Technology & Design – L4: Living Lab Learning Library

August 2, 2024

A Museum of Culture/ Assignment 1A: Museum Research

Jieun Yang

Architectural Technology

ARCH 2412/ Architectural Design IV

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Part A: Understanding “What is a Museum”

Each student will read articles and/or watch videos focused on Museum design. Additionally, each student will visit a Museum in New York City, document it through photography and sketching, and answer a series of questions to catalog their observations.

A. Learn:

– Read Chapter 01: The History and Theory of the Museum Building from the book Museum Buildings: Construction and Design Manual By Christian Schittich. (see Blackboard)
– Choose one short article (see Blackboard)
– Choose one video or podcast from the below list:
– John Oliver's Last Week Tonight episode on Museums
– Freakonomics Podcast "Stealing Art is Easy. Giving It Back is Hard."

– Deliverables: For each, write a short summary and outline a series of five bullet points identifying the most meaningful takeaways. Be prepared to discuss this in class.

B. Experience:

– Visit a museum in New York from the list provided in class.
– Document your visit through photography, sketching, and diagramming.
– Consider the following questions during your visit:
a. Who are museum users? Consider both visitors and staff. How do they use and move through the museum differently?
b. How does the entry sequence work? How visible is the museum entrance from the street? What is the first thing you see and do when you enter the museum? How do you orient yourself?
c. How are the entry and exhibition spaces arranged? In a linear sequence, clustered, or arranged around a central space? Does the visitor travel from space to space directly or are there areas devoted to circulation?
d. What is displayed in the museum? How is the art/information displayed? How many different types of exhibition areas are there and how are they the same or different?
e. How many people were in the exhibition area while you were there? Was the space crowded? Approximately, what is the area of the exhibition space? What were its proportions? How tall are the ceilings? How far away did the visitors need to stand to view or interact with the works?
f. What were the lighting conditions like? Were there windows or skylights in exhibition rooms? If yes, how were they considered in the placement of the works?
g. Were the exhibition spaces ornate or simple? How does the architecture relate to the content, is there a consistency or a contrast between the two?

Deliverables: One 11×17 sheet, beautifully and thoughtfully layout of document your museum visit and observations, to Include:
– Name and location of the Museum you visited.
– Photographs, Diagrams, and sketches
– Question responses

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The assignment focuses on how to think critically about Museum Design and develop an understanding of this building typology.

The assignment prepares students for Part B: Topic Research and Concept Development, where each student selects a research topic, reads articles, and documents important information related to that topic to develop an overall theme for their proposed museum and develop their concept.

The assignment asks the students to meet the following objectives:
– Ability to research, gather, and study information to gain an understanding of a building typology.
– Ability to research, gather, and study information to derive an informed project concept.
– Communicate ideas and information both verbally, graphically, and through writing. (Gen Ed)

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This is the first assignment in the semester. During the first class, we watch a museum scene clip from Black Panther, discuss the topic of repatriation through current news articles, read one of the assigned readings together, and share student reflections in class.
The students are then asked to complete the rest of the homework assignments outside class time. They present their completed assignments in the second class for peer discussion and feedback.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

See the note under Timing for the preparation and instructions on this assignment.
This is a low-stakes assignment designed to be used as an icebreaker and to prepare students for the critical thinking, analysis, and documentation required for the upcoming assignments.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

The assignment is assessed on the following rubric, incorporating some of the gen-ed assessment categories.

