Textbooks:

January 19th (Thursday)

Introduction to course, Invention and Design

Module I: The Telephone Invention

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.

January 24th (Tuesday)

Introduction to Telephone Module

January 26th (Thursday)

Effective Teamworking

  • DUE TODAY: Your group's design direction ready for discussion
  • Additional info on "Advice for Working in Groups" web page.
  • Work in groups on telephone design.
  • HW: Caveat for your group's design is due next class
January 31st (Tuesday)

Caveat Presentations

  • DUE TODAY: Caveats. Be prepared to give a brief, informal presentation of your caveat in class, with preliminary prototype and related notebook documentation.
  • HW: Read STT Chapter 3: Causal Thinking in Science: How Scientists and Students Interpret the Unexpected by Kevin Dunbar and Jonathan Fugelsang
February 2nd (Thursday)

Patents

  • DUE TODAY: Reading: STT Chapter 3: Causal Thinking in Science
  • Creativity Questionnaire
  • Continue Caveat presentations
  • HW: Begin preparing a patent
February 7th (Tuesday)

Working in Interdisciplinary Teams

  • HW: Read STT Chapter 13: Levels of Expertise and Trading Zones by Michael Gorman
  • HW: Continue work on patent.
February 9th (Thursday)

Group Work

February 14th (Tuesday)

Patent Presentations

  • DUE TODAY: Group Patent
  • DUE TODAY: Patent Presentation
  • Present and hand in your patents for a communications device.
  • HW: Read STT Chapter 11: What's So Hard About Rocket Science by Gary Bradshaw
February 16th (Thursday)

Group Process Reflection

  • HW: Read Norman, TTMUS, Chapters 1 & 2
    • February 21st (Tuesday)

    Group Process Presentations

    • DUE TODAY: Group Process Reflection Presentation: sample1, sample2
    • DUE TODAY: Team Evaluation
    • DUE TODAY: Reading: Norman, TTMUS, Chapters 1 & 2
    • Reflection presentations on Module I
    • HW: Reflect on first invention experience in an INDIVIDUAL reflection paper. What thinking processes did groups follow? What did your group do? What worked, didn't work? What did you learn from seeing others groups' presentations? Draw on any notes that you wrote in your journal.
    February 23rd (Thursday)

    Reflection on the Invention Process

    • DUE TODAY: Individual Reflection Papers
    • HW: Prepare one page paper with your invention ideas for the new module. Focus on technologies that might produce social benefits, e.g., for the poorest of the poor around the world, or for the environment, or health, or education--or all of the above. Your invention could be hardware, software, a systems innovation or a combination.
    • HW: Read Norman, TTMUS, Chapters 3 & 4
    • Rewrites must follow this format

    Module II: Designing Technological Products

    Write down three or four ideas for new technologies that might work in developing countries or among the poorest of the poor in any country. Look at examples of other student projects.

    1. Module II Team Assignments (these could change depending on Tier-4 market interests)
    2. This module is focused on ethical design for the environment and for global development. There are a broad range of possible issues and levels of concern.
    3. You will conduct a patent search, and write a proposal to an outside agency for funding. The funding would allow your team to develop your idea and realize its commercialization

    Resources for idea generation &intellectual property

    February 28th (Tuesday)

    Creativity Work

    • DUE TODAY: Invention ideas for the new module--be ready to discuss in class
    • DUE TODAY: Reading: Norman, TTMUS, Chapters 3 & 4
    • Professor Richards will lead "Idea Generation Exercise".
    • Team work session: Creativity Exercises. Generate alternative concepts; Module II preliminary concept selection.
    • HW: Begin constructing a Mission Statement . Sample Mission Statement. Also check out these two articles about patents.
    March 2nd (Thursday)

    IDEO Video

    • IDEO Deep Dive Video
    • HW: Mission Statement and preliminary problem/solution ideas due next class. Tier 4 ideas page (4 articles total)
    • HW: Read Norman, TTMUS, Chapters 5 & 6
    March 6th - 10th (Tuesday)

    Spring Break

    • Continue to work on projects!!
    March 14th (Tuesday)

    Female Condom Presentation

    • DUE TODAY: Mission Statement and preliminary problem/solution ideas.
    • DUE TODAY: Reading: Norman, TTMUS, Chapters 5 & 6
    • Guest Lecture: Mary Ann Leeper, developer of the female condom.
    • Look at the Female Health Company web-site
    March 16th (Thursday)

    Project Management / Ideas

    • HW: Read Norman, TTMUS, Chapters 7, through 10.
    • HW: Review the entire Norman book and Creativity Lecture.

