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Mid-Term
and End-of-Term Assignments for Two Credit Unit Letter Grade
Option
Introduction
Projects for Two Credit Units
differ from previous year's Team Projects in that they (projects for 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. Also see Required Course
and Individual Project Activities.
Optionally, two or more students may
work collectively on projects for Two Credit Units, sharing these tasks:
obtaining background information and brainstorming. However each student is
required to pursue, present, and report on different solutions. Two credit unit
projects require attendance in at least 15 class sessions.
Overview
For your assignment you are asked to choose and pursue a specific
project activity listed below, present your work, submit a final comprehensive
final project report that encompasses your efforts for the entire quarter, and
reflect on your experiences. If appropriate, interview an individual with a
disability or an older adult (or family members or health care
professionals).
Contents
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Required Course and Project Activities
The required course and project activities for students working on
a project for Two Credit Units and a letter grade are: (Note that these tasks /
activities are not necessarily meant to be performed in chronological
order.)
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Participate fully in the class including attending lectures
as required, listening actively, posing questions to the guest speakers and the
course instructor, engaging in class discussions, verbalizing thoughts and
analyses, reading and responding to emails from the course instructor, and
communicating project progress.
-
Attend at least 15 lectures, including the first lecture,
Course Overview & Introduction to Assistive
Technology. Sign the Attendance Sheet to verify your
presence.
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Review the Candidate
Individual Project offerings.
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Focus on one of these activities that
relates to or would potentially benefit the interviewed older adult or
individual with a disability:
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Report on an advance in
assistve technology - report on new products and research under development
or one of the following topic areas:
- Neural implants,
brain-computer interfaces
- Prosthetics and
orthotics
- Robotics
- Mobility
products
- Software
products
- Accessibility
solutions
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Report on a
disability-related topic - research one of the following topics:
- Disability and the
Law
- Disability in Film - with a
movie review (could be country-specific)
- Disability in Books - with a
detailed book review
- Disability Activism -
Disability Rights
- Disability in
Politics
- Disability in
Sports
- Disability in the
Arts
- Disability in
Music
- Disability in
Employment
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Report on a local disability
or aging organization - submit a comprehensive document that includes
student perspectives, as well as those of a staff person and client. Here are
some Bay Area organizations:
-
Pursue a "paper design" of
an assistive technology device - develop a CAD design or a "low resolution"
physical device built from foam-core or other low-cost prototyping
material.
-
Pursue an "appearance model"
of an assistive technology device - fabricate a limited funcional model of
an assistive technology device.
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Create a work of art -
create an original poem, song, skit, painting, or video (such as a day in the
life of a person with a disability or older adult). (This option would be of
particular interest to students who have skills and expertise other than
engineering.)
-
Engage in an aftermarket
aesthetic design - select an existing assistive product that could benefit
from a better appearance, contact the manufacturer, and work with a user of the
device to improve its aesthetic appeal.
-
Engage in an aftermarket
functionality / usability design - select an existing assistive product
that could benefit from a better functionality or usability, contact the
manufacturer, and work with a user of the device to improve its functionality
or usability.
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Pursue a project from the
Candidate Two Credit Unit Projects
List - typical tasks include interviewing an individual with a
disability or older adult to get a better understanding of the individual's
life, challenges being faced, successes achieved, and desires for the future.
Review assistive technology used, their usefulness and limitations, problems
experienced, and similar products on the market.
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Meet with the course instructor to agree
on an assistive technology project and how to report progress during the
quarter.
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Provide an informal (ungraded)
three-minute project progress presentation in class on Tuesday, February 16th as described
below.
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Submit a mid-term report that documents
the project effort and addresses the elements described below. These reports are due on Friday, February 19th.
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Give a final presentation in class on
Tuesday, March 16th and
Thursday, March 18th that includes
PowerPoint slides, photographs, and short videos as described
below.
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Submit an end-of-term report that documents the entire
quarter's effort and addresses the elements described below. Individual final reports are due
Monday, March 22nd.
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Compose an Individual
Reflection as described below. Individual
reflections are due Monday, March
22nd.
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Mid-Term Project Presentation
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Give an informal (ungraded) three-minute presentation in class on
Tuesday, February 16th that does not
include PowerPoint slides or screen-sharing.The presentation should include the
following elements for those working on fabrication projects: project
title, background, problem, aim, design criteria, "understanding the problem"
& design criteria & brainstorming activities, and selected solution(s)
to be pursued. Students working on the same project will present together. For
students working on non-fabrication projects the presentation should
include: project title, background, activities performed, and future
plans.
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Students taking the course asynchronously can submit a
three-minute video to be shared.
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Mid-Term Project Report
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Your mid-term report should include all your efforts so far this
quarter including background research, user interaction, evolution of ideas,
etc. The narrative portion of your report should not exceed 10 pages in
length.
