INTEG 452A, Fall 2019 Page 1 of 8 INTEG 452A — Real-World Problem Solving, Fall 2019 Course ID: 014693 Course description: The first part of a two-term senior project course. Students will work as a design group to address a real-world problem over the course of the two-term sequence. With the instructor in an advisory role, students will meet with a real-world client, typically from outside the university, to understand the client's problem and needs. The focus of the first term will be a comprehensive design brief, background research, and the presentation of one or more proposed solutions for the client's approval. Meeting time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM, KI studio (EV2-2069) Instructor: Vanessa Schweizer, EV1-211, [email protected]Office hours: To be decided as a class (Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays) Course objectives. By the end of this course, you should be able to: 1) Work well in a group to develop and take best advantage of a diversity of skills and experience while taking into account other individuals’ skills and interests in a real -world problem context; 2) Identify, analyze, and propose or demonstrate possible solutions to problems by integrating knowledge and collaborating effectively across disciplinary or professional boundaries; 3) Demonstrate and apply design thinking: identify criteria and constraints, separate divergent and convergent processes, make choices, and evaluate results at a sophisticated level; and 4) Prepare a substantial design brief and project proposal to address a complex, real-world problem of significance. 2019-20 client and theme: This year’s client is an information broker with an ongoing project on blockchain technology and its disruptive potential (good and/or bad), especially from a legal perspective (e.g., smart contracts) in Canada. No prior knowledge of blockchain is assumed. Through course deliverables, students will be asked to contribute to a larger policy and industry conversation about the use of the technology and design considerations. Alternative trust architectures from Werbach (2018), The Blockchain and the New Architecture of Trust.
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INTEG 452A, Fall 2019 Page 1 of 8
INTEG 452A — Real-World Problem Solving, Fall 2019 Course ID: 014693 Course description: The first part of a two-term senior project course. Students will work as a design group to address a real-world problem over the course of the two-term sequence. With the instructor in an advisory role, students will meet with a real-world client, typically from outside the university, to understand the client's problem and needs. The focus of the first term will be a comprehensive design brief, background research, and the presentation of one or more proposed solutions for the client's approval. Meeting time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM, KI studio (EV2-2069) Instructor: Vanessa Schweizer, EV1-211, [email protected] Office hours: To be decided as a class (Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays) Course objectives. By the end of this course, you should be able to: 1) Work well in a group to develop and take best advantage of a diversity of skills and
experience while taking into account other individuals’ skills and interests in a real-world problem context;
2) Identify, analyze, and propose or demonstrate possible solutions to problems by integrating knowledge and collaborating effectively across disciplinary or professional boundaries;
3) Demonstrate and apply design thinking: identify criteria and constraints, separate divergent and convergent processes, make choices, and evaluate results at a sophisticated level; and
4) Prepare a substantial design brief and project proposal to address a complex, real-world problem of significance.
2019-20 client and theme: This year’s client is an information broker with an ongoing project on blockchain technology and its disruptive potential (good and/or bad), especially from a legal perspective (e.g., smart contracts) in Canada. No prior knowledge of blockchain is assumed. Through course deliverables, students will be asked to contribute to a larger policy and industry conversation about the use of the technology and design considerations.
Alternative trust architectures from Werbach (2018), The Blockchain and the New Architecture of Trust.
