Introduction to technology for general education

• Authors: Rebecca Bruce;Susan Reiser
• Venue: Proceedings of the 43rd annual Southeast regional conference - Volume 1
• Year: 2005

In the immortal words of Ms. Frizzle of The Magic School Bus fame---"take chances, make mistakes, get dirty." This sentiment is the inspiration for the experiential design course described in this paper. This course for first semester freshmen focuses on the design process. While we all benefit from the products produced by designers, few of us understand the design process. We are like patrons of a fine restaurant enjoying the cuisine without the slightest knowledge of the kitchen. By exposing this process and involving students in it, this course not only empowers students with an understanding of design and technology, but also captivates them with the thrill of creating and exhibiting their own designs. In this course, students apply the principles of User-Centered Design (UCD) to web page design and to the design of an electro-mechanical device. The students not only learn the principles of project management and UCD, but also master the technology inherent in each design application. Among the learning outcomes achieved through these projects are: computer literacy, writing-across-the curriculum, and the development of problem-solving skills such as quantitative reasoning and critical thinking.This course is situated in the new Integrated Liberal Studies program at University of North Carolina at Asheville, the host institution. It could also be offered as part of any general education program fulfilling a computer literacy requirement or supporting writing-across-the-curriculum. Introductory courses that precede the standard curriculum for a major, such as CS0, are being increasingly recognized as an important part of a technical curriculum [7]. This course could also be offered as a first semester course in engineering, computer science and multimedia.