BAMM Canvas Assistant

Inspiration

Some professors prefer that we solve problems in very specific ways, which can make learning from outside resources confusing or inconsistent. Our app solves this by helping students learn only from the materials and methods provided in class. It filters through the overwhelming amount of content on Canvas to find exactly what’s relevant. Additionally, with the grade calculator, students can see what scores they need on future assignments to reach their desired final grade helping them plan smarter and study more efficiently.

What It Does

BAMM Canvas Assistant is an intelligent study companion that connects directly to Canvas. It curates and answers questions strictly from your course files, points you to the exact resources you need, keeps track of important due dates, and includes a grade-averaging feature to help you stay on top of your academic goals.

How We Built It

We divided the work into three main sections: one for the frontend and two for the backend features. We leveraged AI to accelerate development and used FastAPI to connect our backend to the frontend. The frontend was built using Next.js, which allowed us to create a fast, seamless, and responsive user experience with minimal setup issues.

Challenges We Ran Into

Canvas API tokens are quite restrictive in terms of the data they provide, so we used simulated (dummy) values to demonstrate what the full system would deliver. We also encountered challenges with dependency installation and Git configuration during collaboration, but we managed to overcome them as a team.

Accomplishments We’re Proud Of

We successfully connected both backend systems to the frontend and everything functions as intended. Seeing the entire app come together as a cohesive, working product was a huge milestone for us.

What We Learned

We gained valuable experience in full-stack development and team collaboration. We learned how to build APIs with FastAPI, integrate with external tools like OpenAI, and run development servers using Uvicorn. This project strengthened our understanding of how different components of a web app interact in real-time.

What’s Next for BAMM Canvas Assistant

We plan to expand the app with a time management calendar that automatically adds assignments, estimates how long each task will take, and blocks out time for studying to help prevent procrastination.
Another major feature on our roadmap is peer collaboration allowing students to connect with classmates working on the same assignment through a live chat or Discord integration. This will make studying and problem-solving more social, interactive, and efficient.

Built With

• canvasapi
• css
• fastapi
• javascript
• next.js-(app-router)
• node.js
• postcss
• python
• react
• typescript