1. Ability to research, gather, and study information to derive an informed project concept (35%)
2. Ability to translate concepts into graphic visual and physical representations (40%)
3. Communicate ideas and information both verbally and through writing (10%)
4. Assignment requirements and deliverables were met (10%)
5. On-time completion (5%)

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

The assignment helped students think deeply about the role of a museum, its historical conception, and how it may have led to problematic pasts (such as stolen cultural objects). It also set up a discussion on how we can reimagine a museum. Students engaged in lively debates with a wide range of viewpoints. We plan to repeat this assignment/ activity in the upcoming semester.
Students enjoyed different media forms (videos and podcasts) and did not rely solely on reading. Most readings are short articles, which makes the materials accessible to the students.
I want to try the missing links method by assigning specific readings to students, having different article readers come together to teach others through summarizing their lesson, and reporting their summaries to the whole class as a group.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

Student Examples on Dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n9xxp95mpi9gmzct7y1oy/ARCH2412_Assignment-1_Examples.pdf?rlkey=yikae381871d7dwmk7vy7qjkd&dl=0

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

May 29, 2024

Electrification of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Area: Ensuring Safe and Efficient Electrical Distribution

Kim K. Mahase

New York City College of Technology

EET 1122

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

This assignment encourages students to explore real-world engineering challenges in a civic engagement context, emphasizing critical thinking, ethical reasoning, information literacy, and teamwork. Students should aim to provide practical and well-researched solutions to the electrical distribution needs of the NYSE area.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

In this assignment, you will explore the electrified tracks running beneath the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the electrical infrastructure required to operate the NYSE securely. You will conduct research and answer critical questions related to electrical distribution systems, backup systems, voltage levels, transmission efficiency, and power requirements for the NYSE area.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity was implemented near the conclusion of the semester. It occupied one classroom session. Additionally, students were allotted approximately 1.5 hours outside of class to complete the write-up.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Step 1: Research the NYSE (Introduction)
Begin by researching and gathering information about the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Write an introduction that provides an overview of the NYSE, its location, historical significance, and its role in the global financial market.
Include any relevant information about the electrified tracks running underneath the NYSE and their importance.

Step 2: Respond to the Following Questions
Answer the following questions based on your research and engineering knowledge:
How to make an electrical distribution system safe: Explain the key principles and measures that should be taken to ensure the safety of an electrical distribution system in an area like the NYSE.
What electrical backup systems should be employed: Describe the types of electrical backup systems that should be implemented to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the NYSE, especially in case of emergencies or power outages.
What voltage levels are best for traction power transmission: Discuss the ideal voltage levels for transmitting traction power efficiently in the electrified tracks beneath the NYSE area. Explain the reasons behind your choice.
At what distance is the most efficient transmission: Analyze and determine the optimal distance for efficient transmission of electrical power in the context of the NYSE area's electrified tracks.
How much power do you think is needed to run the NYSE: Estimate the power requirements of the NYSE to ensure its smooth operation, taking into account its size, trading volume, and the electrified tracks' power demands.

Submission Requirements:
Prepare a well-organized report that includes an introduction, answers to the questions, and any relevant diagrams or figures.
Cite your sources properly and provide references for the information used in your research.
Submit your assignment in both printed and electronic formats.
Be prepared to present your findings and engage in discussions during the class.

Step 3: Personal Reflection on Electrical Distribution
In this step, you will reflect on the concepts you've learned in the previous steps and apply them to an aspect of your own life or an example relevant to you. This reflection will help you connect the engineering principles discussed in this assignment to real-life scenarios.

Task: Choose one of the following options:

Option A: Personal Connection
Think about an aspect of your life where electrical distribution plays a significant role. It could be related to your home, workplace, or any other environment you are familiar with. Reflect on how the principles discussed in this assignment (electrical safety, backup systems, voltage levels, transmission efficiency, power requirements) could be applied to improve the electrical distribution in that context. Discuss any potential benefits or challenges.

Option B: Real-World Example
Research and find a real-world example or case study related to electrical distribution in a critical infrastructure or commercial setting (e.g., hospitals, data centers, public transportation systems). Summarize the example and explain how the engineering concepts discussed in this assignment are relevant to the success or challenges faced in that scenario.

Submission Requirements:
Write a brief reflection (approximately 300-500 words) that clearly explains your chosen option and how it relates to the electrical distribution concepts discussed in this assignment.
If you choose Option B, provide the source or reference to the real-world example you researched.
Reflect on any ethical considerations related to your chosen aspect or example.

This activity was low-stakes.