Required texts and web resources: • The Truth Machine (2019) by Michael J. Casey and Paul Vigna • Blockchain and the Law (2018) by Primavera De Filippi and Aaron Wright • Mastering Bitcoin (2017) by Andreas M. Antonopoulos (e-copy available through library) • TradeLens (www.tradelens.com) Recommended texts and informational resources: • Mastering Ethereum (2018) by Gavin Wood and Andreas M. Antonopoulos (e-copy available
through library) • Knowledge Integration subject librarian: Marian Davies, [email protected] • As additional relevant resources are found or recommended, they will be posted to LEARN
and/or Slack (ki-proj-blockchain.slack.com) Expectations for a capstone project course: This course is the culmination of the BKI design thinking experience, drawing on skills you have acquired throughout the core program. As this is a capstone course, you are expected to clearly demonstrate your abilities to identify, analyze and solve problems by integrating knowledge and collaborating effectively across disciplinary and professional boundaries – by doing exactly the sort of real-world problem solving that BKI prepares you for. Students are expected to self-organize and work as part of a design team over two terms toward solving a problem that concerns a real-world client. The course expects design thinking applied to a complex, real-world problem posed by a specific client selected at the start of the term. Scheduled class times will be used to organize design groups and to discuss problems and progress, make presentations, and meet with advisors. They are primarily intended to be group work times, so any work that you can do toward the class project on your own should be completed before class meetings. A capstone project course is about showing people what you can do. This means that you are in the driver’s seat and primarily responsible for your own design thinking, problem solving, and learning. Similar to driver’s education, the student drives, but the instructor helps with technique and ensuring the car doesn’t crash. ☺ In this course, the instructor provides feedback and advice that they believe may be helpful for the project team(s). For consultation and feedback, as a class, the group will meet:
• Regularly with the instructor • As needed with the client, either virtually (available weekly) or face-to-face • Occasionally with client stakeholders, external advisor(s) (approximately twice per term)
The group is expected to identify and consult relevant literature and experts in the problem area. Course evaluation structure: As noted in the course description, the focus of this term will be a comprehensive design brief, background research, and the presentation of one or more proposed solutions for the client's approval. This means that, this term, you will focus on research and divergent thinking (which includes exploring early prototypes). To ensure we have a shared knowledge base for group discussions, there will be considerable reading at the
start of term. Please come to class prepared for discussions. INTEG 452A is a pre-approved course for the EDGE certificate (Work and community experience). If you would like this course to count toward your EDGE certificate, please let the instructor know.
As summarized below, specific deliverables include a design brief (comprising a detailed problem definition including goals and objectives; constraints; user groups, stakeholders, and their concerns; and criteria by which design solutions should be selected); two presentations (one mid-term and one at end of term), and a detailed proposal for alternative solutions. The client’s preferred solution will be implemented, assessed, and presented during the second term of the project (INTEG 452B). Course objectives Deliverable % Final Grade
1-4 Group Presentations • Progress Report presentation • Final Presentation
20% (10%) (10%)
1-4 Group Design Brief (Problem Definition) 20% 1-4 Group Project Proposal 20% 1 Individual Collaboration & Participation
• Engagement in class discussions • Peer assessment 1 via PEAR (mid-term) • Peer assessment 2 via PEAR (end of term)
Group assignments are meant to be done in groups and submitted as a single, consistent, coherent submission. The assignment should reflect the group as a whole, not just the monumental efforts of a few participants. It will involve coordination and cooperation, and may involve diplomatically encouraging some group members to step up, and others to step back. Most of the time, individual marks for group efforts will be determined by assigning an overall (or average) mark to the deliverable, and students will provide feedback on how to distribute the overall mark to individuals.
For example, suppose a group receives an overall mark of 82/100 on a deliverable, and 4 students worked on it. Each of the 4 students will be asked to report to the instructor what mark (out of 100) they would assign to each of their group members for their efforts on the group project (ties are allowed).
In the example, 3 students reported that they felt they worked equally on the deliverable, while the 4th student did quality work but was consistently ranked lower because they were unable to put in as much time. Thus the distribution of the final mark would be adjusted as follows:
Students 1-3: 100% of the earned mark distributed (each receive 82) Student 4: 96% of the earned mark distributed (Student 4 receives a 79)
INTEG 452A, Fall 2019 Page 4 of 8
For students receiving less than 100% of the earned mark, their final mark is determined by the constraint that the average of the individual marks must equal the overall mark for the deliverable (or have epsilon ≤ 1). For this example,
Students 1-3: 82 each Student 4: 79 Average across four students: 81.25, which is within 1 point of 82
In the event that a student appears to be abusing the collaborative efforts of their peers (i.e., free riding), their individual mark on the group deliverable may be replaced with a mark of 62 (C-) or lower. A student in danger of being on this track will be notified immediately so that they have time to correct their behaviour. The protocol for this will be co-developed as a class through the Group Contract. Students can also praise individual team members for exceptional work, in which case it may be possible for a team member to earn an individual mark higher than the group average. The instructor will take the above calculations as a guideline for how to assign individual marks and has the final say on how individual marks will be assigned. Collaboration and Participation: This grade will be affected by how well you prepare for and participate in class discussion and activities. You are expected to be prepared for thoughtful, relevant, and respectful contributions. A rubric to this effect will be posted in LEARN. In addition, your performance while working with your group on projects (gauged through peer assessments) will contribute to your collaboration and participation mark. Individual Reflections: These are similar to reflections you completed for INTEG 121 and will follow the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format for WatCV. Assignment submission/return through LEARN: Unless otherwise noted, all assignments will be submitted and returned through LEARN dropboxes. Users can login to LEARN via: http://learn.uwaterloo.ca/. Use your WatIAM/Quest username and password. For help, see: https://uwaterloo.ca/learn-help/. Individual assignments will be marked ‘blind’. This means that marks aim to be recorded without knowing the identity of the student. To help with this process, please use:
• Only your SID in the header of your submission; • Standard fonts such Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Times New Roman, etc.