      What are Norman's primary themes? What new ideas did you find in this book? What do you agree with in this book? What do you disagree with? What psychological concepts from this book are most important for Invention and Design?

    March 21st (Tuesday)

    Creativity Excercises

    • DUE TODAY: Reading: Norman, TTMUS, Chapters 7, through 10
    • DUE TODAY: Review of entire Norman book.
    • HW: Read excerpt from Development as Freedom. On your honor, do not copy or disseminate--provided to you under educational fair use, only!
    • HW: Prepare Final Draft of Mission Statement.
    • HW: One-page paper on a creative engineer--who they are, what they did, why it is creative
    March 23rd (Thursday)

    Development as Freedom

    • DUE TODAY: Reading: Development as Freedom
    • Development as Freedom discussion.
    • Should inventors and designers think about technologies that will benefit society? Should scientists target socially-beneficial discoveries?
    • Group work time, to develop mission statements and advance projects.
    March 28th (Tuesday)
    • Dean Kamen Tape
    • How To Be A Team
    • HW: Bring initial online patent search disclosures for Rodger Flagg. An example of a search disclosure for the patent search at the USPTO.
    • DUE: One-pager on a creative engineer
    • DUE TODAY: Final Draft of Mission Statement.
    March 30th (Thursday)

    Guest Lecture: Rodger Flagg

    • DUE TODAY: Initial online patent search disclosures.
    • Look at Intelliject
    April 4th (Tuesday)

    Guest Lecture: Evan Edwards

    April 6th (Thursday)

    Business plan

    April 11th (Tuesday)
    • DUE TODAY: Reading: Hindustan Lever Cases
    • Discussion: DesignTex & Hindustan Lever
    • HW: Continue working on Business Plan. (Due in one week)
    April 13th (Thursday)

    NCIIA Grant Proposals

    • HW: Business Plan is due next class
    • Optional reading: Allenby on Earth Systems Engineering Management. (Send a one-pager to Tarek for extra-credit).
    April 18th (Tuesday)

    Present business plans

    April 20th (Thursday)

    Guest Lecture: Jack Hicks

    • Guest Lecture: Jack Hicks, Patent Attorney, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, Greensboro, NC
    • HW: NCIIA Grant Proposal Presentation next class (group)
    April 25th (Tuesday)

    Grant Proposal Presentations

    • DUE TODAY: NCIIA Grant Proposal Presentation (group)
    • Present your NCIIA grant proposals. We will be giving you feedback on how to make improvements for the written proposals due the last day of classes (May 2nd), so if you aren't clear on aspects of the proposal ask for feedback after your presentation.
    • Please be prepared to present today, although some presentations might occur next class. Your job is to sell your audience on your idea, including your business plan. You should convince us that you have a great idea and the ability to make it a great product. You should show us how we can make money by investing in your company.
    • The annual collegiate inventors competition gives out awards for inventions by college students. If you are interested, see their web site: http://www.invent.org/collegiate/
    April 27th (Thursday)

    Grant Proposal Presentations

    • Continue NCIIA Grant Proposal Presentation
    • HW: Written NCIIA Proposals due next class.
    May 2nd (Tuesday)

    NCIIA Grant Proposal Due

    • DUE TODAY: NCIIA Grant Proposal - turn in written copy and specify whether or not you plan on actually submitting your proposal to the NCIIA.
    • Guest Lecture (potential)
    May 10th

    Final Exam

    • DUE TODAY: Final Reflection Paper

    • During exam slot, the "exam" will consist of a final reflection paper due by 5 PM in Prof. Gorman's box in his office. Examples of final reflection papers. This reflection paper is similar to the group process reflection presentations done after the telephone module. Feel free to use flow charts or other diagrams. These are INDIVIDUAL reflection papers and should NOT be done in groups. You may reflect on what you learned about group process for the entire semester, or just the last module - either way is acceptable.

      Consider also the social and ethical implications of your invention, and of any others in the class that particularly struck you. For example, what are the implications of various intellectual property strategies that might be pursued? Who might benefit from protection? Who might be harmed?