The rubric utilized was the AACU Civic Engagement VALUE Rubric.

Grading Criteria:
Depth of reflection and connection to engineering principles.
Clarity of explanation and relevance to the chosen aspect or example.
Critical thinking and insight into the application of electrical distribution concepts.
Ethical considerations and awareness demonstrated in your reflection.

Implementing this activity in my classroom was quite effective in engaging students and fostering a deeper understanding of electrical distribution systems, particularly in critical environments such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The combination of theoretical concepts and practical application provided a comprehensive learning experience for students.

I would certainly consider repeating this activity in future semesters due to its positive impact on student learning outcomes. However, there were some challenges encountered during the process. One challenge was ensuring that students grasped the complexity of electrical distribution systems and their significance in real-world contexts. To address this, I incorporated more examples and case studies to illustrate key concepts.

Additionally, managing the time allocated for the activity was crucial, especially considering the depth of research and analysis required. In future iterations, I would allocate additional time for students to delve deeper into their research and refine their analyses.

Despite these challenges, students seemed to enjoy the activity, particularly the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios. They appreciated the relevance of the topic to real-world situations, such as the operation of the NYSE. Furthermore, the personal connection component added an extra layer of engagement, allowing students to relate the concepts to their own experiences.

In terms of changes, I would consider incorporating more hands-on activities or simulations to further reinforce key concepts and enhance student engagement. Overall, this activity effectively facilitated student learning and engagement, and with some adjustments, it can continue to be a valuable learning experience in future semesters.

Resources and References

To support their analysis, students are provided with academic papers and technical manuals that offer insights into electrical distribution systems and their importance in critical infrastructure settings:

"Electrical Distribution System: An Overview" by Pravin D. Bhavar and Vipul M. Darji provides a comprehensive overview of electrical distribution systems and their components.

"Emergency Power Systems for Critical Facilities: A Best Practices Approach to Improving Reliability" by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) discusses the design and implementation of emergency power systems for critical facilities.

"Electrical Distribution System and Its Importance" by Thamim Sharief and Dr. Pradipkumar Dixit delves into the significance of electrical distribution systems in various sectors.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

May 31, 2023

Public Space design

Christopher Stienon

Fordham

Urbanism

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

This activity is for a course on urbanism that examines the context and principles of good urban design. This assignment began with a walking tour of Midtown Manhattan to visit several prominent public spaces including Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Bryant Park, Union Square, etc. The students were to experience these places and then select one they liked and hype it in the form of short video (like TikTok), a blog post, or podcast, etc. Based on their observations, they were subsequently asked to select a space they didn’t like and reconceive it using features and elements from the places they liked. These were presented to the class in the form of single image of a shadow box / stage set.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The purpose of the activity was two-fold. It gave the students a sense of the scale of the city and places within it (which was later used as a scale comparison with looking at other cities), and it pushed them to look at the character of place and the factors that made them this way. For example, was a space noisy or quiet, active or empty of people, shaded or sunny, small large, etc. The idea was to get the students to look at how the character of place affects human behavior.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This assignment was given at the beginning of the semester before examining the history of cities.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

There is no preparation needed. The first part of the assignment was to follow a walking tour of several public spaces in Midtown Manhattan, starting at Grand Army Plaza next to Central Park and proceeding down Fifth Avenue to Rockefeller Center and crossing to Times Square and following Broadway all the way to Union Square.
The students were asked to look at all the open spaces to understand how they are physically different and what was contributing to the character of place. The students were to select a space they liked and hype it. That is they could create a photo essay, a blog or a TikTok video – or any medium that described why the space they liked was so appealing – and then hype it – that is, describe why the space was successful and attractive. Why should someone want to go there?
The second part of this assignment asked the students to then select a space they didn’t like and reconceive it using the elements from the space they liked. The students were to create a shadow box / stage set rendition of their proposal and present it in class.

