Welcome to TECH 120. This is a 3 credit hour course and meets for 2 hours and 50 minutes weekly. The syllabus describes the course:
Students in this course will engage in critical analysis of real-world problems and global challenges. They will demonstrate the ability to recognize opportunity and to take initiative in developing solutions applying the principles of human-centered design. Students will be able to communicate effectively and to work well on teams. Problems and solutions will be examined from societal, cultural, and ethical perspectives.
View the entire syllabus at: http://bit.ly/design-thinking-syllabus
View the course schedule at: http://bit.ly/design-thinking-course-schedule
The objectives of this section are to learn:
Every design begins with a problem identification followed by a series of activities know as the Design Process Flow as shown in the image to the right.
This week we continue to focus on the problem definition, point-of-view, and ideation processes.
We will return to the evaluation and communication areas next week as we prepare for another rough prototype build.
During our last 8-weeks, we will spend more time in section as we generate a solution to the grand global challenge final project.
In this section, we focus on the DEFINE PROBLEM and POINT OF VIEW phases of the Design Process (see image below)
The instructor has assigned and enrolled students into course management systems groups. Review W06: Individual Course Project Group Assignments for your specific assignment; however, the instructor will break you into groups during class for the in-class work below. You will remain in these groups for the rest of the semester.
We watch the d.school video below to demonstrate active brainstorming and establish rules for the process. Key concepts include:
Assign Team roles:
At the end of the brainstorming process, groups will:
We will begin to identify a final course project problem and solution that teams will develop for the remainder of the semester.
To identify a potential problem to address, in our three new groups, team members will share the issues they researched last week.
Once the four issues are identified, the instructor will facilitate two group brainstorming sessions:
Complete the W06: Group Brainstorming Activities assignment in the course management system. This is your first group submission. Only one individual needs to submit for the group.
To assist in the selection of a solution, we use a decision matrix. We discuss this process using the slides below and we work through an in-class example (selecting a car to purchase). Teams will use this method to complete the W06: Decision matrix worksheet. Once complete, the teams will have identified a possible solution to move forward.
This course will require you to rank order the contribution of your peers on a regular basis. This evaluation will be anonymous but will become a part of each student's grade. It is important that you each consider the work of your peers. The questions below, but not all inclusive, can help you in these evaluations:
What are other questions we can ask?
See Course Schedule at: http://bit.ly/design-thinking-course-schedule. This is the first week that students will submit assignments as a group. We discuss the process and implications.
Be sure to review each rubric prior to submission.