Assignments are to be submitted by the start of class on the specified due date electronically in PDF file format to the INTEG 452A LEARN portal. Revisions are fine to submit up until the due date. Files are downloaded in a batch and marked in reverse chronological order. If I receive 1+ files from you, I will mark the most recent file submitted.
Be sure to follow directions for assignment submission. If you do not, the mark on your assignment is subject to a 5% penalty for not following directions. Any of the following errors will result in a penalty:
• Failing to provide the electronic copy in PDF format • Leaving identifying information on your assignment (e.g. name)
These penalties are in place because reformatting and/or anonymizing your files slows marking down for the entire class, and nobody wants that! Peer assessment submission/review through PEAR: Unless otherwise noted, all peer assessments will be submitted and reviewed through PEAR. Users can login to PEAR via: https://peartool.opened.uoguelph.ca/user. Use your UW email without EDU in the address, that is, [email protected]. If you are a new user, your first password will be generated for you. For help, see: https://uwaterloo.ca/learn-help/pear. Late submissions: For individual assignments, each student will be allocated a total of 4 grace days, which allow assignments to be handed in late without penalty. At the end of the term, I will total the number of late days (including weekends), subtract 4, and you will receive a 1% penalty on your overall mark in the course for each late day beyond the grace days. For example, if Reflection 1 is late by 3 days, and Peer Assessment 1 is late by 4 days, you will receive a 3% overall late penalty on your course mark at the end of the term. NOTE: Grace days do not apply to presentations or peer assessments. Additionally, bear in mind the 5% assignment penalty for submissions that do not follow directions. Unclaimed assignments: Unclaimed assignments will be retained until one month after term grades become official in Quest. After that time, they will be destroyed in compliance with UW’s confidential shredding procedures if applicable. *****
University services and policies: Mental Health: The University of Waterloo, the Faculty of Environment and our Departments consider students' well-being to be extremely important. We recognize that throughout the term students may face health challenges – physical and/or emotional. Please note that help is available. Mental health is a serious issue for everyone and can affect your ability to do your best work. Counselling Services (www.uwaterloo.ca/counselling-services) is an inclusive, non-judgmental, and confidential space for anyone to seek support. They offer confidential counselling for a variety of areas including anxiety, stress management, depression, grief, substance use, sexuality, relationship issues, and much more. Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Office located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AccessAbility Office at the beginning of each academic term.
Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students' submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin in this course.
It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit alternate assignment.
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. (www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/) Students who are unsure what constitutes an academic offence are requested to visit the on-line tutorial at http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/ait/ Plagiarism: It is expected that all students will, in all that they do, maintain standards of attribution that recognize the work and contributions of others. In particular, it is expected that you will cite your sources in your written work in a consistent, standard format. There’s nothing wrong with building on the work of others, provided you refrain from plagiarism. If you are uncertain what constitutes plagiarism, refer to this resource put together for Waterloo graduate students: https://youtu.be/sWrFrB9EsAo Ethical Behaviour: To ensure an environment of tolerance and respect, the University believes that the right of individuals to advance their views openly must be upheld. The realization of these intentions requires respect for general principles of equal recognition for equal work (i.e., a discrimination-free environment); academic freedom for open, respectful, and sensitive debate; and freedom to work in a supportive, respectful, and tolerant environment. As this course interfaces with an external client(s), any violations of ethical behaviour by external parties should be brought to the attention of the instructor, university staff, or a peer. For information on categories of offenses, vehicles for redress, responsibilities of faculty/staff/students who receive complaints or perceive unethical behaviour, and resources for advice and support, students should refer to Policy 33 – Ethical Behaviour, https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-33 Discipline, or Consequences of Academic Offences:
A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offenses, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offense, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offenses (e.g., plagiarism, cheating, unethical behaviour) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm
Within ENV, those committing academic offences (e.g. cheating, plagiarism, unethical behaviour) will be placed on disciplinary probation and will be subject to penalties that may include a grade of 0 on affected course elements, 0 on the course, suspension, and expulsion. GRIEVANCE A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm. When in doubt please contact your Undergraduate Advisor for details. APPEALS A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition; https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-70), or Policy 71, Student Discipline (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-71), may be appealed if there is ground. A student who believes they have ground for appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-72).