The VALUE rubric touched on Analysis and Design. The activity was assessed by how well the students were able to communicate and describe what they were seeing and identify contributing factors to the quality of place (analysis). For example, Bryant Park was frequently cited as a successful public space because it was less crowded and quiet, it felt separate from the rest of the city yet there were activities and people within the park. The creation of a shadow box to illustrate a proposed redesign of a particular place they didn't initially like was assessed by how well they could take an idea or an observation and translate it to a different setting – and could these ideas be clearly communicated.

The assignment was well received, and I will use it again, but I will introduce the project to the students differently the next time. I'll need to emphasize that this is not simply a documentation of a site visit, but an actual analysis of why a space is attractive. It may entail an entire lecture devoted to the design of public open spaces so they understand what these contributing factors actually are before having them undertake the assignment.

As with all assignments, there are students looking for the simplest and fastest way to complete the work, so some students simply turned in a series of unedited video clips taken as they went from place to place and talked about what they were seeing along the way. If they did this in a group, then each student had more or less the same set of images. This was not entirely bad since there was at least evidence that they visited these spaces, but it was far short of focusing on the details of a particular place.

But the students who pushed a bit did some fantastic work. The result was an assortment of TikTok videos, podcast scripts and recordings, newsletters and blog posts – all capturing elements of the city; the lights, the sounds and the action.

With the second half of the assignment several students listed Times Square as there least preferred space, so there were several proposals for a Bryant Park or Union Square themed makeover of Times Square or 42nd Street. There was a general sense of playfulness and experimentation with these proposals and presentation.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

May 29, 2023

Pre-class discussion

Changkyu Kim

Computer Engineering Technology/New York City College of Technology

Feedback Control Systems

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Pre-class review session will provide an explanation with an analogy about the incoming lecture. Students will read a 10-minute review about the main engineering concepts and discuss them based on non-engineering experience. The pre-class review session will be found at OpenLab. The due date is always the following lecture date.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Students are requested to develop their own idea for the technical problems and submit short informal writing before the weekly class. The pre-class discussion will be evaluated by presenting pure reasoning rather than writing structure or grammatical errors.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

Students will submit the writing assignments of pre-class discussion for the first half of the semester. During this period, students should be able to understand the main engineering concepts of control systems. Because a 10-minute preview of incoming lectures will be given in Openlab, additional discussion is not necessary during the lectures.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

I have to upload the preview of lectures on Openlab, and the discussion question will be based on daily non-engineering experiences. It is low-stakes.

Pre-class discussion writing will be evaluated based on the following criterion: 1. Sufficiently address the subject with supporting examples 2. Address the subject with consistent and concise logic. 3. address the subject and provide your own perspective.

I was surprised that all students were eager to respond to pre-class activities. Most students presented their perspectives on each subject. The submission rate was higher than homework, which is given after classes. The main challenge for me is maintaining the same quality of discussion questions and the consistency of the subject during the whole semester. I would repeat the activities after improving quality and consistency.

1. Instruction : Pre-class discussion
Pre-class review session will provide an explanation with an analogy about the incoming lecture. Students will read a 10-minute review about the main engineering concepts and discuss them based on non-engineering experience. The pre-class review session will be found at OpenLab. The due date is always the following lecture date.

2. General guideline
Format :
Font : Times New Roman
Size : 11, single space

The number of words : No less than 150 words

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/kimcet4864sp2021/2023/01/24/lecture-1-introduction/

May 16, 2023

Student self-assessment that promotes learning

Patricia Childers

Communication Design (COMD)

Graphic Design Principles, Typography

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

A self-assessment activity for reflection and reinforcement.
• low stakes, high impact activity to promote deep learning through engagement
• a mechanism to help focus on specific goals
• a tool to help students track progress towards their goals
• a tool to guide educators in the effectiveness of their communication

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Inquiry & Analysis
A pedagogical approach to student review that not only reinforces student learning, but reinforces that they have learned. The goals this student classroom experience is to support the analysis of creative and critical thinking through the use of HIEPs,

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity can be introduced at the conclusion of any student project. Classroom time in minimal, about 20 minutes based on the amount of material reviewed. There is no out-of-class time.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

The low stakes activity requires the project rubric and copies of the final project. Students self access using the rubric. Student assessment refers to specific examples, footnoted or cross-referenced directly on the copy of the final project.

