DESIGN 243 Design and Assistive Technologies - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Students will investigate current and past design work that has successfully improved or extended human movement, sensation or mental capacity for a range of individuals and communities using assistive technologies. Students will experiment with a range of physical and digital technologies to design a tangible assistive or rehabilitative device using speculative design methods.

Course Overview

Assistive Technologies are designed to complement and amplify human capabilities. Students will learn about human perceptual, cognitive, and physical capabilities and how these can be considered, improved, and extended using custom design methodologies and practices.

The students will have the opportunity to expand upon processes and techniques learned in DES100 and DES101, and apply them to the specific context of assistive technologies. They will further acquire an understanding of human factors research methodologies and experiment with a range of associated technologies. Then, students will apply various methods to evaluate related works and then to propose, iterate, and resolve a final project for presentation and demonstration.

The main course topics are:

Human Perception: sight, hearing, touch and others (proprioception, time, etc.)
Human Cognition: memory, learning, attention, decision and emotion
Human Action: target selection, text entry and gestures

The following topics in design will be embedded into the topics above throughout the course:

Design Technologies: origins, current and emerging
Design Research Methodologies: including Human Factors and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
Development Techniques: experimentation, prototyping and evaluation

The main learning activities are:

a review of related works to better understand the scope and opportunity for future project work
an exploration of a hypothetical assistive device to discover its technical and experiential benefits, limitations, and viability
a quiz to test the students' understanding of basic concepts of human factors in designing assistive technologies
a group project that addresses real-world problems with assistive technologies

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: DESIGN 100, 101

Semester Availability

Studio sessions will commence in Week 1. It will be delivered by academics and experts in specific areas, covering a diverse set of topics around human factor processes, methods, and technologies. Topical workshops will be offered to provide a more in-depth and hands-on experience with certain technologies and workflows. All course materials and activities are designed and delivered to support student assessment tasks.

In Weeks 1 - 4

Students will review the goals, processes, and methods of design in the specific context of assistive technologies. They will learn about the basic principles of Human Perception and mainly focus on sight, hearing, and touch. They will learn about a number of design cases that assist Human Perception.
Students will write a research report on a hypothetical assistive device using a combination of narratives, visualisations, specifications, and research.

In Weeks 5 - 7

Students will learn about Human Cognition. Covering topics of cognitive load and cognitive tasks, memory and learning, and attention and decision. Case studies will be conducted in-class, which review assistive technologies addressing Human Cognition.
The group project will start no later than the mid-semester break.

In Weeks 8 - 10

Students will learn about Human Emotion and Actions (gestures, target selection, text entry, etc.). Case studies will be conducted in-class on the respective topics.

In Weeks 11 and 12

Students will take a small quiz on the topics taught in this course and present the final demo of the group project.

Throughout the semester, students will attend experiential and technical workshops that prepare them to work with the various related technologies, such as eye-tracking, touch sensing, haptic feedback, and biometrics sensing.

Students will continue to use the online folio built during DES100/DES101 to document and reflect on studio activities, techniques learned and project progress. This folio will be submitted by students as a reflective assessment activity.

Course Co-ordinator

Dr. Haimo Zhang

haimo.zhang@auckland.ac.nz

If a student wishes to contact the course co-ordinator by email, be sure to send it using the official student email address and include the course code 'DESIGN 243' in the subject field. Without this, the email may be missed.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Appreciate important issues in, motivations for, and impacts of the application of design methodologies for assistive technologies. (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 5.4)
Understand key characteristics and assessment methods of human perception, cognition, and action. (Capability 1.2, 2.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 5.3)
Apply the understanding and methods of human factors in the design process in a collaborative team setting. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
Demonstrate an applied understanding of the topics through the presentation of a series of technical experiments and final project (Capability 1.1, 3.2, 4.2 and 5.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Research Report	40%	Individual Coursework
Quiz	20%	Individual Test
Project	40%	Group Coursework
3 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4
Research Report
Quiz
Project

Pass Requirements

A total grade of 50% or higher is required to pass this course.

All assignment submission items requested by the lecturer must be uploaded to Canvas, unless specified on the assignment brief. No email submission will be accepted. Assignments must be accompanied by a cover sheet available on Canvas.

Multiple submissions are possible. Students can submit multiple versions of the assignment and all the submitted versions are kept. Marking is based on the latest version submitted before the deadline.

Late assignments are NOT generally accepted. Any work submitted after the due date and without an extension form will be treated as overdue and will automatically be graded D-/0 (zero). In extreme circumstances, the student can apply for an extension. For example, when a student faces unavoidable personal circumstances (e.g. illness or a death in the family) that mean the student is unable to submit a component of coursework, he/she may apply for an extension.

Applications for extensions require that students complete a formal application form (available on Canvas). The request is assessed by the Group Services Administrator or Course coordinator and must be supported by written evidence from a doctor or counselor. Extension forms and supporting evidence to be sent to design-admin@auckland.ac.nz. The student must apply no later than five days before the due date of the assignment. In case of an extreme difficulty being experienced closer to the assignment deadline, students can contact the course coordinator directly.

No extensions will be granted for problems such as accidentally erased computer files, which should always be prevented by keeping backup copies. When an extension is granted, students are expected to submit evidence of work in progress on the original assignment due date to demonstrate what has been completed up to that date.

Teaching & Learning Methods

This course will be delivered over 12 weeks, by a team of instructors experienced with technologies and design processes for human-computer interaction.

Each week there will be a 3 hour design studio scheduled to include activities such as lectures, technology demos and workshops, and hands-on experiments. Students are expected to attend every week as each session has been designed to equip students with the necessary skills to complete all assessment activities to receive a passing grade. Any further engagement in workshops and feedback sessions will contribute to achieving higher than a passing grade.

Technical support will be available throughout the semester for regular equipment and devices within the Fab Lab. Course-specific technologies will be conducted in the Digital Prototyping Lab (next to the Fab Lab), and supported by teaching staff of this course.

Learning Resources

BYOD - All new students enrolled in a Bachelor of Design or Design conjoint degree should come to class with their own laptop. This is so students will have the core learning tools available in and outside of class. It also means students can increase their independence and have better control of a professional device to stimulate creativity and simplify their design process. Working with ya personal laptop during the Design degree will prepare students for the realities of working as a designer after graduation. The highly recommended, recommended and minimum specifications for a laptop are listed here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/creative/current-students/courses/design/courses-design-bring-your-own-device.html

Sketch pad and drawing materials: It is good practice to be able to quickly record ideas through writing and sketching as well as collecting and pasting items found that are relevant or inspiring.

Using their online folios, students will post regular updates to demonstrate participation, understanding and progress in the course.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect per week 3 hours of studio contact, 2 hours of hands-on technical experience, 2 hours of preparatory reading and planning for studio and workshops, and 3 hours of work on assignments, skills development, and folio development.

Other Information

Students will be contacted via their student email addresses. You are welcome to redirect these to a private email, but it is the responsibility of students to check these messages. Please note all communications from Canvas are automatically sent to student's university emails.

Students must check Canvas regularly for updated information.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

In the event of unexpected disruption

We undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions, the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. In the event of a disruption, the University and your course coordinators will make every effort to provide you with up to date information via Canvas and the University website.

Copyright Warning Notice

This material is protected by copyright and has been copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may not sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of this course pack/material to any other person. Where provided to you in electronic format, you may only print from it for your own private study and research. Failure to comply with the terms of this warning may expose you to legal action for copyright infringement and/or disciplinary action by the University.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 3:	Solution Seeking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

DESIGN 243 : Design and Assistive Technologies

Creative Arts and Industries

2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)