Real Design for Real People: Making a
Difference
Carla B. Zoltowski, Ph.D., Co-Director
http://www.purdue.edu/epics
The EPICS Partnership
Purdue
University
Greater Lafayette
Community
Service-Learning Design Courses
Teams of students partner with community
organizations to design and deliver
projects to meet community needs.
EPICS Core Characteristics
Engineering/computing-based design
Long-term partnerships with community
organizations, schools, government
Vertically-integrated and multidisciplinary teams of students:
First-year through fourth year on same
team
About 70 different majors
Extended design experience: academic
credit throughout the student’s
undergraduate career
A Year in EPICS at Purdue: By the Numbers
400+ students each semester
70 majors
First Year – Senior students
250 returning students
31 Divisions
18 years
3000+ alumni
250+ deployed projects
Learning Design
 Design is messy
Involving people
 The Design Process as a full cycle
Phase are often skipped in traditional courses
 EPICS provides an opportunity for
start-to-finish design
Problem definition
Design for x-ability
Working designs for fielded projects
Support for fielded projects
Redesign for second
generation systems
Design
Process
Human-Centered Design
•Interactions with Community
•Communications at all stages
Student-led, Faculty-advised
TA
Team Leader
Advisor
Project Leader
Project Leader
Project Leader
Team members
Team members
Team members
Team members
Team members
Team members
Team members
Team members
Team members
Received NAE Gordon Prize for
Leadership Development
Time Scales: Traditional Courses
 Student learning and project development
are tied to academic calendar
Semester/Quarter
Student Learning
Academic Calendar
Project
EPICS Decouples Time Scales
Student Learning
Semester/Quarter
Semester/Quarter
Project
Semester/Quarter
EPICS Decouples Timescales
Student Learning
Student Learning
Semester/Quarter
Semester/Quarter
Project
Semester/Quarter
Project
Community Receives Long-Term Support They Need
EPICS Projects
Access & Abilities
Education & Outreach
Human Services
Environment
Projects: Human Services
Design chemical sensing equipment to help and protect
local law enforcement in their work to inhibit drug
making laboratories.
As recipient of 2008 Ford C3 grant, the Habitat for
Humanity team design and built an energy efficient home
and trained construction managers.
Projects: Human Services
Projects: Environment
 Boiler Green Initiative
 Rain Garden
 Green roof
 Alternative energy resources
 Wind turbine to recharge golf
carts
 Water Resources
Management
 Water conservation issues given
local/global land use changes
 Global Alternative Power
Systems
 Solar power system for Colombia
Projects: Access & Abilities
Communication and
Educational apps for iPad
Soapbox
Derby Car
for kids w/
disabilities
Custom Prosthetic
Projects: Education
 K-12 outreach projects
Local schools
Museums
Purdue Space Day
Projects: Education
 Columbian Park Zoo
 Electric Vehicle
Design cart for race
Outreach
Purdue EPICS Course Structure
EPICS Lab –
Two
hours/week
Learning Activities:
- Lectures
- Skill Sessions
-1 credit = 5
-2 credits = 10
Outside of lab
work – 2
credits
(5 hrs/wk)
Outside of
lab work –
1 Credit
(3.5 hrs/wk)
Milestone Highlights
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Transition and Integrating New
Students
Planning and setting
expectations
Execute Semester Plans
Deliver if Appropriate
Document As You Go
8
Slow
Fast
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Finals
Delivery Deadline
Complete semester
commitments
Transition to next semester
Coordinate with Project Partner
Focus on Project
Partner and
Transition
Design Reviews
Completed twice during the semester –
Week 7 and Week 14/15
Take place during regularly scheduled lab
time (110 minutes)
EPICS invites externally reviewers who
often review several teams during the day
Teams invite reviewers who are relevant to
project (e.g., someone with specific
expertise, project partner, expert)
Important for both student and project
perspective
Reflection
Encourage as part of regular practice
Weekly prompt questions during lab/lecture
Critical approach to design
Final reflection at the end of the semester:
What did I learn?
How did I learn it?
Why does this learning matter?
What will could I or others do in light of this
learning?
Source: Ash, S. L., Clayton, P. H., & Moses, M. G., Clayton.
(2009). Learning through critical reflection: A tutorial for servicelearning students (instructor version). (pp. 4-5 through 4-7)
Final Reflection, cont.
 Can be applied to the three areas below:
Personal and Professional Development
Social Impact
Academic Enhancement
We ask them to apply to two of the three.
Team Roles: Students
Team Leader/Co-Leaders
Project leaders - lead individual projects
Liaison - primary contact for the
community partner
Financial officer - manages team’s budget
Manager of Intellectual Property - leads
entrepreneurship activities, patent
searches
Webmaster
Team Roles: Advisors
 Faculty play key role
Advising teams in areas of expertise
Academic credibility
 Industry advisors
 Non-faculty (staff) advisors with expertise
 Co-advisors from other disciplines
Add multidisciplinary components
 Meet with team weekly
Responsible for progress of team and
individuals
 Grading
Team Roles: TAs
Technical guidance to supplement
background of advisors
Administrative assistance for operation
of program: one “administrative TA”
assigned to each team
Talent pool for all teams to tap
Office hours
Skills sessions
Lab oversight
Grading
design notebooks, reflections, etc.