The rubric development is based on the General Education inquiry of Knowledge and Skills using specific project criteria. This course in not part of a college-wide assessment. The project in itself is not graded. I find that student's responses are a true reflection of the student's understanding. "When the act of self-assessing is given a learning-oriented purpose, students' self-assessments are relatively consistent with those of external evaluators, including professors." [Lopez, R., and Kossack, S. (2007). Effects of recurring use of self-assessment in university courses. Int. J. Learn. 14, 203–216. doi: 10.18848/1447-9494/CGP/v14i04/45277]

I do review the activity to insure that student's response indicates that they correctly understand the material. Any discrepancies are reviewed directly with the student to correct misconceptions. In this way, the activity reflects the impact of my communication of the material through the student's response. If student understanding of the material is low, I know that I need to change me approach.

The activity works well and I use it several times a semester. The biggest challenge is the response of a few students to "having" to grade themselves. One student reminded me that grading is my job, not theirs. I explain that periodic, external replay of learned input patterns strengthens synaptic connections—the combination of structural plasticity, synaptic plasticity and self-generated reactivation not only stabilizes synaptic turnover but enhances their connectivity and associative memory. This explanation tends to erode resistance. And generally, many students have stated that they better understand the concept after the self assessment. The assessment is altered to support each different assignment.

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/pchilders-portfolio/2023/05/16/student-self-assessment-that-promotes-learning/

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/pchilders-portfolio/wp-admin/post.php?post=266&action=edit

May 5, 2023

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

Patricia Hickey

CityTech CUNY

English 1101 and English 1112

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

The class as a groups walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. The class did some preliminary research about the Brooklyn Bridge’s history. The students paired up. One partner made voice comments while the other took photos. The pairs chose either people, scenery or bridge structure.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The goals are:
1. Everyone should experience walking over the iconic Brooklyn Bridge!
2. Students learn how to hone their power of observation.
3. Students put their experience into a solid coherent paragraph.
4. Students share their experiences with their classmates.
5. Everyone sees each other in a different light. This will help establish comradery.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

In the Spring semester I did this mid semester for two reasons. Firstly, the warmer weather makes the walk easier. Secondly, a change of pace is good for the mid semester slump.
The entire lesson takes about a full class and a half time. We walked during the class time .I

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

There was no preparation for this activity, although I was concerned if someone felt they were not capable of walking the distance. All felt fine. Before walking we did some preliminary research about the Bridge.
This was a low stakes writing lesson.

The only assessment was participation

This experience was wonderful and I most certainly will repeat this. Everyone loved the activity and I had virtually no complaints. The students loved walking and chatting with their classmates and with me. They loved the views and the feeling that it was “their Bridge” and they were not tourists.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

March 28, 2022

Ethical Design: Evaluating Digital and IRL Experiences (and how one might support or hinder the other)

Noreen Whysel

Communication Design/City Tech

UX and UI Design

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

In a Data for Good lecture at Columbia's Data Science Institute, dana boyd of Data+Society told the audience that her proudest achievements are often when she convinces a client not to create something that can potentially do harm.

When does it make sense to NOT make a digital version of something that would be better designed IRL? Are there activities that are more suited to online than IRL? Or are there cases where a combination of both appropriate?

In this exercise, I shared a few articles about online activities that have had an impact on real life. We discussed both positive an negative reviews of online activities, including Pokemon Go, which is often discussed in terms of it's getting gamers to be more social and active to Instagram, which has been shown to have a negative effect on the self-esteem of teenaged girls. A third example was on how social media use is contributing to the political polarization of America by removing the public commons from public space to largely anonymous forums.

