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Course
Syllabus
Contents:
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Background
Information on Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology (AT) is a
general term that includes devices, services, and policies that benefits older
adults and people with disabilities, the institutions and facilities where
beneficial efforts take place, 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
understand the challenge, design, develop, test, and bring to market new
devices. Other professionals are involved in evaluating individuals' challenges
and engaging in AT device activities: 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 61 million
Americans (25 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
ENGR110/210 consists of
semi-weekly lectures from experts in the field, including designers,
entrepreneurs, clinicians, and users. Beyond these lectures, students can
choose to engage in a team project experience that includes project selection,
understanding the problem, and designing, fabricating, testing, and refining a
functional prototype. These students interact with users of assistive
technology, design coaches, and project partners. Other students can choose to
pursue individual projects that do not require fabrication skills or
experience, including developing a CAD design or to writing a comprehensive
report on an assistive technology product or organization that works with a
person with a disability or an older adult. Finally, there is a lecture-only
option for students whose schedule does not permit working on a
project. |
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Expectations for
Students
By taking Perspectives in
Assistive Technology, students will:
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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,
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Learn about a wide
variety of issues in technology development, including intellectual property
rights and 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 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 online
semi-weekly class sessions that features discussions, guest lectures, virtual
field trips, a virtual 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 is
non-technical. There are no exams, quizzes, problem sets, or finals.
There is an opportunity to work
on projects that address real challenges experienced by individuals in the
local community. These projects are pursued individually or in a team. Students
choose projects from pitches presented 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 project options as well as a lectures-only option. The team project
option is 3 credit units, the individual project option is 1 credit unit, while
taking the course as a seminar (just attending lectures, no project involement)
is 1 credit 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 online
discussions, presentations by guest lecturers, individual and team 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. Over the years, guest
lecturers have addressed a wide variety of issues in assistive technology such
as disability and rehabilitation, research and development, service learning,
design process and brainstorming, design software, intellectual property,
technology licensing, personal perspectives, and human subjects in
research.
Field trips to 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) have been scheduled in past
years.
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. The Faire will be also conducted virtually this coming
quarter.
Beyond these lectures and tours,
students can participate in a team or individual design project
experience that addresses problems faced by users of assistive technology
or research or research and write a comprehensive report on a facility that
serves people with disabilities or older adults.
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 - Winter 2022
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 30. 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. See course website at http://engr110.stanford.edu.
Designated a Cardinal Course by the Haas Center for Public
Service. |
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Teaching
Team
- David L. Jaffe, MS -
dljaffe -at- stanford.edu
- Course Lecturer
- Bennett Lewis -
blewis13 -at- stanford.edu
- Course Assistant
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Objectives
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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
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Engage students in a 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
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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' problem
solving, critical thinking, and communication skills, with specific emphasis on
in-class discussions, report writing, and project presentations
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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
During in-person class session -
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 fifteen to twenty 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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Field
Trips
In-person trips to local medical
facilities and engineering laboratories are scheduled during the
quarter. |
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One Credit Unit
Lecture-only Option
For students whose schedule does
not permit working on either a team or individual project in
ENGR110/210, a one credit unit lecture-only option is offered. As there
are no assignments or exams, the grading is Credit / No Credit - no
letter grades are given for this option. Students enrolled with the one unit
option must attend at least 15 class sessions, including the first class
session, Introduction to Assistive
Technology. |
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One Credit Unit
Individual Project Option
Individual Projects differ from
Team Projects that they (Individual Projects) address simpler problems, have
less complex solutions, do not require a fabrication component, 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 building a working physical prototype). For example, a project may focus on
investigating a service related to assistive technology.
Optionally, two students may work
collectively on an Individual Projects, sharing these tasks: obtaining
background information and brainstorming. However each student is required to
pursue, present, and report on different solutions.
Students enrolled in the
Individual Project option are required to attend at least 15 class sessions,
including:
Individual 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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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.
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Funding to support the course
and student projects come from Stanford sources, company partners, foundations,
etc.
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Three Credit Unit
Team Project 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.
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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, choose top-ranked designs, start fabrication, present their
findings, and submit a report of the team's progress.
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End-of-term Team Project
Assignment
During the second half of the quarter, teams choose a
specific design concept and continue to fabricate / test / refine prototypes.
The embodiment of the chosen design will be in the form of detailed sketches,
drawings, and a functional, testable prototype. Teams present their design in
class and submit a final comprehensive end-of-term 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. There is no fee for its
use.
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 Project
Presentations |
Tuesday,
February 8th |
| Team Mid-term Project
Reports |
Tuesday,
February 15th |
| Individual Project
Presentations |
Week of
March 1st |
| Team End-of-term Project
Presentations |
Tuesday,
March 8th |
| Team End-of-term Project
Demonstrations |
Tuesday,
March 10th |
| Individual and Team Final
Project Reports |
Tuesday,
March 15th |
| Individual
Reflections |
Tuesday
March 15th |
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Over-enrollment
The course enrollment is strictly
capped at 30 students taking the course for 3 credit units - which
equates to 10 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
90-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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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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.
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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
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All enrolled students are
encouraged to attend all ENGR110/210 lectures.
-
Enrolled students taking the
course for 1 credit unit must attend at least 15 class sessions
including the first lecture, Introduction to
Assistive Technology.
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One Excused Class Session for
Student Project
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Students taking the
course for 3 credit units may be excused from attending one class
session (after Week 6) to work on their projects. The instructor may
designate which class session can be missed. Class sessions that are mandatory
are:
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The student must inform
the instructor of their desire to work on their project prior to the
class session that will be missed.
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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.
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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.
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After the meeting, the
student will be credited with "attending" the class session.
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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.
