David L. Jaffe, MS
Lathrop Library Classroom 282
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4:30pm to 5:50pm

Course Syllabus

Contents:

• Background Information on Assistive Technology
• ENGR110/210
• Expectations for Students
• Overview
• Course Description
• Course Description on Explore Courses
• Teaching Team
• Credentials
• Objectives
• Course Laptop Policy
• In-class Discussions
• Class Sessions
• Tours
• Team Projects
• Lecture-only Option
• One and Two Credit Letter Grade Options
• Team Project Option
• Assignment Due Dates
• Over-enrollment
• Excuses
• Missed Class Session Policy
• Grading
• Letters of Recommendation and Employment References
• Students with Disabilities
• Lecture Schedule

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Background Information on Assistive Technology:
Assistive Technology (AT) is a generic term that includes both the description of devices that benefits older adults and people with disabilities as well as the process that makes them available to this population. An AT device is one that has a diagnostic, functional, adaptive, or rehabilitative benefit. Engineers employ an AT process to design, develop, test, and bring to market new devices. Other professionals are involved in evaluating their need, prescribing them, supplying them, installing and setting them up, instructing their use, and assessing their benefit. These products promote greater independence, increased opportunities and participation, and an enhanced quality of life for people with disabilities by enabling them to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish (or had great difficulty accomplishing, or required assistance) through enhanced or alternate methods of interacting with the world.

There are an estimated 54 million Americans (20.6 percent of the population) with some level of disability which limits their ability to fully participate in society. As the nation ages, the number of people experiencing such limitations will certainly increase. New AT devices incorporating novel designs and emerging technologies have the potential to further improve the lives of people with disabilities and older adults.

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ENGR110/210 consists of semi-weekly lectures from experts in the field, including designers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and users. Beyond these lectures, students engage in a team-based design project experience that includes project identification, understanding the problem, and design. Teams interact with users of assistive technology, design coaches, and project partners.

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Expectations for Students:
By taking Perspectives in Assistive Technology, students will:

• Gain a full appreciation for and an understanding of the engineering, medical, and social aspects associated with the design, development, and use of assistive technology,

• Learn about a wide variety of issues in technology development, including intellectual property rights and best practices in community engagement, and

• Engage in a comprehensive design experience that includes working with users of assistive technology to identify challenges, prototype solutions, perform user testing, practice iterative design, and communicate results.

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Overview:
The Winter Quarter ENGR110/210 explores technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults.

The course consists of semi-weekly class session that features discussions, guest lectures, field trips, an assistive technology faire, a film screening, and student project presentations.

Enrollment is open to any student - undergrad or grad - from any discipline.

The course content in non-technical. There are no exams, quizzes, problem sets, or finals.

There is an opportunity to work on projects that address real problems experienced by individuals in the local community. These projects are pursued in teams of three. Students choose projects pitches by people from the community who would benefit from a device that would enhance their function, improve their independence, and / or increase their quality of life.

Students can also suggest their own projects - typically one that benefits themself (as a student with a disability) or a family member (or friend) with a disability. Such projects must be approved by the instructor.

The flexible course structure includes individual and team-based assistive technology design project options as well as a lectures-only option. The team project option is 3 units. A smaller individual project option is 1 unit with a letter grade. Taking the course as a seminar (no project) is 1 unit CR/NC.

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Course Description:
Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a one-quarter (10-week) course taught at Stanford during the Winter Quarter that explores the design, development, and use of technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults. Students from diverse disciplines (mostly mechanical engineers) and from all academic years (approximately equally divided between upper class and graduate students) have enrolled in the course.

The course combines classroom discussions, presentations by guest lecturers, team and individual projects, site visits to medical and engineering facilities, an assistive technology faire, a film screening, and project presentations by students.

This course consists of twice-weekly presentations by guest lecturers who are experts in the greater assistive technology field, including product designers, entrepreneurs, researchers, clinicians, and assistive technology users. Lectures are open to all students and community members (local individuals without a Stanford affiliation), including non-enrolled students interested in a particular lecture and individuals with disabilities. Guest lecturers address a wide variety of issues in assistive technology such as disability and rehabilitation, research and development, service learning, brainstorming and needfinding, design software, intellectual property, technology licensing, personal perspectives, and human subjects in research.

Tours of local medical facilities and engineering laboratories (VA Spinal Cord Injury and Brain Injury Services and Stanford Motion and Gait Analysis Laboratory) as well as the Magical Bridge Playground (a facility designed to be accessible and inclusive for kids and parents with disabilities) are scheduled during the quarter. They provide an off-campus learning experience.

The Assistive Technology Faire provides an opportunity for students and community members to get an up-close look at a variety of commercial devices. Users of assistive technology products as well as small companies and agencies serving individuals with disabilities and older adults bring assistive technology devices to display and demonstrate.

