Below are the research interests of Professor Sollohub and a number of thesis / project ideas:

1. The Role of computer technology in the classroom
   Whether one talks about K-12 or college education, computer technology, especially Internet-based technology, is moving into the classroom. The real issue is no longer "Should such technology be in the classroom?" but "How can this technology be used wisely in support of the best forms of education?" For awhile now I have been asking this question and have written an on-line text book to teach C++. Areas that I would like to explore further and which would make good theses or projects include:

   1. In the area of university level Computer Science:
      1. Multimedia products to explain and/or demo key ideas in C++ or some other area. The work here can be practical (building specific products or building frameworks from which specific products can be built), theoretical (why do some multimedia approaches work or not work; how can they be improved?), or a mixture of the two (a product built on a strong theoretical framework).

      2. Use of streaming video and audio to deliver course content. What kind of course content in what formats would be beneficial transmitted over the net? What are the best ways to create such content? How should it be integrated into the classroom?

      3. Ways to teach traditionally hands-on course over in the Internet. What presently works and does not work? Why? What would a quality design for an Internet-based course look like? What are good mixes of tools such as chat rooms, electronic white boards, discussion groups etc.?

   2. K-12 education. The issues listed under "University Level Computer Science" above also apply here. One might also consider:
      1. How to make the materials appropriate for students in specific age groups? Are there special needs for children in specific age groups, cultural backgrounds, or geographical settings? How can we get around the resource limitations commonly found in public schools?

      2. How different would educational materials look when developed for different countries/cultures? What are the issues in other countries?

      3. What are the new tools and software products available either in market or research/beta format? Are they an improvement on longer existing products? How should they best be integrated into the classroom? There are a wealth of fascinating items available to explore that are hardly being used. Can we develop curriculum around them?

      4. The use of new understands about how people learn coming out of research in Psychology and Cognitive Science.

   Small scale robotics, especially the relationship between subsumption architectures and BEAM robotics. A team consisting of a graduate student and a number of undergraduates is presently working on such robots.The project could benefit from involvement by other students interested in exploring subsumption architectures, societies of such robots, developing multimedia-based presentations of this work, and/or the use of robotics in the classroom.