Intellectual Property: Students should be aware that this course contains the intellectual property of their instructor, the University of Waterloo, and/or external clients. Intellectual property includes items such as:
• Lecture content, spoken and written (and any audio/video recording thereof); • Lecture handouts, presentations, and other materials prepared for the course (e.g.,
PowerPoint slides); • Questions or solution sets from various types of assessments (e.g., assignments,
quizzes, tests, final exams); and • Work protected by copyright (e.g., any work authored by the instructor or TA or used by
the instructor or TA with permission of the copyright owner).
Course materials and the intellectual property contained therein, are used to enhance a student’s educational experience. However, sharing this intellectual property without the intellectual property owner’s permission is a violation of intellectual property rights. For this reason, it is necessary to ask the instructor, TA and/or the University of Waterloo for permission before uploading and sharing the intellectual property of others online (e.g., to an online repository).
Permission from an instructor or the University is also necessary before sharing the intellectual property of others from completed courses with students taking the same/similar courses in subsequent terms/years. In many cases, instructors might be happy to allow distribution of certain materials. However, doing so without expressed permission is considered a violation of intellectual property rights.
Please alert the instructor if you become aware of intellectual property belonging to others (past or present) circulating, either through the student body or online. The intellectual property rights owner deserves to know (and may have already given their consent). Research Ethics: Please also note that the ‘University of Waterloo requires all research conducted by its students, staff, and faculty which involves humans as participants to undergo prior ethics review and clearance through the Director, Office of Human Research and Animal Care (Office). The ethics review and clearance processes are intended to ensure that projects comply with the Office’s Guidelines for Research with Human Participants (Guidelines) as well as those of provincial and federal agencies, and that the safety, rights and welfare of participants are adequately protected. The Guidelines inform researchers about ethical issues and procedures that are of concern when conducting research with humans (e.g. confidentiality, risks and benefits, informed consent process, etc.). If the development of your research proposal consists of research that involves humans as participants, the please contact the course instructor for guidance and see http://iris.uwaterloo.ca/ethics/
Religious Observances: Please inform the instructor at the beginning of term if special accommodation needs to be made for religious observances that are not otherwise accounted for in the scheduling of classes and assignments.
Note that the user assessments you are expected to do as part of this class are considered entrepreneurial activities rather than research. Entrepreneurial activities are considered professional skill development and not research. See https://uwaterloo.ca/research/office-research-ethics/research-human-participants/pre-submission-and-training/human-research-guidelines-and-policies-alphabetical-list/definition-professional-skill-development-0
INTEG 452A, Fall 2019 Page 1 of 5
**Suggested** schedule of classes:
Date Topics/Activities Assigned Due
WK 1: Sep 4 (W)
• Course overview, introductions • Intro to client contacts and stated
problem: the disruptive potential of blockchain technology (visit from Brian Zubert and Aileen Schultz)
Handouts: • Group Resume • Jernigan brief: design
thinking Readings: • Casey & Vigna or • De Filippi & Wright • Ulrich
--
Sep 9 (M) • Debrief and discussion of client presentation, readings
• Review of problem hierarchies • Intro to the Question Formulation
Technique (QFT)
• Casey & Vigna or • De Filippi & Wright
• Group Resume (post to Discussion Board)
• Ulrich • Casey & Vigna, Ch. 1-4; or • De Filippi & Wright, Intro – Part 2
WK 2: Sep 11 (W)
• Reading/QFT check-in • Introduction to Scrum for INTEG
452A • Discussion of Sprint 1
o Reading milestones? o Group contract? o Shared problem hierarchy?
Draft Group Contract Readings: • Casey & Vigna or • De Filippi & Wright
• Casey & Vigna, Ch. 5-6; or • De Filippi & Wright, Part 3 – Ch. 8