Beyond these lectures and tours, students can participate in an individual or team-based design project experience that addresses problems faced by users of assistive technology.

The course is taught by David L. Jaffe who holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a MS degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University. Prior to coming to Stanford, he was a Research Biomedical Engineer at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System's Rehabilitation Research and Development Center. At the VA his interests were designing, developing, testing, and bringing to market microcomputer-based devices for veterans with disabilities including communication, mobility, and information systems.

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Course Description on Explore Courses:
ENGR 110: Perspectives in Assistive Technology (ENGR 110) (ENGR 210)

Seminar and student project course. Explores the medical, social, ethical, and technical challenges surrounding the design, development, and use of technologies that improve the lives of people with disabilities and older adults. Guest lecturers include engineers, clinicians, and individuals with disabilities. Field trips to local facilities, an assistive technology faire, and a film screening. Students from any discipline are welcome to enroll. 3 units for students (juniors, seniors, and graduate students preferred) who pursue a team-based assistive technology project with a community partner - enrollment limited to 24. 1 unit for seminar attendance only (CR/NC) or individual project (letter grade). Total enrollment limited to classroom capacity of 50. Projects can be continued as independent study in Spring Quarter. Designated a Cardinal Course by the Haas Center for Public Service. Link

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Teaching Team:

David L. Jaffe, MS - dljaffe -at- stanford.edu

      Course Lecturer

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Credentials:
The course:

• Has no prerequisites.

• Is a Haas Center for Public Sevice designated Cardinal Course. Cardinal Courses apply classroom knowledge to pressing social and environmental problems through reciprocal community partnerships. This is called Community Engaged Learning as well as service-learning. For students taking the course for 3 units, the credit units received can be used towards the 12-unit requirement for the Cardinal Service Transcript Notation. Other Cardinal Courses are listed on ExploreCourses.

• Is an Innovation and Organization Approved Course for the Program in Science, Technology & Society (STS) (3 credit option)

• Satisfies the optional course requirement for the BS degree in Mechanical Engineering (3 credit option)

• Can be approved as an elective for the MS degree in Mechanical Engineering by a faculty advisor

• Is an approved Design Processes Course for the Learning, Design and Technology Program in the Graduate School of Education

• Is an approved course for the Bio-Science Area of Concentration in The Program in Human Biology.

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Objectives:

• Expose students to the engineering, medical, and social issues facing engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, older adults, and individuals with disabilities in the design, development, and use of assistive technology

• Engage students in a team-based project experience that exercises team working skills (leadership & organization) and applies an engineering design process to address difficulties experienced by individuals with disabilities and older adults

• Provide an opportunity for students to interact with users of assistive technology in the local community along with health care professionals, coaches, and project partners

• Enhance students' problem solving, critical thinking, and communication skills, with specific emphasis on in-class discussions, report writing, and project presentations

• Encourage students to use their engineering skills and design expertise to help individuals with disabilities and older adults increase their independence and improve their quality of life

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Course Laptop Policy:
To encourage learning, discussion, and respectful interaction between students, the teaching team, and guest lecturers, the use of digital devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. is only permitted before and after class and during the short class session break.

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In-class Discussions:
Each class session typically begins with a ten to fifteen minute interactive discussion that promotes critical thinking, analysis, and questioning.

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Class Sessions:
Presentations are given by guest lecturers who address a wide variety of issues in assistive technology such as disability and rehabilitation, research and development, service learning, brainstorming and need-finding, design software, intellectual property, technology licensing, personal perspectives, and human subjects in research.

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Tours:
Tours of local medical facilities and engineering laboratories are scheduled during the quarter.

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Projects:
The description of the student project options are given below.

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Lecture-only Options:
For students whose schedule does not permit working on a team-based project in ENGR110/210, one and two credit unit lecture-only options are offered. As there are no assignments or exams, the grading is Credit / No Credit - no letter grades are given for these options. Students enrolled with the one unit option must attend at least 10 class sessions, including the first class session, Introduction to Assistive Technology, while the two unit option requires attendance in all class sessions.

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One and Two Credit Unit Letter Grade Options:
Projects for One or Two Credit Units are designed to be less time-consuming for a student whose schedule does not permit working on a team-based project but wishes to receive a letter grade and one ot two credit units. Students working on a project for One or Two Credit Units must meet with the course instructor during the second week of classes to discuss and agree upon the specifics of the project including how many credit units will be awarded. Also see Required Course and Individual Project Activities.

Projects for One and Two Credit Units differ from Team Projects in that they (projects for One or Two Credit Units) may address simpler problems, have less complex solutions, may not require a fabrication task, may not involve a user, may not require following an engineering design process, or result in a lower level of prototype functionality (such as producing a CAD design instead of a working physical prototype). For example, a project may focus on investigating a service related to assistive technology such as connecting older adults with each other or with college students.

