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Course
Syllabus
Contents:
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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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- 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 suggested 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.
-
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 need finding, project
identification, and design. Teams interact with users of assistive technology,
design coaches, and project partners.
-
ME113 is the Spring Quarter
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 Spring Quarter
capstone course for the undergraduate Computer Science degree. The goals for
the course are as follows:
-
- 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 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
-
Engage in a comprehensive design
experience that includes working with users of assistive technology to identify
needs, 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 1, 2, or 3. Students choose
projects pitches by people from the community who would benefit from a device
that would enhance their function, improve their independence, and 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, 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) 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 engage in a team-based design project experience that addresses
problems faced by users of assistive technology and includes need finding,
project identification, and design.
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;
brainstorming and identifying appropriate project design alternatives;
searching for existing commercial products; selecting a project design to
pursue; fabricating a prototype; testing and analyzing the performance of the
prototype; iterating the fabrication and testing steps; presenting the project;
writing a report; and reflecting on the course and team project
experience.
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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- Teaching Team:
- David L. Jaffe, MS - dljaffe
-at- stanford.edu
- Course Lecturer
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Credentials:
The
course:
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Has no
prerequisites
-
Is a designated
Service-Learning
Course
-
Is approved for the Program in
Science, Technology & Society (STS) - included on the
BS Major STS Core list
in Social Scientific Perspectives area of the Disciplinary Analyses section (3
credit option)
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Satisfies the optional course
requirement for the BS degree in Mechanical Engineering (3 credit
option)
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Can be approved as an elective for
the MS degree in Mechanical Engineering by a faculty advisor
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Is an approved Design Processes
Course for the
Learning,
Design and Technology Program in the Graduate School of
Education
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Is an approved course for the
Bio-Science Area of
Concentration in The Program in Human Biology.
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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
-
Engage students in a team-based
project experience that exercises team working skills 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' 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:
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 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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Lectures:
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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Team Projects (3 credit
option):
Students work in teams of no more than three to address
problems faced by individuals with disabilities and older adults with the goal
of fabricating, testing, and presenting a functional prototype device or
software application. 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 projects
come from internal sources, company partners, foundations, etc.
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Project Carryover to Spring
Quarter:
Team-based design projects in ENGR110/210 serve as a
foundation for continuing development, testing, and fabrication of an improved
working prototype in the Spring Quarter. Teams of undergraduate students enroll
in ME113 or CS194 (or a comparable senior design project course)
while individual or graduate students can pursue independent study for credit
with the approval of their faculty advisor. The Spring Quarter effort focuses
on developing and testing a more refined, functional prototype. As with
ENGR110/210, students continue to work closely with persons with
disabilities throughout the design process.
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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, the 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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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.
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Individual Project Assignment
Students are
asked to interview an individual with a disability or an older adult, 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 to address problems faced by individuals
with disabilities and older adults. 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; brainstorming and
identifying appropriate project design alternatives; searching for existing
commercial products; selecting a project design to pursue; fabricating a
prototype; testing and analyzing the performance of the prototype; iterating
the fabrication and testing steps; presenting the project; writing a report;
and reflecting on the course and team project experience.
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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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.
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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.
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Assignment Dues
Dates:
| Assignment |
Date |
| Team Mid-term
Presentation |
Thursday,
February 11th |
| Team Mid-term Report |
Tuesday,
February 16th |
| Individual
Presentation |
Week of March
2nd |
| Team Final
Presentation |
Tuesday, March
8th |
| Individual and Team Final
Report |
Monday, March
14th |
| Individual
Reflection |
Monday March
14th |
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Missed Lecture Policy:
All
enrolled students are encouraged to attend all ENGR110/210
lectures.
Student project teams (taking the
course for 3 units) may be excused from attending one lecture to
work on their team projects. The following guidelines must be
followed:
-
The entire team must arrange
to work on their project together during the lecture time.
-
The team must inform the instructor
of their desire to work on their project before the lecture that will be
missed.
- All team members must be up to date
on all lectures - ie, any missed lectures must have been made up.
-
Lectures 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.
Enrolled students taking the course for
1 unit must attend at least 10 lectures including the first lecture,
Introduction to Assistive
Technology.
Missed lectures may be made up by first
reviewing the material from the missed lecture: view the video, follow along
with the PowerPoint slides, read any handout material, view any videos and
photos, and browse any weblinks posted on the lecture webpage. Then
either:
-
Write a summary of the missed
lecture of 1 - 2 pages in length that includes a summary of the lecture content
as well as the student's thoughts, observations, and reflections about the
material. What one item did you hear, see, or learn that was new, surprising,
interesting, or provided a new perspective?
Email the text or Word document
within a week of the missed lecture. Don't use a large font, double-spacing, or
wide margins.
or
-
Arrange to meet with me to discuss
the missed lecture. Be prepared to lead the conversation with questions,
comments, and thoughts. This should take about 15 minutes.
After a written summary it is received,
read, and approved - or after a meeting, the student will be credited with
"attending" the lecture.
Missed lectures 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 or write up a
summary / reflection near the end of the quarter.
If one or more required lectures are
missed and are not made up by the deadline for grade submission, it will affect
the grade 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 lectures:
-
- Receive No Credit for the
course.
- Request to receive
Incomplete for the course. If subsequently the missed lectures 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 lectures:
-
- Deduct one incremental letter
grade (ie "A" becomes "A-", etc) for each missed lecture not made
up.
- Request to receive
Incomplete for the course. If subsequently the missed lecture(s) are
made up, a letter grade reflecting the student's performance will be
recorded.
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Grading:
|
| 1
Credit Option |
3
Credit Option |
|
Final
Report
Final Presentation
Individual Reflection
Participation
* |
30%
30%
10%
30% |
|
Mid-term
Report and Presentation
Final
Report
Final Presentation
Individual Reflection
Participation
* |
20%
30%
30%
10%
10% |
- * 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:
Comments, issues, and requirements:
- Be aware
that the course instructor is not a professor, nor does he have a PhD. Make
sure this is ok with the agency 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. You must waive your 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.)
- Your
individual project contributions are masked if you are working on a team
project.
- You must
declare - at the start of the quarter - that you will be requesting a Letter of
Recommendation. This gives the instructor an opportunity to follow your
progress throughout the course.
- Requests
for Letters 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:
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 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.
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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