Computer Science students Tahsin Maklai (Gzowski College) and Tamanna Chauhan (Lady Eaton College) turned a classroom assignment into a real-world opportunity to improve how an important City of Peterborough service connects with its users. 

As part of a community-based research (CBR) project organized through the Trent Community Research Centre, the pair set out to assess the accessibility and usability of the Peterborough Transit website, focusing on how riders find information, plan trips, and stay informed about service updates. 

The project, supervised by Dr. Alaa Alslaity, a professor of Computer Science at Trent, grew out of their COIS-3560H: Human-Computer Interaction course, where students learn to evaluate digital experiences using established frameworks and tools like heuristics. 

“Tamanna and Tahsin’s work is providing Peterborough Transit with valuable research, data analysis, and fresh perspectives that support our ongoing website improvements,” said Barry Wakeford, director of Transit Services with City of Peterborough. “The Trent Community Research Centre’s community-based research program offers significant value by connecting us with talented students who can dedicate time and academic expertise to identify real‑world challenges and provide actionable solutions.” 

Through their analysis, the Tamanna and Tahsin identified key barriers to navigation, accessibility, and access to real-time information. Their recommendations include clearer design elements, improved search functionality that reflects how users actually look for information, and integrating service updates currently communicated via social media into the website.  

For Tamanna, a transfer student aiming to upskill her expertise, the experience deepened her understanding of what accessibility looks like in practice. 

“Because of this research project, we’re going into detail and doing analysis on real data sets using established structures and strategies, instead of guessing at what might be happening.” 

In addition to technical skills, Tahsin, who has already completed two co-op work terms with Kawartha Pine Ride District School Board, also notes the value of working on a project with tangible impact.  

“I think community-based research is a really great thing because it allows you to explore your interests more,” said Tahsin. “If anyone has an idea or research question, they can use CBR as a tool to explore it and get real results that influence how organizations serve the communities in which we live, work, and play.” 

This CBR project was one of 70 celebrated at this year’s Celebration of Community Based Research, hosted during Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Month. 

Learn more about Computer Science at Trent.