-
Please note that a longer report is not necessarily better. I
would much rather read a shorter, concise, well-written, and highly readable
report than a longer, poorly written report with grammatical and spelling
errors.
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Mid-Term reports will be marked up and graded: Excellent, Very
Good, or Good.
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Your mid-term report should be submitted by email is due on
Friday, February 19th by 5pm. The suggested
format for fabrication projects is:
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Cover page - include course name & year, project title,
student name, and photo (do not include a page number on the cover
page)
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Abstract - one paragraph summary of objectives and
activities perfomed
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Background - give an overview of the organization and / or
provide a general description of the population addressed by your
project
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Problem - briefly and concisely describe the problem,
including the people who experience it
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Aim - describe what the proposed solution should do, but
not how it should do it
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Design Criteria - list the desirable operational features
and characteristics of the proposed solution
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Understanding the Problem, Design Criteria, and Brainstorming
Activities - detail these activities
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Selected Solution - if the same project has been selected
by more than one student, describe the solution each will
pursue
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Images - embed photographs, drawings, graphs, and sketches
documenting your design process and activities throughout the body of the
document, not at the end
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References - bibliographic and web
citations
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Acknowledgements - mention all individuals and facilities
who helped you
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Appendices - detailed sketches, calculations, testing
notes, relevant vendor information, etc. that are referenced in the main body
of the report
-
The suggested format for non-fabrication projects
is:
-
Cover page - include course name & year, project title,
student name, and photo (do not include a page number on the cover
page)
-
Abstract - one paragraph summary of objectives and
activities perfomed
-
Introduction - topic addressed and activities
pursued
-
Methods - what you did and why
-
Perspectives - include information from interviews
conducted and research performed
-
Discussion & Conclusions - include your own perspective
and reflection on the project
-
Images - embed photographs, drawings, graphs, and sketches
documenting your activities throughout the body of the document, not at the
end
-
References - bibliographic and web
citations
-
Acknowledgements - mention all individuals and facilities
who helped you
-
Appendices - detailed sketches, calculations, testing
notes, relevant vendor information, etc. that are referenced in the main body
of the report
-
Please submit your report in Google Docs, Word, or PDF format by
email.
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End-of-Term Project Presentation
Give an end-of-term presentation in class in Week 10. Visit the
webpages for Tuesday, March
16th or Thursday, March 18th for the schedule
and order of presentation. Other students and community members will be in
attendance.
Here are some general presentation considerations:
- Time length: Three students
working on the same project will have 10 minutes and two students will have 8
minutes for their shared presentation while one student will have 6
minutes.
- Slides and screen sharing:
Screen sharing of PowerPoint slides that include photographs, images, and a
short video is encouraged.
- Evaluation: Students and
community members will be asked to fill out a Google Form to evaluate each
presentation and project outcome
Here are some considerations for projects presented by more than
one student:
- Time length: Three students
working on the same project will have 10 minutes and two students will have 8
minutes for their shared presentation while one student will have 6
minutes.
- Slides and screen sharing:
Screen sharing of PowerPoint slides that include photographs, images, and a
short video is encouraged.
- Screen share: One student
should manage the entire presentation's screen sharing.
- Shared content: All students
should collectively present on their efforts from the first half of the
quarter.
- Individual solution: Each
student should present the solution they pursued.
A fabrication project presentation should include the following
elements:
- Personal introduction(s)
- Brief project
description
- Overview of the interview with the
older adult or individual with a disability
- Review of assistive technology
employed
- Choice of and rationale for the
selected project activity benefitting the interviewee:
- Discussion of the entire quarter's
project activity: background research, alternatives considered, selected
approach, rationale for choice, prototypes made, and final design
- Project visualizations: photographs,
videos, sketches, drawings, models, prototypes
- Activity demonstration (as
appropriate, depending on project choice)
- Future work and challenges for
continuing the project, including technical feasibility, engineering
difficulty, estimated cost of a commercial product, and market potential (as
appropriate, depending on project choice)
The teaching team, your classmates, and others in attendance will
judge your presentation and report or prototype on its overall quality using
the following metrics:
- Presentation: (What
& How the student(s) presented) - clarity, organization, and
completeness of the information presented & professionalism, enthusiasm,
conviction, confidence, energy, volume
- Project: (What the
student(s) produced) - quality and completeness of the report or creativity,
originality, functionality of the design concept and the likelihood it will
meet the user's needs
Other presentation considerations and suggestions:
- Anticipate questions from those in
attendance.
- There may be people from industry
attending the presentation, so please dress professionally (no jeans, t-shirts,
or flip-flops).
- Most important - practice your
presentation to maximize the quality of its content, clarity, conciseness,
completeness, understanding of your design decisions, creativity, pacing, and
timing.
