Many students like computer games and know what they enjoy about these games. Why not create a game of their own? Free and cheap programs are available that allow students to put their critical thinking and creativity skills to the test. Students must think from the perspective of the gamer and determine what aspects of the game will appeal to the gamer. Students must also be instructive, since they must teach the players how to use the game within the context of the game. The students must be empathetic of the challenges that the players will experience early on in the game and then gradually increase the challenges as the students acquire greater mastery.
Students can create a tour of the school that is placed online. The students will need to determine what aspects of the school will need to be emphasized. Once the photos have been placed on the website, students can perform the coding needed to make the photos more interactive, allowing visitors to zoom in to the photos, rollover text that provides information about the scenes pictured, and also move from photo to photo efficiently.
Computers run various aspects of life, such as water fountains. Some water fountains can shoot water in various patterns. Students can use both their computer knowledge and their creativity to design fountain patterns that will dazzle visitors by spraying water in different patterns. Water fountains can also be synchronized to music, and students can install lights that add color to the water patterns, creating unique visual effects. If the water fountain is placed on the school property, students can feel pride over having programmed the water fountain themselves.
Computer technology products do not have to only be limited to traditional computers; students can also work on improving microcontrollers found within various devices. For example, students can develop cheaper microcontrollers for robots, making the commercial use of robots more feasible. Or students could improve a home entertainment system by giving homeowners more options when controlling their systems. The entertainment system could have a web-embedded interface that allows homeowners to control their entertainment systems anywhere they have Internet access and anywhere within the home. If the home has the entertainment system wired throughout the house, homeowners can access their entertainment system from anywhere.