Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - now starting its eleventh year - that explores the design, development, and use of assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults. It consists of semi-weekly classroom discussions; lectures by notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; tours of local medical, clinical, and engineering facilities; student project presentations and demonstrations; an assistive technology faire; and a film screening.

How do student projects fit into the course structure? - Projects are a key course activity, providing students with an opportunity to use their knowledge and creativity to address real-world problems faced by individuals with disabilities and older adults.

How do students benefit from the projects they work on? - In pursuing their projects, students acquire or practice (and hopefully improve) the skills that they will use thoughout their future professional careers including working in teams, interacting with people in the local community, solving problems, understanding and following the engineering design / development process, employing course knowledge in a practical context, sharpening fabrication techniques, developing critical thinking skills, and enhancing presentation & report writing abilities. These are the teaching goals.

This course relies on your involvement, so please take this opportunity to suggest a project based upon an identified problem or challenge.

What are the benefits to you of suggesting a student project? - Project suggestors have the opportunity to become involved in the course beyond attending lectures, including working with a team of bright Stanford students, advancing their education, and influencing the design and development of a prototype device that addresses a specific disability or aging problem.

How do you go about suggesting a student project? - The process begins with a solicitation (that's the purpose of this newsletter issue) to the local community (that's you!) to observe, identify, describe, and report challenges experienced by an individual with a disability, an older adult, or those who care for or interact with them including employers, teachers, health care professionals, and family members. This encompasses activities such as working, learning, mobility, communication, improved access to the world (including products such as computers), and daily living tasks as well as health care equipment used for diagnosis, therapy, and rehabilitation.

How do you report student projects suggestions? - Review the project requirements and send me a short email (text format is ok) that identifies the user (or population) affected and describes the nature of the problem and the desirable features of a solution, but not how the device should appear, be built, or solve the problem - as those are tasks for the student team to address. It is ok if the problem affects just one individual. To best convey your project suggestions, use the current candidate project list as a guide.

What happens next? - Your submitted project suggestion will be read, reviewed, and considered. Submissions that meet all the project requirements and receive my approval will be accepted as candidate team projects. A project Problem Statement will then be composed for posting on the course website and disseminated as a handout to students on the first day of class.

What is your role during the project? - You will have the opportunity to "pitch" your candidate project on the second day of class. If a student team chooses your project, you must be available to assist them with advice, direction, and expertise in person, or by phone, and/or email during the quarter and will be invited to attend the Student Team Project Final Presentations and Project Demonstrations.

What is the deadline for submitting project suggestions? - Please email your suggestions to me as soon as you can so I have time to consider all submissions, edit approved entries, and post them - not later than Thursday, December 1st.