T Th 9:30 - 10:45
Wilson 306
Prof. Michael E. Gorman Thornton Hall A217 982-2905 meg3c@virginia.edu
Prof. Larry G. Richards MEC 209B 101 924-3191 lgr@virginia.edu
Prof. William T. Scherer Olsson Hall 102D 982-2069 wts@virginia.edu
Matthew M. Mehalik (TA) Thornton Hall A233A 982-2004 mmm2f@virginia.edu
General Information
Development of this course was a supported by a joint award from the National Science Foundation, the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Lemelson Foundation. One purpose of the award is to simulate collaborative learning experiences among students and faculty from a variety of backgrounds. One of the objectives of the proposal submitted was to prepare modules for dissemination and use in other courses; each module involves students in an actual invention or design activity supplemented by readings, discussion and reflections on the problem-solving process. Therefore, the course is a kind of continuing experiment, although this is the third time it has been taught. We will be trying a number of ways of assessing how well the materials are working, and will ask for your assistance in this endeavor.
Texts
1.) Norman, Donald (1993) Things That Make Us Smart: Defending Human Attributes in the Age of the Machine. NY: Addison-Wesley.
2.) Simon, Herbert (1969) The Sciences of the Artificial. Cambridge: MIT Press.
3) Petroski, Henry (1996) Invention by design: How engineers get from thought to thing.
Additional readings will be on reserve in the Science and Engineering library.
In addition to these texts, you will each be allowed to spend no more than $10 for the materials needed to create your inventions. We have extensive materials for the telephone module which you will be allowed to use: wire, batteries, magnets, etc. Sign-up with the TA to get access. We have a limited budget to purchase additional higher-priced materials for those teams that want to build a prototype on the second module.
Objectives
In addition to specific information in readings and cases, we would like you to learn at least some of the following:
Questions to Consider
Course Structure
Overall, the course revolves around two active learning modules that pose an invention or design problem students are asked to work together to solve. The first module, based on the invention of the telephone, attempts to teach you how to invent. The second module gives you a chance to apply what you have learned in the first module by inventing or designing a sustainable technology of your own choosing.
Resource Page
Most, if not all, of the links to the class can be found on this page. As a supplement to the course syllabus, there is also a TCC315 Resource Page containing all of the class links and other relevant links and resources that may prove useful throughout the semester. Here you will find extensive information on invention & design as well as information regarding the two Active Learning Module projects.
Click here to review some helpful resources for this class.
Major Assignments -- Active Learning Modules
Each module has a major group project due at the end.
- a proposal to the Lemelson Foundation for funding for your invention project , or
- a submission to the Fourth Annual Padnos Design Competition (both have May 15 deadlines).
In addition, each module will include:
Studnets will also be required to keep a journal of responses to readings throughout the semester; this notebook can be collected at any time. It's main purpose is to keep you prepared for class discussions.
Grades
| Assignment | Percentage of Grade |
| Telephone caveat | 5 |
| Telephone patent | 20 |
| Telephone reflection paper | 10 |
| Telephone notebook | 5 |
| Sustainable pre-proposal | 10 |
| Sustainable proposal | 20 |
| Combined reflection on both telephone and sustainable projects (Take-home final) | 10 |
| Sustainable design notebook | 5 |
| Notebook of responses to readings and discussion | 15 |
Class participation will be applied as a multiplier to your final grade, going from .75 to 1.25.
Class Notes
Notes covering the major topics of each class are also available online. Visit the Class Notes section of the TCC Resource page to access them.
Schedule
1/16 -- Introduction to course, invention and design
Read Gorman, Chapter 3 to get ideas on who inventors work--especially two telephone inventors. Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray.
1/21 -- Introduction to module. Assignment of groups and first group exercise. Come up with ideas for what you are going to try to patent. Here are some sample student papers on the web done by previous students.
Read Norman, Chapters 1 & 2. What is the difference between experiential and reflective cognition? What does it take to create an expert in a field? What are the pros & cons of using multimedia in education?
Review Resources for Telephone module. This link leads to the TCC 315 Resources Page which contains information on the Telephone module and on outside resources that may be useful for your project. Information specific to the Telephone Module can be found on the "Invention of the Telephone" home page.
Check the Exhibits page for information on rules (Exhibit 4) for the Telephone module project and also for background information on Gray's caveat, Bell's patents, and how such documents should be written (Exhibits 1, 2, & 6). Exhibit 5 gives an overview on how to build modern versions of early telegraphs which should prove useful for your prototypes.