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End-of-Term
Project Report
Due Monday, March 22nd at
5pm
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Your end-of-term report should include all your efforts for the
entire quarter including background research, user interaction, evolution of
ideas, etc. The narrative portion of your report should not exceed 15 pages in
length.
-
Please note that a longer report is not necessarily better. I
would much rather read a shorter, concise, well-written, and highly readable
report than a longer, poorly written report with grammatical and spelling
errors.
-
End-of-Term reports will be marked up and graded: Excellent, Very
Good, or Good.
-
Your end-of-term report should be submitted by email is due on
Monday, March 22nd at 5pm. The suggested
format for fabrication projects is:
-
Cover page - include course name & year, project title,
team name, team member's names, and team members' photos (do not include a page
number on the cover page)
-
Abstract - one paragraph summary of objectives, approach
taken, and results of the project
-
Introduction - problem to be addressed, problem
background
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Objectives - project goals and rationale
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Design criteria - background research, interviews with
project suggestors and potential users, design specifications, brainstormed
design alternatives (at least 3)
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Methods - what you did and why - include any sketching,
prototyping, model building, preliminary testing, analyses of design
alternatives
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Results - discuss specifics of your design alternatives
such as features, benefits, aesthetics, cost, safety, reliability, usability,
test results, feedback from users, etc.
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Discussion - include engineering challenges and suggestions
to further develop and fabricate a chosen design
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Next steps - assuming this project will be continued as
directed study, identify future challenges and include a timetable of major
tasks to produce and test a functional prototype
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Additional - optionally address issues relating to
commercialization including technical feasibility, engineering difficulties,
safety considerations, potential manufacturing, cost of materials, mass
production, marketing, advertising, distribution, sales, licensing,
etc
-
Images - embed photographs, drawings, graphs, and sketches
documenting your design process and activities throughout the body of the
document, not at the end
-
References - bibliographic and web
citations
-
Acknowledgements - mention all individuals and facilities
who helped you
-
Appendices - detailed sketches, calculations, testing
notes, relevant vendor information, etc. that are referenced in the main body
of the report
-
The suggested format for non-fabrication projects is:
-
Cover page - include course name & year, project title,
team name, team member's names, and team members' photos (do not include a page
number on the cover page)
-
Abstract - one paragraph summary of objectives, approach
taken, and results of the project
-
Introduction - topic addressed and activities
pursued
-
Methods - what you did and why
-
Perspectives - include information from interviews
conducted and research performed
-
Discussion & Conclusions - include your own perspective
and reflection on the project
-
Images - embed photographs, drawings, graphs, and sketches
documenting your activities throughout the body of the document, not at the
end
-
References - bibliographic and web
citations
-
Acknowledgements - mention all individuals and facilities
who helped you
-
Appendices - detailed sketches, calculations, testing
notes, relevant vendor information, etc. that are referenced in the main body
of the report
-
Please submit your report in Google Docs, Word, or PDF format by
email.
-
This course has received a Cardinal Course Grant Award
(2020) from the Haas Center for Public Service and the Community Engaged
Learning and Research (CELR) Team. One condition of this support is that
abstracts from students' Final Project Reports be shared with them. (The
content will be anonymized by redacting text that identifies the student, the
project partners, and users.)
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Individual
Reflection
Due Monday, March 22nd at
5pm
Reflect on your class and project experiences. Provide a
discussion (two pages minimum) of your design process, what you learned, and
what was most valuable to you individually. Here are some items to consider and
address:
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Review
Learning through Structured
Reflection article.
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You have spent the past quarter hearing from different
professionals and users, interviewing community members, brainstorming with
your instructor, doing background research, looking at prior art, fabricating
and testing a prototype device, etc. Please comment on the relative value of
the different parts of this process toward your design.
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How did the different interactions in the class (with users,
community members, guest lecturers, professionals, etc.) contribute to the
results of your design? Was any particular interaction especially rewarding or
helpful? Why?
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If you were to go through this process again, what would you do
differently? Was there support from the teaching staff or course content that
was helpful or that you felt was missing? What advice would you give to future
students?
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Additional questions to be considered for your reflection can be
found here.
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Submit your report in Word or pdf format by email.
This course has received a Cardinal Course Grant Award
(2020) from the Haas Center for Public Service and the Community Engaged
Learning and Research (CELR) Team. One condition of this support is that
students' Individual Reflections be shared with them. (The content will be
anonymized by redacting text that identifies the student, the project partners,
and users.) top
Grading
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|
Deliverable |
% |
Mid-Term Presentation
Mid-Term
Report
End-of-Term Report
End-of-Term Presentation
Individual
Reflection
Participation * |
0%
10%
40%
30%
10%
10% |
- * Participation includes attending
class sessions, 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 Project Reports or meeting with the
course instructor.
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