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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 15 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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Other Course
Issues
- These statements are in
response to comments and suggestions provided by students in their evaluations
or Individual Reflections.
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Grading
|
Individual Projects (1 credit
unit) |
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| End-of-Term
Presentation |
40% |
| End-of-Term
Report |
40% |
| Individual
Reflection |
10% |
| Participation
* |
10% |
|
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|
Team Projects (3 credit
units) |
| Mid-Term
Presentation |
10% |
| Mid-Term
Report |
10% |
| Prototype Design
& Functionality |
20% |
| End-of-Term
Presentation |
20% |
| End-of-Term
Report |
20% |
| Individual
Reflection |
10% |
| Participation
* |
10% |
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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 Project Reports.
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There is no provision for
"extra credit" to enhance a student's grade.
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Letters of
Recomendations and Employment References
- Students: Please strive to
make your qualifications, skills, and abilities evident.
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 seeking a
Coterminal Degree in CS, the recommender is asked to write candidly about the
candidate's:
- qualifications,
- potential to carry on
advanced study in the field specified,
- intellectual
independence,
- capacity for analytical
thinking,
- ability to organize and
express ideas clearly, and
- potential for
teaching.
In addition, the recommender
is instructed to describe specific examples of attributes such as motivation,
intellect, and maturity.
-
For students seeking to apply
to MIT's Media Arts and Science graduate program, the recommender is asked to
respond to these questions:
- What particularly
qualifies this applicant for study at MIT?
- What are the applicant's
accomplishments in research or independent projects?
- How does the applicant
compare to other students you know who have attended MIT?
- Can the student clearly
communicate ideas in written and spoken English?
- Do you have any
reservations about the applicant's ability to succeed at MIT?
-
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.
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Students with
Disabilities: Access and Accommendations
Stanford welcomes everyone and is
committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with
disabilities as they are a valued and essential part of the Stanford
community.
Students who experience a
disability should register with the Office
of Accessible Education (OAE). Professional staff will evaluate students'
needs, support appropriate and reasonable accommodations, and prepare an
Academic Accommodation Letter for faculty.
Students who already have an
Academic Accommodation Letter should share it with the course instructor at the
earliest possible opportunity. The instructor and OAE will identify and resolve
any barriers to access and inclusion that might be encountered in the course
experience. |
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ENGR110/210
Lecture Schedule - 2022 |
|
Week |
Lecture Date |
Description |
Assignments |
Deliverables |
|
1 |
Jan 4th |
Course Overview & Introduction to Assistive
Technology
David L. Jaffe, MS
|
Assignment -
Project Report & Presentation handed
out |
This is a required class
session for all students |
| |
Jan 6th |
Project Pitch Day
Project
Suggestors
|
|
Project Selection due
Tuesday, January 11th
This is a required class
session for students working on projects |
|
2 |
Jan 11th |
Class Discussion
Creating Assistive Technologies - Understanding the
Problem
Gayle Curtis, MS
|
|
|
| |
Jan 13th |
Class Discussion
Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Products in
Rehabilitation Medicine
Deborah E. Kenney, MS, OTR/L
|
|
|
|
3 |
Jan 18th |
Class Discussion
Perspectives of Stanford Students and Faculty with a
Disability
Cricket Bidleman, Mary Cooper, Tilly Griffiths, Gene Kim,
Kevin Mintz, Bhavya Shah, Erik Sibley
|
|
|
| |
Jan 20th |
Class Discussion
Improving Home Environments for Older
Adults
Matteo Zallio, M.Arch, PhD
|
|
|
|
4 |
Jan 25th |
Class Discussion
Designing Beyond the Norm to Meet the Needs of All
People
Peter W. Axelson, MSME, ATP, RET
|
|
|
| |
Jan 27th |
Class Discussion
From Idea to Market: Eatwell, Assistive Tableware for
Persons with Cognitive Impairments
Sha Yao
|
|
|
|
5 |
Feb 1st |
Class Discussion
Issues of Human Interface Design
Gary M.
Berke, MS, CP, FAAOP
|
|
|
| |
Feb 3rd |
Class Discussion
Accessible Making: Designing Makerspaces for
Accessibility
Kat M. Steele, PhD, MS
|
|
|
|
6 |
Feb 8th |
Mid-Term Student Team Project
Presentations
|
|
This is a required class
session for students working on projects |
| |
Feb 10th |
Class Discussion
Assistive Robotics
Monroe Kennedy III,
PhD |
|
|
|
7 |
Feb 15th |
Class Discussion
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
B. Jenny
Kiratli, PhD & Jeffrey P. Jaramillo, MSPT
|
|
|
| |
Feb 17th |
Class Discussion
Assistive Technology Faire
|
|
|
|
8 |
Feb 22nd |
Class Discussion
The Design and Control of Exoskeletons for
Rehabilitation
Katherine Strausser, PhD
|
|
|
| |
Feb 24th |
Class Discussion
Designing Exoskeletons and Prosthetic Limbs that Enhance
Human Performance
Steven H. Collins, PhD
|
|
|
|
9 |
Mar 1st |
Class Discussion
Field Trip to the Magical Bridge
Playground
Olenka Villarreal
|
|
|
| |
Mar 3rd |
Class Discussion
Wheelchair Fabrication in Developing
Countries
Ralf Hotchkiss
|
|
|
|
10 |
Mar 8th |
End-of-Term Student Team Project
Presentations
|
|
This is a required class
session for students working on projects |
| |
Mar 10th |
Student Project Demonstrations, Course Evaluation,
and Celebration
|
|
This is a required class
session for students working on projects Project End-of-Term Reports
and
End-Quarter
Reflection due
Thursday, March 17th |
|
11 |
Mar 15th |
Final exam week - no
class |
|
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