After discussing these articles, students formed breakout groups to find a news article about an online activity and discuss the pros and cons of that activity online. And to also discuss how that activity could be replaced by or combined with an IRL activity to improve the experience. Finally, they posted a reflection on the exercise to the class Slack group.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

This activity focuses on three learning outcomes: Reading, Information Literacy and Ethical Thinking. Students are asked to read an assigned text describing Digital vs IRL spaces and then in select an example from the reading of a digital experience that might be better In Real Life or paired with an IRL experience. After discussing in groups, they then share back to the class what they discussed and finally post a reflection on course discussion board about their understanding of the pros and cons of digital vs IRL for the chosen scenario.

To address Information Literacy, students must find one additional example of digital applications where the IRL experience takes precedence over digital. What might someone gain from a physical experience that they can't get from digital? When might a digital application enhance the IRL experience?

And to expand their understanding of who is impacted by their design decisions, they then work in groups to make a stakeholder map showing who is affected by the designed experience of your example. Who is participating in the experience? Who else might be affected by the experience? Or harmed? Who might be left out?

In addition to the reading, information literacy and ethical Thinking student learning outcomes, students gain gain from two High Impact Education Practices: Place Based Learning and Collaborative Assignments.

Place-Based Learning
Students consider the physical and embodied experiences of IRL versus digital experiences

Collaborative Assignments
Students participate in Discussion of the pros and cons of selected digital experiences

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity was part of the Ethics and Accessibility lecture in Week 7 of the Spring 2022 semester. It took a little over a half hour to complete. There was no out-of-class time except if a student wishes to post their reflection after class. If we had more time (and were not otherwise online this week) we might have been able to go outside and play Pokemon Go or survey people about their online and offline political activity on campus grounds. We may still try to create an online/IRL activity during a later session and follow up with a stakeholder map, which we did not have time to do.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

The activity was low stakes and ungraded. The only preparation was to find three articles to discuss as examples of Online activities that either replace or compromise IRL experiences.

Because this assignment is ungraded, I plan to use it as part of the participation grade. I do not believe my course is part of the college-wide general educaiton assessment initiative. It is an elective.

Students enjoyed discussing online versus "In Real Life" very much. They are very aware of online activities that are creating unrealistic expectations for their real-life relationships and are concerned about exacerbating these experiences through their design careers. I would like to refine the activity and possibly replace a duller accessibility study that they do for credit and that could be done in class in groups or as a demonstration. Not being able to go outside or actually be IRL was an issue with this activity, though some students mentioned that it made it easier for everyone in their group to search for articles since they were all sitting at a computer anyway.

The activity presentation for the Living Lab course is openly available at : https://cuny907-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/noreen_whysel27_login_cuny_edu/EeDP7sDKTAROh1Nle8uKlagB5bMXEem7EM4k6Lvh7nagBA?e=FgnQIx

You can also read about the activity on the course blog at https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/-whysel-comd-3562-he93-sp2022/2022/03/28/ethical-design-evaluating-digital-and-irl-experiences-and-how-one-might-support-or-hinder-the-other/

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

January 20, 2022

ECHOES

Rob Rothblatt

CUNY CityTech Architecture

Arch3551 Sustainability Theory + Practice

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Oral Communication Exercise, building on a Research Powerpoint which is already part of the established curriculum of this course. Activity builds Oratory and Rhetoric by appointing respondents to the Presentations who will "Echo" the presentation, building and challenging. This assignment will be Written, but then read as a speech.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

SLO – Student Learn Outcomes include:
Foster Critical Analysis
Improve Oratory skills
Explore Rhetoric
Promote Multiple Viewpoints
Keep the Conversation Going

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This assignment will be coincident with the 18 Student presentations, which happen in groups of 2 over 9 weeks, beginning in Week 4 and continuing through Week 13.
The Initial Presentations are 30 minutes – with 30 minutes devoted for the response and discussions for a total of 1 hour each.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

The assignment combining both the original presentation and the response (each student will do one of each) is high stakes in that together they comprise 30% of the grade of the semester.

