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Syllabus
Contents:
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Background Information on Assistive
Technology:
Assistive Technology (AT) is a generic term that
includes both the description of a device that benefits people with
disabilities and the process that makes it available to them. 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.
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- Suggested Assistive Technology Course
Sequence:
- Winter Quarter:
ENGR110/210:
Perspectives in Assistive Technology (3 units)
- Spring Quarter:
ME113: Mechanical Engineering
Design (4 units)
- or
- CS194: Computer Science Senior
Project (3 units)
- or
- Independent Study
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Suggested Assistive Technology
Course Sequence Overview:
This course sequence provides an
opportunity for engineering students from all departments and interested
students from other disciplines to learn about the engineering, medical,
psychological, and social aspects of designing, developing, and employing
assistive technology to improve the quality of life and independence of people
with disabilities.
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ENGR110/210 consists of
twice-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 need finding, project
identification, and design. Teams interact with users of assistive technology,
design coaches, and project partners.
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ME113 is the capstone course for
the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree. Students pursue a quarter-long
team-based project with the expectation that they will take their design
concept as far towards a functioning device as possible by creating designs,
models, and working prototypes of new mechanical devices. Mechanical design,
teamwork, project management, and resource allocation are
emphasized.
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CS194 is the capstone course for
the undergraduate Computer Science degree. The goals for the course are as
follows:
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- To provide a significant design
experience, starting from a blank sheet
- To provide a team software-building
experience, where effective communication within the team is as important as
coding ability
- To provide experience in building a
large system that requires integration of the skills and knowledge gained in
the undergraduate program
- To provide practice in public
presentation of technical work, both in class and to faculty and industry
guests at the end-of-quarter Software Faire
- To provide practice in the written
description of a technical project, satisfying the Writing in Major (WIM)
requirement
- To acquaint the students with current
practices in software engineering
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Expectations for Students:
By
taking this suggested two-quarter course sequence, students will:
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Gain an appreciation for and an
understanding of the engineering, medical, psychological, and social aspects of
designing, developing, and employing assistive technology,
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Learn about ethical issues in technology
development, including intellectual property rights as well as best practices
in community engagement, and
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Engage in a comprehensive design
experience that includes working with users of assistive technology to identify
needs, prototype solutions, perform user testing, and practice iterative
design.
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ENGR110/210
Overview:
The Winter Quarter ENGR110/210 course consists
of twice-weekly seminars open to the general student population (as well as the
greater Stanford community) and a team-based assistive technology design
project.
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- ENGR110/210 Teaching
Team:
- David L. Jaffe, MS - dljaffe -at-
stanford.edu
- Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering
- Drew Nelson, PhD - dnelson -at-
stanford.edu
- Professor of Mechanical Engineering
- Harpreet K. Sangha - hksangha -at-
stanford.edu
- Course
Peer Liaison
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ENGR110/210 Objectives:
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Expose students to the engineering,
medical, and social issues facing engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs,
clinicians, seniors, and individuals with disabilities in the design,
development, and use of assistive technology
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Engage students in a team-based project
experience that exercises team working skills and applies an engineering design
process to tackle difficulties experienced by individuals with disabilities and
seniors
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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
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Enhance students' communication skills,
with specific emphasis on in-class discussions, report writing, and
presentations
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Encourage students to use their
engineering skills and design expertise to help individuals with disabilities
and seniors increase their independence and improve their quality of
life
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ENGR110/210 In-class
Discussions:
Each class session begins with a ten to fifteen
minute interactive discussion that promotes critical thinking, analysis, and
questioning.
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ENGR110/210
Lectures:
Lectures address issues in assistive technology such
as disability and rehabilitation, research and development, service learning,
brainstorming and need-finding, design software, intellectual property,
technology licensing, and human subjects in research.
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ENGR110/210 Projects:
Students work
in teams of no more than three to address problems faced by individuals with
disabilities and seniors. Team activities include selecting team members;
considering project choices; selecting a project; meeting with project
partners, assistive technology users, design coaches and course resource
personnel; understanding the need; identifying project design alternatives;
searching for existing commercial products; selecting a project design to
pursue; fabricating a prototype; testing the prototype; iterating the
fabrication and testing steps; presenting the project; writing a report; and
reflecting on the 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 senior
assistive living facilities, senior centers, as well as from foundations like
the Muscular Dystrophy Association, or from individuals. Funding to support the
projects come from internal sources, company partners, foundations,
etc.
