What if learners could build search algorithms so that open data could be seen as a primary source like historical documents?

Use Data as Primary Source

Empowering students with raw data to construct arguments.

In the humanities, we push students to use primary source historical documents to back up arguments in their writing. In the past, making arguments based on data has been difficult, students often look at pre-compiled graphs and synopses made by others to make sense of data. QueryUs challenges students to construct logic from raw data and draw conclusions on their own.

Supports Wide Range of Data Sets

Easily upload any CSV file. 

QueryUs is flexible and will work with any data sets in the common CSV (comma-separated values) format. Teachers can load in their own data (even student-created data) and leverage QueryUs to engage students in interacting with a variety of data sets.

Parse Large Data Sets

Apply the same database querying and programming concepts that power web searches.

Many of the web apps that we use on a daily basis are powered by large, complicated relational databases. Using QueryUs helps students understand how popular web services work. QueryUs is based on the same database querying concepts that power many web apps. The interface subtly introduces concepts like variable types “int” or “string”. Students become the makers of query results. Look out Google.

Real World Math Modeling

Put knowledge of mathematical functions to practice.

Mathematics is an incredibly important foundation to computer science. The domain is also incredibly interesting when put in a real-world context. QueryUs challenges students to apply mathematical functions in setting domains, defining relevant variables, and filtering through large sets of data for better answers to their real-world questions.

Analyze Public Open Data

Propose questions around Open Data sets.

Big data is a big topic. Patterns within open data can potentially illuminate and solve important societal problems. QueryUs comes with a library of open data sets that teachers and students can access immediately and pose questions against. Public Open Data sets cover a wide range of topics (transit, health, environment, etc). Teachers are welcome to add to this data library and even generate youth-created open data sets with students.

Social, Peer Learning

Students publish and share their findings with peers and the world.

QueryUs enables students to publish and share their findings with peers and the world. Once they’ve developed a query (search algorithm), students can publish their results to share and compare with peers (or compare against the results that traditional search services yield).