Developing Assistive Technology - H79. 2446/E40.2900
Wednesdays 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Instructors: Anita Perr and Michael Luck Schneider
mluck (at) nyu (dot) edu
anita.perr (at) nyu (dot) edu

Syllabus

Description: This multi-disciplinary course allows students from a variety of backgrounds to work together to develop assistive technology. Partnering with outside organizations students will work in teams to identify a clinical need relevant to a certain clinical site or client population, and learn the process of developing an idea and following that through to the development of a prototype product. Teams will be comprised of ITP students as well as graduate rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy students. Prerequisites (for ITP students): Intro to Computational Media and Intro to Physical Computing

Relationship to Curriculum Design

This elective is designed to provide students the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary groups and to build skills in communication, critical thinking, and product development.

Course Objectives

At the completion of this course, students will:

  1. demonstrate an understanding of the process of developing assistive technology
  2. be able to assess the clinical site or client population to identify a need for an assistive device
  3. demonstrate an understanding of the roles of the professionals involved in developing and using assistive technology
  4. develop a prototype device for a clinical setting
  5. demonstrate the ability to communicate with co-workers from various fields
  6. demonstrate critical thinking in researching solutions to clinical problems

Outline of course content

Week 1 - Wed. Sept. 7:

(Week 1 class notes)

  • Introductions
    1. What you bring to the class
    2. Experience with people with disabilities
    3. Why are you taking the class
  • Review Class structure and syllabus
  • Learn to use this wiki thing
  • Disability awareness exercise
  • Site visit prep
  • Talk about Everyday Use Observation and Research project
  • What is activity analysis

Assignment:

  • Practice editing pages in the WikiSandbox
  • Create a journal link in the Journals page and email it to us so that we can create an upload folder
    • mluck (at) nyu (dot) edu
    • anita (dot) perr (at) nyu (dot) edu
  • Fill out the Everyday use of technology chart.

Reading Handout

Project 1 part 1 (due in one week)

  • Choose one of the following conditions and write one page on its manifestations. Also document where you found your information (i.e. on-line, library, teacher, doctor)
    1. Cerebral Palsy
    2. Developmental delay
    3. Autism
    4. Spinal cord injury
    5. Stroke
    6. Arthritis
  • Chose one item from your everyday use of technology chart and do activity analysis. Physical, sensory, cognitive. Put up pictures in your journal.

Site visits:

  1. Time TBA: SPOTS (http://www.spotsot.com/)
  2. Time TBA: McCarton? School (http://www.mccartonschool.org/)
  3. Time TBA: New York Foundling Hospital (http://www.nyfoundling.org/)

  • Write 1 page site visit reaction paper - identify problems you may see (due two weeks - be prepared to discuss)

Week 2 - Wed. Sept. 14:

  • Present activity analysis documentation and condition research
  • Lecture: Disabilities and function needs - wheelchair skills (meet in OT dept - 35 West 4th street, 11th floor) (ITP Students)
  • Shop Safety - basic electronics (OT Students)

Assignment:

  • Write 1 page reaction paper - identify problems you see (due 1 week - be prepared to discuss)

Project one part 2(Due next week

  • Meet with group and choose one of the objects that you did activity analysis on
  • Choose one of the conditions that you research and come up with a character description.
  • Redesign the object to be usable by your character and story board the interaction.
  • Make cardboard prototype.

Site visits:

  1. Time TBA: SPOTS (http://www.spotsot.com/)
  2. Time TBA: McCarton? School (http://www.mccartonschool.org/)
  3. Time TBA: New York Foundling Hospital (http://www.nyfoundling.org/)

Week 3 - Wed. Sept. 21:

  • Molds (ITP Students)(meet in OT dept - 35 West 4th street, 11th floor)
  • Microcontrollers (OT Students) (meet at ITP)
  • Lecture: Disabilities and Function Needs: computer technology
  • Discussion: Site Visits/Identification of problems and needs.

Assignment:

  • Come in with three ideas. Use a simple design concept format to present your idea. Be prepared to discuss in class.