An overview of the assignments required for the Telephone module can be found on the Assignments page.
One excellent resource that you may want to look at is a JAVA-based page developed by Mazen G. Baroudi and Daniel W. Mellen that demonstrates many of the key concepts used by Bell in his telephone invention. It is highly recommended for students who want a clearer understanding of the inner-workings of Bell's telephone. This is a work-in-progress page and comments are definitely welcome. Click here to access Alexander Graham Bell: An Experiment in Creation.
1/23 -- How to work effectively in groups (Scherer). Additional information can also be found on the "Advice for Working in Groups" page.
1/28 -- Discuss Norman, 1 & 2
1/30 -- Continue working in groups on telephone designs.
Read Norman, Chs. 3 & 4. What is the role of representation in invention? What kind of representation is a patent? How will someone else represent your invention and use it?
2/4 -- Present your caveat for a communications device. (Turn in Caveat)
Here are some suggestions and guidelines for the presentations.
2/6 -- Prepare patent. Discuss Norman, 3 & 4.
2/11-2/13 -- Present your patents for a communications device. (Turn in Patent)
Read Norman, 5 & 6. Use concepts in these chapters and earlier ones to help you describe the processes your group followed.
2/18 -- Present group processes.
2/20 -- Reflect on first invention experience. What thinking processes did groups follow? How can they be improved?
Read Norman, Chs. 7-10, especially his frequent references to telephone and communications technologies. Predict the future of such technologies. What does it mean to talk about technological progress?
2/25 -- Discuss Norman, introduce next module (Turn in reflection paper)
Part II: Sustainable Design
Read "Toward a Sustainable Tomorrow". Write down three or four ideas for new technologies that might benefit the environment.
Look at examples of other student projects.
2/27 -- Discuss the idea of sustainability, and ideas for new technologies. Assign groups for second module.
Read DesignTex case.
Use these pre-discussion questions to help you prepare for discussion.
3/4 -- Discuss DdesignTex. Is this a model for sustainable design? How can the model be applied in other domains.
Read ASN case.
3/6 -- Discuss ASN. Is this an invention or simply a re-design of existing technologies? Why hasn't Rich been more successful at marketing his solar water heater? Would he be more successful if he targeted the developing world (see SELF case)?
3/8-16 -- Spring Break.
Prepare an abstract of your invention idea, suitable for use in a patent search. Identify a problem or need and how your invention will solve it. Write a paragraph describing your new, more environmentally sound invention or product. See"The Tire Patent Search" for an example of an abstract. These abstracts are more formal than are required for the assignment, but they give an idea of how an abstract should be structured.
3/18 -- Present environmental invention ideas. Hand-in abstracts (part of pre-proposal grade)
3/20 -- Possible guest lecture by Rodger Flagg (TBA)
Revise abstacts, based on his feedback.
3/25 -- Trip to the Patent and Trademark Office
Prepare Background and Summary of Invention or pre-proposal to an inventor, depending on whether you discovered that your idea was original and patentable, or that another inventor had already done it. This assignment will not be due until April 1.
3/27 -- Discussion of invention ideas. Each group decides whether to work towards Lemelson or Padnos proposals. Continue working on pre-proposals
Read Rohner Textil (A) and (B)
4/1 -- Discuss Rohner Textil (A) and (B); (Turn in pre-proposal)
Read Rohner Textil (C) and (D)
Prepare for class a systems analysis of alternatives presented in Rohner Textil (D)
4/3 -- Discuss Rohner Textil (C) and (D)
4/8- 4/22 -- As of this point groups will have to be working on their proposals. Readings TBD.
4/24 -- Proposal Due (present your proposal in class) Here is an example proposal with presentation; Turn in Group Notebook for Module 2 (Susatainable Design)
4/29 -- Turn in notebook of responses to readings and discussions
5/3 -- Final Exam (Turn in final reflection paper; give final presentations during exam slot).
Available on the web are some example final reflections papers. Also, here are some suggestions for the paper.
Because this is an experimental course, effort will be an important factor in your grade. Students will be able to use this course to fulfill the second-level ENWR requirement; therefore, quality of written and oral work will also be an important factor.
Unless otherwise noted this page and all its contents and subdocuments are copyright 1994 by Michael E. Gorman.
This page was last edited: Thursday, May 15, 1997