Optionally, two students may work collectively on projects for One or Two Credit Units as a way of enhancing their project experiences and making these projects an attractive option for students currently on the Team Project Wait List. Students pursuing One or Two Credit Unit projects require attendance in at least 10 class sessions, including the first class session, Introduction to Assistive Technology.

One and Two Credit Unit Project Assignment
Students are asked to choose and pursue a specific project activity, present their work, submit a final comprehensive final project report that encompasses their efforts for the entire quarter, and reflect on their experiences.

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Team Project Option (3 credit option):
Students work in teams of no more than three to address problems faced by individuals with disabilities and older adults in the local community with the goal of fabricating, testing, and presenting a functional prototype device or software application. Team project activities include selecting team members; considering project choices; selecting a project; meeting with project partners, assistive technology users, design coaches, and the course instructor; understanding the problem; identifying the need; searching for existing commercial products; brainstorming and identifying appropriate project design alternatives; selecting a project design to pursue; fabricating a prototype; testing and analyzing the performance of the prototype; iterating the fabrication and testing steps; presenting and demonstrating the project; writing a report; and reflecting on the course and team project experience.

Mid-term Team Project Assignment
In the first half of the quarter, students form into teams, select a team project, contact the individual who suggested the project, interview an individual with a disability or an older adult who would benefit from the project, gather information on existing products and research, determine the magnitude of the need, brainstorm and evaluate potential solutions, present their findings, and submit a report of the team's progress.

End-of-term Team Project Assignment
During the second half of the quarter, teams choose a specific design concept and fabricate / test a functional prototype. The embodiment of the chosen design will be in the form of detailed sketches, drawings, and a functional prototype. Teams present their design in class and submit a final comprehensive final project report that encompasses their work for the entire quarter and individually reflect on their course and team project experience.

Project ideas come from various public and private sources in the community, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Palo Alto Health Care System's Spinal Cord Injury Center, local assistive living facilities, senior centers, as well as from foundations like the Muscular Dystrophy Association, or from individuals.

Funding to support the course and student projects come from Stanford sources, company partners, foundations, etc.

Students working on team projects use the Product Realization Lab facilities to fabricate their prototypes. The fee for its use is $60 for one quarter.

Students who wish to work on a team project and have a limitation in the total number of units they can take in the Winter Quarter may enroll for one or two credits, but are expected to complete all the 3-unit course requirements.

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Assignment Dues Dates:

Assignment	Date
Team Mid-term Presentation	Tuesday, February 11th
Team Mid-term Report	Tuesday, February 18th
Individual Presentation	Week of March 2nd
Team Final Presentation	Tuesday, March 10th
Individual and Team Final Report	Monday, March 16th
Individual Reflection	Monday March 16th

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Over-enrollment:

The course enrollment is capped at 27 students taking the course for 3 credit units - which equates to 9 three-student teams. This limit is imposed by the desirability of having 7-minute student team mid-term and -end-of-term presentations in the 80-minute class session. (There is no cap on the 1 credit unit options.)

In the event that the cap is reached, students can choose to be added to a Wait List. If a previously enrolled student who enrolled for 3 credit units drops the course, his/her spot is given to the first individual on the Wait List (with priority given to graduating seniors). Please note that there is no guarantee that any students already enrolled for 3 credit units will indeed drop the course although 11 students have done so last year.

Here are all the enrollment options for students to consider:

1. Wait List Option - As described above, students can take their chances with the Wait List. If a spot opens up, I will notify the student. Please note that seniors are given preference on the Wait List. If no spots open up, students will be required to choose one of the following options.

2. Individual Project Option - Students may enroll in the course for 1 credit unit and work on an individual project for a letter grade and are required to attend at least 10 class sessions.

3. Seminar Option - Students may enroll in the course for 1 credit unit and are required to attend at least 10 class sessions for CR/NC with no project participation.

4. Taking the Course Twice Option - Please note that students may enroll in the course (as ENGR110) for either of these 1 credit unit options in the current year and take the course (as ENGR210) for 3 credit units in a subsequent year with credit given for lectures already attended. This option would not apply to graduating seniors. (Three students have exercised this option.)

5. Independent Study Option - Students may enroll in ME191 (Independent Study) in a subsequent quarter and work on an individual project for a letter grade and a negotiated number of credit units.

6. Next Year Option - Students who will be around next year may sit in (without enrolling) on lectures they find interesting and enroll in the course the following year with credit given for the lectures already attended.

7. Sit in on Class Session Option - Students may choose not to enroll in the course, but are most welcome to sit in on any class sessions that interest them.

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Excuses:

A student who has missed a course event (class session, field trip, or deadline) or has knowledge he/she will miss a course event should not provide a reason for his/her absence as this requires the instructor to make a judgment on the validity of his/her reason. Instead, the student should ask how to make up the missed event.