Week 4 - Wed. Sept. 28:

Assignment: (due next week)

  • Start to seriously think about project concepts.
  • Please post all site-visit observations to the wiki.

Site Visit

  • NYU Medical Center (Rusk institute for rehabilitation): Pediatric rehabilitation, Adult out-patient rehabilitation (directions coming soon)

Week 5 - Wed. Oct. 5:

  • Review site-visit impressions
  • Presentation of concepts and interests
  • Group formulation

Assignment: (Due next week)

  • Work with group and identify and investigate specific need, present current solutions and possible new designs or re-designs.

Week 6 - Wed. Oct. 12:

  • Presentation of ideas and grouping
  • Guest Lecture: Bruce Odland

Week 7 - Wed. October 19:

  • Group presentations of needs assessment/preliminary concept presentations
  • ITP(if time permits) Look at environmental control units and atech computer software

Assignment:

  • Continue working on project
  • Based on class critique, begin refining project proposal
  • Create first prototype (non-working or working)

Week 8 - Wed. October 26:

  • Guest Lecture: Marianne Petit, talks about legislature and the history of Assistive Technology
  • Group project: Progress report, show first prototype.

Assignment:

  • Continue work on project
  • User-test with first prototype and document

Week 9 - Wed. Nov. 2:

class start time 7 pm. 98 Riverside Drive (entrance on 82nd street, basement) phone: 212-496-2455

Assignment:

  • Continue working on project

Week 10 - Wed. Nov. 9:

  • Mid-Term Presentation: a working prototype

Week 11 - Wed. Nov. 16:

  • Low Vision/Blindness: Tour of Bobst facilities by Tom McNulty?

The Adaptive Technology Rooms are on Lower Level 1 of Bobst Library. Take the elevator to floor "B" -- the rooms are right next to the elevator.

  • In-progress presentations by groups

Assignment:

  • Continue working on project

Nov. 23

  • No Class: Thanksgiving Recess

Week 12 - Wed. Nov. 30:

  • Lecture: History/Legislation (notes)
  • Excerpts: "Unforgotten: 25 years after Willowbrook" and "Vital Signs: Crip Culture Talks Back"

Week 13 - Wed. Dec 7:

  • Continued work/discussion of projects and testing
  • Discussion: Professional organizations - Grants & Funding (notes)

Week 14 - Wed. Dec 14:

  • Final presentation of products to class and clinical site contacts

(includes final document - online journal, process documentation, literature review, visual documentation)

  • End-of-Semester Show: Projects will also be presented at the end-of-semester show (Sunday, December 19th, Monday, December 20th)

Readings: Weekly articles of interest and assigned chapters. Recommended readings:

  • "Assistive Technology for Rehabilitation Therapists" by Jennifer Angelo, Shelly Lane, Shelly J. Lane, F.A. Davis Company, 1999.
  • "Assistive Technology: Matching Device and Consumer for Successful *Rehabilitation", by Marcia J. Scherer, American Psychological Association (APA), 2002

URLS of Interest

Major teaching-learning activities, assignments, and/or projects

The major learning activity is the design and fabrication of a device (piece of equipment, software, etc.) that meets a specific need for a specific person with a disability of a clinic that treats clients with disabilities or a category of people with similar needs as a result of their disability. Students will be required to present their progress at regular times to their classmates. They will report the results of their needs assessment, research regarding the problem, and the development process.

  1. To develop skills and foster a shared vocabulary necessary to communicate with team members, co-workers, and clients from different fields who may have different goals.
  2. To complete a needs assessment of a site or individual.
  3. To develop skills necessary in the identification of needs and in the research of possible solutions to clinical problems. This includes: the evaluation of products currently available, the analysis of their appropriateness and applicability, and the determination of alternative technologies or modifications necessary.
  4. To develop an understanding of disability and function, and to understand the impact of technology of the therapeutic process.
  5. To understand the iterative process of design which requires adaptability and change.
  6. To understand the practical issues surrounding the design of a technology solution (i.e. production schedule and budget issues)

This syllabus is adapted from one created by Marianne Petit and Anita Perr

Assignment:

  • Continue working on project


Page last modified October 26, 2005, at 02:45 PM