My job is to leverage the best of technology in an effort to help the world of education. From this blog to my career and beyond, I’m always trying to find ways to connect the two. That’s why I’m asking for your thoughts about a project I’ve just started working on.
I plan on creating a web-based classifieds system just for schools. In fact, this system is going to be built so any school can simply install the software, make a few configurations, and launch their very own classifieds system.
Students, faculty, staff, and other members of that particular school’s community can buy, sell, or give away books, rides, food, and much more.
Edufieds = Education+Classifieds
For the purpose of putting my thoughts together, I dubbed this project ‘Edufieds’ (you know, education + classifieds) and wanted to share some of my thoughts about the project.
I’d love to get some feedback about the project since it’s in an infancy phase and any thoughts would go a long way.
Here’s a quick list of a few things that can be bought, sold, or given away.
Books
One of the most-demanded features is the ability to trade last semester’s books with a classmate in exchange for next semester’s books. We also plan on having a robust listing system that allows students to buy and sell books without having to deal with shipping or delays.Who needs Amazon when your neighbor down the hall just finished needing the book you want? Gone are the days of selling your $200 textbook back for $10 or renting them for what is still too much for students on a shoestring budget. It’s time to make books and educational information easier to obtain.
Furniture
Moving from a single to a suite? Your new room probably doesn’t need 4 TV stands then. Why not sell or give away your newly unnecessary stand on Edufieds to a classmate at your school? Students arrange pickup times, price, and any other detail they want. Edufieds will provide a Google Map for the location of the item (if desired) so you could even leave the piece somewhere to be picked up.
Class Notes
About to throw away a whole semester of notes for a class you just finished? Why not see if anyone in the class next semester would like them? You could sell them or simply drop them in someone’s campus mailbox. All of the details can be arranged securely online using Edufieds.
Transportation
Whether you need a lift home for the holidays or just a trip to the supermarket, why not have a dedicated rideshare system just for your school? Chances are good someone in your dorm is headed to the supermarket later today so why not see if they’d be up for having some company? As with all listings, you can offer money or not for rideshares.
Party Planning
Want to throw a party and your school’s event calendar is being controlled by the administration? Simply list your party on Edufieds with all relevant details and you’re done. You can even use Edufieds to have people RSVP to the event to get an idea of headcounts.
Electronics
Just got a new mouse for Christmas? A new TV? Rather than sell to a stranger on Craigslist or throw it away, why not see if someone down the hall or across campus could use it? Simply post a listing with photos and sell / give away your item to a classmate without all the hassle of shipping. All arrangements are made between the buyer and seller (planned PayPal integration as well), both of whom are in the same school!
Food
Got some extra food from an event? College students are a hungry bunch so it can’t hurt to simply post a listing like ‘Free food in Room 101, Will be removed at 9pm come get it!’ and let people nearby take advantage of your leftovers. Sharing is caring.
Anything and Everything
With Edufieds, you can buy or sell just about anything. Payment is arranged between buyer and seller in order to ensure happy transactions. In the future, Edufieds will be able to support PayPal payments that can be sent between buyer and seller.
Security, Privacy, Payments
Users will be students, faculty, staff, and can even be alumni if desired. Registration will be limited to that school’s e-mail domain and only registered users can create listings, purchase listings, or comment on listings.
If desired by a school, all payment can be handled through PayPal to ensure no credit card information is shared between buyer and seller. If desired, transactions can also be done in-person like on Craigslist. The seller decides the price or allows the price to be negotiable.
Since users will have an account, there will be easy-to-use privacy settings as well as a simplified interface that lets people track and ‘favorite’ listings.
Long-Term Plans
There are plans for adding more features but the defined end of the project is the launch at the first school community. Future development plans include Facebook Group integration as well as multiple language settings that translate the site into the appropriate language for that user. Plans also call for allowing users to build up a reputation using a rating system to show they’re reliable sellers / buyers.
Weigh In
I’d love to get some feedback about the project since it’s in an infancy phase and any thoughts would go a long way. Do you think this project could be used in your school? What about the creation of a larger classifieds system that was just for teachers? Like Craigslist for teachers. Thanks in advance for leaving your thoughts down in the comments or by tweeting @edudemic!
About the Author
Baby sitting and pet sitting would be big hits with faculty and staff!
Great idea! The system would be easy to configure and, more importantly, free!
The school board I work for and the state run electric utility my friend works for have both stopped providing a simple message board for trading and selling household items, renting cottages, etc. It is a shame because many people are missing this trusted way of finding traders/buyers/sellers/renters within your own organization. Our employers have said they don’t want to have the bother/expense of supporting these forums. I don’t see what maintenance they require, and just how much could it be costing them???
I hope that your enterprise will see this trend turn around.
I live in Toronto, Canada.
This is a phenomenal idea and one that is in tune with some of the literature I've been reading on "cultural commons" lately. School can definitely be hubs of communities across the country, they just need the means to do this on a larger scale. This could provide a solution to that.
A TED Talk (http://www.ted.com/talks/rachel_botsman_the_case_for_collaborative_consumption.html) that I recently watched about "collaborative consumption" also chimes in as having some relation here. The concept of a "time bank" which I've also been reading about lately would also be something of value to consider (i.e. a student puts in an hour shoveling someone's driveway, and has an hour of time someone could "pay" them for a future service.