge they’ve learned, and to give them the opportunity to demonstrate how they would approach building educational technology.
The Pearson Student Coding Contest rewards students who develop applications that integrate with Pearson’s Application Program Interfaces (APIs), and it is open to students who are enrolled in an undergraduate institution in the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec). For this year’s competition, students are challenged to focus and integrate efficacy, a positive, measurable impact on learning, into the development of their applications. Examples of successful applications that show efficacy include programs that increase retention rates, raise exam scores, accelerate student advancement, and improve student engagement.
“I would give three pieces of advice to this year’s contestants. Most importantly, don’t procrastinate,” said Mike Purvis, first place winner, 2013, and a student at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. He continued, “The people at the forum are very helpful. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions. Finally, ‘thinking big’ will be a huge part of your success. It is so tempting to think about a solution in terms of your immediate sphere, but to truly be successful at this challenge, it is crucial to ‘think out of the box’.”
Cash prizes awarded to contestants will include: first place ($5,000), second place ($2,500), and third place ($1,000). The top three finalists will also present their entries at the Pearson offices in Denver, CO in February, 2015. In addition to cash prizes, 10 semi-finalists will have an opportunity to apply for a summer internship with Pearson next year. Idea proposals will be accepted starting September 1, 2014 and closing October 15, 2014. Contestants will be notified in late October, if their proposal has been accepted.
Follow @PearsonNorthAm on Twitter, and use #alwayscoding to join the conversation.
For more information, please visit: pearsonstudents.com/codingcontest.
About Pearson
Pearson is the world’s leading learning company, with 40,000 employees in more than 80 countries working to help people of all ages to make measurable progress in their lives through learning. For more information about Pearson, visit http://www.pearson.com.
Media Contact: Brandon Pinette, brandon.pinette(at)pearson(dot)com or 800-745-8489
Brandon Pinette, Pearson, http://www.pearson.com, +1 (800) 745-8489, [email protected]
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