Roles: Administration
Program planning, development,
management, and oversight
Course management
Community partner identification and
selection; community relations
Resource management (funds, labs,
staff)
Assessment and data collection
Reporting
Enrolling in EPICS
One Credit
Two Credits
EPCS 101,
201
EPCS 102,
202
First-Year, Sophomore
EPCS 301,
401
EPICS
Team
EPCS 302,
402
Junior, Senior
EPCS 411
Senior Design
EPCS 412
Academic Credit / Plans of Study
 EE: 3 credits senior design + 6 ECE elective credits; 2
lab credits if not used as senior design
 CmpE: 3 credits senior design + 6 CmpE elective credits
 ME: 6 credits tech elective + 3 credits free elective
 CE and CEM: 3 credits tech elective
 IDE: 6 credits engineering/design + 3 senior design
 CS: CS elective + 3 senior design
 AAE: 3 credits as tech elective;
additional AAE elective with permission
 LA: 3 credits count as core in Social Ethics
 CFS: fulfills specialization requirement in selected areas;
elective for all areas
 Others: free elective credit
 Entrepreneurship Certificate: Option + Capstone
Managing the Decoupled Timescales
Student Learning
Student Learning
Semester/Quarter
Semester/Quarter
Project
Semester/Quarter
Project
Curriculum and Assessment Goals:
1) Facilitating and assessing the student learning
for the semester
2) Ensuring project continuity
What to Assess
Students are given academic credit
for mastering course content,
Not for the service they provide for the
community
Students are therefore assessed on
their demonstrated mastery of
course content
EPICS Course Outcomes
1. Application from the discipline to the design of projects
2. Understanding of design as a start-to-finish process
3. Identification and acquisition of new knowledge
4. Awareness of the customer in engineering design
5. Functioning on multidisciplinary teams contributions
from other disciplines
6. Effective communication with different audiences
7. Awareness of professional ethics and responsibility
8. Understanding of role of discipline in social contexts
Multidisciplinary Assessments
EPICS projects require
multidisciplinary approaches
Assessing students from different
areas requires their own learning
objectives in their “own language”
Freshman vs senior
One vs two credits
Engineer vs Liberal Arts
Important to be specific about
expectations and outcomes
Project Artifacts
Project Artifacts
(prototypes, demos,
completed projects, etc)
Design
Documentation
Project Evaluation
Rubric: provides
summary and selfevaluation of project
plan and
accomplishments
Design Review
Presentations
Project
Project Partner
Communications
(presentations,
meetings,
memos,
feedback, etc.)
and Evaluation
Individual Artifacts
Participation (lab,
project team, and
lecture)
Peer Evaluation/
Feedback: both
your evaluation to
others and others
evaluation of you
Notebook, blog,
other posted
work
Individual
Individual Evaluation
Rubric : provides
summary and selfevaluation of work
completed and planned
Final Reflection
Grading Summary
Students’ work in EPICS is assessed
based on the following five
evaluation criteria:
Accomplishments
Process
Critical Thinking
Teamwork/Leadership
Communication
Communication
Teamwork/
leadership
Critical thinking
Where documentation can
be found: (include page #s if
in notebook and URLs if
online)
Process
Contribution/Learning (e.g.,
completed user analysis, data
analysis, DFMEA, or
prototype, programmed
microprocessor; learned
CATIA)
Accomplishments
Individual Evaluation Rubric
In the following box, list contributions and learning planned for rest of semester
Contribution/Learning:
To be completed by: ( ex:
9/20/11)
Individual Evaluation Rubric
Directions: Students mark an “X” and Advisors/TAs mark an “O” in the appropriate box for
each criterion. Each of the criterion should be evaluated considering the student’s course level,
major, semester in EPICS, and number of credits.
Excellent
A+
Accomplishments: Individual contributions to the
project and impact on design and/or deliverables.
Understanding of relevant discipline-specific issues
related to the project. Documentation of individual work
and incorporation into project documentation.
Process: Documented understanding the processes
inherent in design and an ability to employ these
processes in the development of the project.
Reflective/Critical Thinking: Demonstrates ability to
think critically about many of the disciplinary, social,
ethical, personal, and interpersonal aspects of the project,
project partner, and their relationships.
Teamwork/Leadership: Initiative and participation in
class and group work. Works with and helps other team
members, within and/or outside of formal team roles, to
accomplish team goals. Lab and project meeting
attendance. If applicable, leadership and fulfillment of
responsibilities associated with team position.
Communication: Written and oral communication, both
formally and informally, to all audiences: people familiar
with project, and those who are not; people with both
similar and different backgrounds; to teammates and to
external people; to those who will be asked to continue
your project in the future.
