Packaging a maker-oriented curriculum for Prototyping Interactive Systems (HCC-2) for a new instructor
Manasvi Lalwani
Spring 2005- Fall 2013 -class first created by Keith Edwards in Spring 2005 (later offerings taught by Mark Guzdial and Blair MacIntyre) -fulfilled computational portfolio requirement for HCC students - building level of competency in building medium scale programs(2000-3000 lines of code) -GUI, client-server networking, web services, databases using Jython - assignments that build up to common project, an instant messaging/chat program | Fall 2014 - Fall 2015 -class revised by Gregory Abowd and team (Aman Parnami, Elizabeth Disalvo, Zane Cochran) - HCC students + MS HCI students across all departments - breadth in hardware and software prototyping -arduino, processing, laser-cutting, 3D printing, MIT App Inventor, Android -baseline assignments to impart skills + personalized project based on common requirements |
Prototyping Interactive Systems
A tale of two curriculums
What about 2016?
My experience
with the class
Design Process
Overview
Img Source: Google Sprint Material
Understand
Fieldwork
16 weeks
3 hours in-class per week X 16 weeks
+ 1 hour per week office hours
+ Classroom Planning
Constructionism �(Papert, 1991)
Physical computing in computer science education
(Przybyla et al., 2014)
Literature
Review
Personalized projects- bubble blowing truck
Soldering- skills not covered in class
Self-directed exploration- textile pressure sensor, sought help from resources on campus
Interesting Observations
Student
Survey
12 Respondents
7 Fall 2015, 5 Fall 2014
1 PhD, 11 Masters
Key Questions
What were their learning goals for the previous offerings?
How would they revise the old curriculum, if they were to?
What was the class hand-off like during their turn?
What were their concerns about teaching the new curriculum?
What resources would they need to teach the new curriculum?
Interviews with
Instructors
4 Interviews
3 Instructors who had taught the class before�1 potential Instructor for Fall 2016
Concerns and
Challenges
.. [about Jython chat program] but today doing something more web based and mobile based may be relevant to students.
As professors, we have limited time to learn whatever we need to learn in order to teach a class. I do not get to take a semester off to teach the class they way it was taught. It would be a huge amount of work for me. I do not know the prototyping tools well enough and it's the whole environment there that I would have to come to speed on.
Syllabus
Slideshows
Homeworks+Assignments
Grading
Common problems students faced
Where to find resources such as Arduino, Laser cutters, 3D printers?
Resources
Needed
The first time if I were to teach the glass, I would want a very closely spelled out document and maybe the second time I would tweak it.
But I would want them[the expert] to make the decision on what platforms to use, what tutorials are the most appropriate, what projects to do so that i do not have to do that because I am not an expert in it.
Define
Primary User- New Instructors
-need high resolution of detail (step by step)
-flexibility of curriculum is secondary
Secondary user- TA , students� - can directly use this information although not all of it may be relevant to them
Other user- Expert instructors
How does the Information Architecture look?
How to visually represent all this content?
Requirements
and Design
Considerations
Not to compare old curriculum with new curriculum
Focus on Physical computing curriculum-
-provide resources
- save planning time
Framing the problem
8 weeks
8 weeks
Software Prototyping (Mobile Phone Programming-can be substituted with another module)
Physical Computing (Introduction to Programming + Fabrication + Hardware Prototyping)
Focusing
Scope
One of the basic tenets of the concept is that experience is, by its nature, subjective and that the best way to understand the experiential qualities of an interaction is to experience it subjectively.
Marion Buchenau and Jane Fulton Suri on Experience
Prototyping (IDEO)
3 hour workshop for TCS employees
12 employees software engineers, consultants
Introduction to ‘Making’ and its role in Design Thinking(DT)
Classroom Mockup
Workshop as a
Prototype
What worked?
Engagement�Beyond slideshows >> proof of concept'�
What did not work?�Time wasted- employees could not install Arduino IDE on their work computers
Timer to the rescue
Parts acquisition was difficult- no kits
Upon reflection
-70% of my time spent on outlining activities
-30 % of my time spent on logistics and material acquisition
Workshop Reflection
Diverge
Inspiration
and Ideation
Prototype
Content as
Prototype
Abstracted classes to- Discussion, Activity, Debrief
Overview first, zoom and filter, then details-on-demand.
Ben Shneiderman
Course �Syllabus
Course Goals
The goal of this course is
-to give students the confidence to build a variety of computational artifacts (both software and hardware)
-to demystify technical vocabulary
-to talk about one’s design process
16-week division of course
How to use this curriculum?
First half of the course (Physical Computing)
Second half of the course (Mobile app development, can be substituted with Web)
What is Physical Computing?
PEER LEARNING
Teach and Learn
EMBRACE EXPERIMENTATION
Do not be afraid to fail
BEING RESOURCEFUL
Look for resources on Georgia Tech and within the Maker community
LEARNING BY DOING
Focus on Making
SELF LEARNING
Somewhat ties back to being resourceful but always good to remember
FOLLOW THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE
Quick and dirty prototypes are alright, you can iterate later
GLASSBOX PROGRAMMING
Bootstrapping programming with examples that can be repurposed
Philosophies and
Mindset
Class Overview-
Reading Discussion
In-Class Activity
Debrief
Out of Class Assignments
4 modules-
Intro to Programming
Looks-like Model
Works-like Model
Integrating Final Project
Physical Computing
Overview
Class Outline
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Evaluation 1
Interviews
8 interviews- 2 experts involved with class
3 experts from ID, 1 from DM who taught similar courses
2 potential instructors
30 minutes - 1 hour semi-structured interviews
loosely transcribed
What worked? -Validated content, drill down and layout -found the thoroughness of the notes “compelling” | What could be improved? - some additions to Philosophy, FAQ’s Which students should take this course? etc. - week by week overview in syllabus could be represented in table (one glance information) |
Other concerns
Class seemed like a team effort- highlight community of support?
Schedule seemed tight. What happens if it slips?
Evaluation 1
Feedback
Evaluation 2
Workshop
Observations and Instructor Feedback
Handouts were supplemental to demonstration
Pictures worked as good visual aids
Some steps required more specificity(number of cuts to make, size of cuts etc.)
Prepositions used in some steps were confusing
1 hour workshop using handouts Grade 8 kids The New School
Impact and
Future work
Overview and framework in place along with detailed modules
Detail remanent outlines
Deploy resources in classroom
Improve on the go
Consolidate the visual design and ecosystem
Interaction design of the ecosystem
Questions?
Thanks to Gregory Abowd, Elizabeth Disalvo, Carrie Bruce, Aman Parnami, Zane Cochran, Keith Edwards, Mark Guzdial, Blair MacIntyre