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Project Carryover to Spring
Quarter:
The team-based design project in ENGR110/210 serves as a
foundation for continuing development, testing, and fabrication of a working
prototype in the Spring Quarter. Undergraduate students enroll in ME113
or CS194 (or a comparable senior design project course) while graduate
students can pursue independent study for credit. The Spring Quarter effort
focusses on developing a full-scale, functional prototype. As with
ENGR110/210, students continue to work closely with persons with
disabilities throughout the design process.
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ENGR110/210 Lecture-only
Option:
For students whose schedule does not permit working on a
team-based project in ENGR110/210, a one-unit lecture-only option is
offered. As there are no assignments or exams and grading is Credit / No
Credit. No letter grades are given for this option. Students enrolled with
this option must attend at least 10 lectures, including the first lecture,
Introduction to Assistive
Technology.
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ENGR110/210 One-Credit Letter Grade
Option:
For students whose schedule does not permit working on a
team-based project in ENGR110/210, but wish to receive a letter grade, a
one-credit letter grade option is offered. Individual students must either
pursue a "paper design" of an assistive technology device, or research
assistive technology topics, or interview individuals with a disability.
Students submit mid-term and final reports, give mid-term and final
presentations, and must attend at least 10 lectures, including the first
lecture, Introduction to Assistive
Technology.
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"Paper design" of an assistive
technology device - This quarter-long activity could result in either a CAD
design or a physical device built from foam-core or other prototyping material.
The mid-term report (at least 5 pages) should address the elements described in
Assignment One. The final report (at least 10
pages) should document the entire quarter's effort and address the elements
desctibed in Assignment Two.
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Research an assistive technology
topic - This half-quarter activity must include a discussion with an
individual who is in some way affected by the topic. The report must be at
least 5 pages.
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Interview an individual with a
disability - This half-quarter activity should include a overview of the
individual's life, challenges they have faced, successes they have achieved,
their desires for the future, assistive technology they use, and problems they
have experienced with them. The report should be at least 5
pages.
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Students can research one assistive
technology topic and interview one individual with a disability. Students must
work individually on these options.
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Presentations will be about 10 minutes in
length and will be scheduled outside of class time. Students are welcome to
employ PowerPoint slides, including short videos.
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All options require reports submitted at
the quarter's mid-term (February 14th) and end (March 11th).
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ENGR110/210 Missed Lecture
Policy:
Enrolled students taking the course for 3 units must attend all
ENGR110/210 lectures to obtain course credit. Enrolled students taking
the course for 1 unit must attend at least 10 lectures including the first
lecture, Introduction to Assistive
Technology. In the event a class is missed, the student must review the
recorded class audio, PowerPoint slides, videos, weblinks, and any handout
material posted on the course website and submit a short lecture summary and
reflection (1 - 2 pages) within a week of the missed lecture.
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ENGR110/210 Assignments:
All
assignments are accomplished in teams of not more than three.
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Assignment
One - Mid-term Presentation & Report
Mid-term Report due Monday,
February 14th
Teams engage in independent research to examine the
potential impact of a solution to a particular need, as well as determine
feasibility in terms of material costs, market demand, etc. Reports consider
safety issues, information from user surveys and interviews, and methods to
measure device performance.
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Mid-term
Student Presentations will take place on Thursday, February
10th
Each project team will do an informal 15-minute presentation on the
progress of their project.
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Assignment
Two - Final Presentation & Report
Student Design Presentations will
take place on Tuesday, March 8th
Teams present their design proposal to
the entire class as well as to a panel of faculty and project partners. The
presentations should be performed as design engineers pitching their new
product/device concept to a company or granting organization. That is, the
proposals should sell the need, idea, and process to a solution. Presentations
should include describe the teams' functional prototype.
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Final Report due Friday, March
11th
Teams describe the problem and need they have identified, and
several different methods of solving the problem. Teams also discuss how the
end device will be tested and how success will be determined. Information
learned from initial prototypes can be included.
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End-quarter Individual Reflection due Friday, March 11th
Students report on the design process for the quarter, noting any pitfalls,
major challenges, consumer likes/dislikes, and suggestions for the
future.
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| ENGR110/210
Grading: |
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Mid-term Report |
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30% |
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Final Report |
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30% |
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Final
Presentation |
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30% |
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Individual
Reflection |
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10% |
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Participation * |
|
10% |
- * Participation includes
actively listening, posing questions to speakers, engaging in class
discussions, verbalizing thoughts & analyses, and communicating project
progress.
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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 in all instructional settings is
part of the University's efforts.
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 dated in the current quarter in which the
request is being made. 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.
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