A
Good
A-
B+
B
Adequate
B-
C+
C
Low passing
C-
D+
D
D-
F
Individual Evaluation Rubric, cont.
Students:
Overall grade you believe you have earned to this point in the semester: _____
Why? Please include specific examples of “Excellent”, “Good”, “Adequate”,
or “Low Passing” (whichever corresponds to the grade you have given
yourself) Accomplishments, Process, Reflective Thinking, Teamwork/
Leadership and/or Communication in the box below. Please also include any
additional information that was not reflected in the evidence you provided.
Advisors/TA:
Grade earned to this point in the semester: ____________________
Explanation for grade (in box):
EPICS and Women
 Research on science education
suggests that “context” is
important to women students.
 “Image” is increasingly being cited
as a deterrent to attracting
women.
 NAE Engineering Message report:
“Because dreams need doing…”
 20% of ECE & ME EPICS
students are women,
compared to 11% of ECE & ME
students overall
 33% of CS EPICS students vs.
11.5% in CS overall
Student Retention
Participants retained at higher rates in engineering
and computer science (2007)
Alumni Investigation
 528 alumni completed a survey and > 84% said EPICS
contributed to their ability to:
 function in a team environment.
 work with people from very different disciplines.
 demonstrate leadership in a team environment.
 Comments Included:
 “EPICS was a wake up call to the real world. Not only did it
provide me with valuable experience, but it changed the way I
viewed my education.”
 “Through EPICS I have learned how to listen to the needs of
people and to try to use my skills to meet their needs.”
 “My rapid promotion is a direct result of the leadership skills
gained through EPICS. I am now pursuing an MBA at an elite
school, and I attribute it all to EPICS.”
 “The applied engineering skills from EPICS was a key
differentiator during my job interview; and allowed me to excel in
comparison to the other ‘junior Engineers’ that joined around the
same time frame.”
Industry Sponsors
®
EPICS Member Sites
Arizona State University
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Butler University
University of California, Merced
University of California, San Diego
Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Drexel University
George Fox University
Illinois Institute of Technology
University of Notre Dame
Ohio Northern University
Penn State University
Princeton University
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez
San Jose State University
Texas A&M University
Université de Sherbrooke
University of Virginia
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
EPICS Programs
Integrating into Curricula
EPICS Curriculum Provides
Service- Design
Project
Learning Education Management
Community
Partnerships
Disciplinary
Knowledge
from
Departments
Projects and
Needs from
Local/Global
Community
Institutional
Curriculum
and Culture
EPICS Programs
EPICS High: Changing the Equation
Engaging 50 High Schools in over 10 states
Over 1000 students
40 - 50% female
32.2% African American
16.1% Hispanic
Over 50% in free & reduced
lunch programs
EPICS – Research Initiatives
Human Centered Design
EPICS Alumni
Study 1: Impact of Service-Learning
Supported by:
• National Science Foundation
(EEC 0935077)
•Purdue College of Engineering
Engineer of 2020 Initiative
Outcome Space of Students’ Experience of HumanCentered Design
Design Process and Integration
Lacks
Design
Linear
Design
Process
Integrated
and
Iterative
Design
Process
Very
Integrated
Design
Process,
Iterative
Broader
context,
relationship
Empathic
Design
Involves
users
Commitment
Context
Design
in
Context
Needs,
info from
higher level
stakeholders
Keeps
Users’
Needs
in Mind
User is
seen as
information
source
Lacks
appreciation
of
users
Empathic
Design
Service
User info
Input to
Linear
Process
TechnologyCentered
Technology-Centered
Threshold
Outcome Space of Students’ Experience of HumanCentered Design
Design Process and Integration
Lacks
Design
Linear
Design
Process
Integrated
and
Iterative
Design
Process
Very
Integrated
Design
Process,
Iterative
Broader
context,
relationship
Empathic
Design
Involves
users
“Critical”
Design
in
Context
Needs,
info from
higher level
stakeholders
Keeps
Users’
Needs
in Mind
Lacks
appreciation
of
users
Immersive
Commitment
Context
User is
seen as
information
source
Empathic
Design
Service
User info
Input to
Linear
Process
TechnologyCentered
Technology-Centered
Threshold
Alumni Investigation
 528 alumni completed a survey and > 84% said EPICS
contributed to their ability to:
 function in a team environment.
 work with people from very different disciplines.
 demonstrate leadership in a team environment.
 Comments Included:
 “EPICS was a wake up call to the real world. Not only did it
provide me with valuable experience, but it changed the way I
viewed my education
 “Through EPICS I have learned how to listen to the needs of
people and to try to use my skills to meet their needs.”
 “My rapid promotion is a direct result of the leadership skills
gained through EPICS. I am now pursuing an MBA at an elite
school, and I attribute it all to EPICS.”
 “The applied engineering skills from EPICS was a key
differentiator during my job interview; and allowed me to excel in
comparison to the other ‘junior Engineers’ that joined around the
same time frame.”