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Missed Class Session Policy:

• All enrolled students are encouraged to attend all ENGR110/210 lectures.

• Enrolled students taking the course for 1 unit must attend at least 10 lectures including the first lecture, Introduction to Assistive Technology.

• One Excused Class Session for Student Project Teams

  • Student project teams (taking the course for 3 units) may be excused from attending one class session (after Week 6) to work on their team projects. The instructor may designate which class session can be missed.

    • Class sessions that are mandatory are the first lecture, Introduction to Assistive Technology, the second lecture, Project Pitches and Team Formation, the Mid-term Presentations, and the Final Presentations.

  • The following guidelines must be followed:

    1. The entire team must arrange to work on their project together during the missed class session time.

    2. The team must inform the instructor of their desire to work on their project prior to the class session that will be missed.

    3. All team members must be up to date on all class sessions - ie, any missed class sessions must have been made up.

• Making Up Missed Class Sessions

  • Missed class sessions may be made up by first reviewing the material from the missed class session: view the video (taking notes), following along with the PowerPoint slides, reading any handout material, viewing any photos and other videos, and browsing any weblinks posted on the lecture webpage.

  • Next arrange to meet with the instructor to discuss the missed class session. Be prepared to lead the conversation on the class session's content with questions, comments, observations, thoughts, and reflections. Consider "What one item did you hear, see, or learn that was new, surprising, interesting, or provided a new perspective?" The meeting should take about 20 minutes.

  • After the meeting, the student will be credited with "attending" the class session.

  • Missed class sessions should be made up at the earliest earliest opportunity (ideally within a week) as it may be more difficult to find the time to review the material and meet near the end of the quarter.

• Grade Impact for Missed Class Sessions

  If one or more required class sessions are missed and are not made up by the deadline for grade submission, the student's grade will be affected as follows:

  • For students taking the course as Credit / No Credit, the following options are available for student who have not attended at least 10 class sessions:

    • Receive No Credit for the course.
    • Request to receive Incomplete for the course. If subsequently the missed class sessions are made up, the grade will be changed to Credit.

  • For students taking the course for a Letter Grade, the following options are available for students who have missed one or more class sessions:

    • Deduct one incremental letter grade (ie "A" becomes "A-", etc) for each missed class session not made up.
    • Request to receive Incomplete for the course. If subsequently the missed class session(s) are made up, a letter grade reflecting the student's performance will be recorded.

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* Participation includes meeting with instructor, actively listening, posing questions to the guest speakers and the course instructor, engaging in class discussions, verbalizing thoughts and analyses, and submitting Weekly Individual Reports.

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Letters of Recomendations and Employment References:

Please note that a student's individual project contributions may not be evident if he / she is working on a team project.

Letters of Recommendation:

• Be aware that the course instructor is not a professor, nor does he have a PhD. Make sure this is ok with the agency or institution to which the Letter of Recommendation is being sent.

• For Mechanical Engineering students seeking a Coterminal Degree, a cummulative grade point average of 3.7 is highly desirable. If this average is met, a Letter of Recommendation is a simple formality for the instructor to complete. The student must waive his / her right to inspect the contents of the Recommendation. Submit a filled-out, signed, and dated Recommendation Form (Coterminal Application for ME Program - page 6) to the instructor - no envelope is needed.

• For students who desire a Letter of Recommendation for a university application or job employment, a declaration must be made at the start of the quarter and the student must meet with the instructor three times during the quarter (beginning, midway, and end) to provide the instructor an opportunity to follow the student's progress throughout the course.

• Requests for a Letter of Recommendation must be made at least a month in advance of the due date.

• Please review this webpage, "Getting a Letter of Recommendation" by Scott D. Anderson, a Lecturer in the Computer Science Department of Wellesley College.

Employment References:

• The instructor must be made aware of a request for a telephone-based employment reference.

• The student must specify what student project tasks he / she has engaged in.

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Students with Disabilities:

Creating and enhancing a supportive educational environment is one of the University's highest priorities. Ensuring that students with disabilities have full access to all instructional settings is part of the University's efforts.

Students with Documented Disabilities: Students who may need an academic accommodation based on the impact of a disability must initiate the request with the Office of Accessible Education (OAE). Professional staff will evaluate the request with required documentation, recommend reasonable accommodations, and prepare an Accommodation Letter for faculty. Unless the student has a temporary disability, Accommodation letters are issued for the entire academic year. Students should contact the OAE as soon as possible since timely notice is needed to coordinate accommodations. The OAE is located at 563 Salvatierra Walk; phone: 650/723-1066.

If you require a disability-related accommodation to participate in the course, please contact the course instructor. Requests should be made at least two weeks in advance.

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Updated 01/14/2020