Students will need to work on research, and have their initial drafts reviewed by the professor. They must address at least one point of the presentation to which they are responding which they feel is Enlightening and one which they find Disquieting and in need of either more support, or which they directly oppose

Assessments from the AACU Rubrics could include:
Organization
Language
Delivery
Supporting Materials
Central Message

However, we are likely to concentrate on just one or 2 in order to keep the assignment focused and reasonable/

Assignment is planned for Spring Semester 2022, finishing at the End of May. At that time, I will post the results.

Note I am taking on a class which I have never taught and which has not been put on OpenLab – however, in the future, perhaps the Course Coordinator will consider migrating it to an open platform.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

June 12, 2020

Understanding Animations and Films Through a Deeper Cultural Understanding

Crystal Kim

Entertainment Department

Sound for Multimedia

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Students are to choose the following:

1. An animation scene that has the original language used with English subtitles and with a version with English language recorded or dubbed over. Compare and contrast the mood, emotions, and character's thoughts between the languages used.

2. Choose a film where a different language other then English is spoken. Interpret the mood, emotions, and character's thoughts. Research of cultural values of language used will be needed to compare and contrast the cultural mood and emotions and evaluate how much of it is universal

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

I like for budding video and audio engineers to understand the making of animations or filmmaker's intentions further which includes understanding the culture and language that an animator and filmmaker uses. As animations, particularly ones used in Japanese, and foreign films are becoming universally popular, the foundation of how these videos or films are made are important to understand for anyone looking to take on any role in the film industry. This allows the students to be more culturally aware of people outside of customs they are used to, and to see the comparisons and contrasts. For production purposes, a deeper understanding of the foundation can aid with audio production for recording and film directing.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

I will be introducing it before they do their midterm projects so they have an understanding of the basic foundation before they produce their midterm projects.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Doing some research of the culture and the cultural values in a language will be necessary to do the assignment. The students are to find what is idiosyncratic to a culture and common cultural themes used in animations and/or films for a particular culture and language. The activity is somewhat high stakes since I see students resonate with this sort of activity as most students tend to be very observant in analyzing a group with an identity and how it relates to their own.

I used the knowledge and skills area from the intercultural rubric. Within the knowledge section, the activity is to fulfill the cultural worldview frameworks and under skills, the activity is to fulfill the empathy and verbal & non-verbal communication section. Therefore, I use a value rubric. And my course is not part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative.

I was not able to use the assignment in my classrooms as I was not given any classes to teach for the semester. I think this assignment will go very well for every semester I teach the class. The challenge I see are students not doing enough cultural research before doing the assignment, particularly if one were to choose a foreign film scene since it takes of course so many years to really understand a culture. Unfortunately, I am not able to assess if students have enjoyed the assignment yet as I have not had the opportunity to give the assignment.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/multimediasound/understanding-animations-and-films-through-a-deeper-cultural-understanding/

June 12, 2020

Programming in Python

Marius Constantin

CET

EMT 1111

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

In the midst of the challenges we went through this Spring semester, I decided to address the priorities of general education using some critical and innovating teaching strategies, such as collaborative assignments and projects on OpenLab, ePortfolios, open educational resources to further engage my students in the new academic context.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Research has shown that online learning is generally less effective than face-to-face interaction and that students who are already struggling are likely to be harmed the most.
My goal is to compensate the drawbacks of remote instruction: self-discipline, time management, anxiety and depression due to isolation.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

The entire semester.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

In terms of high impact educational practices, I will consider collaborative assignments and projects and ePortfolios. While I will continue to request that each homework assignment to be completed and submitted individually, multiple attempts are allowed and the highest grade to be recorded. At the end of the semester, a final project in a form of a computer program will be assigned to 4 groups of students, and each student needs to have his/her collaborative share. This final project will weight 30% of the final grade for each student in the group and needs to be posted on OpenLab.

Inquiry and Analysis is the rubric I chose to assess the students’ needs. For a proper inquiry I need to identify what doesn’t work for them and then analyze these findings by chunking down information into smaller parts, or from abstract to more specific concepts for a better understanding.

To compensate for the lack of physical presence I will continue to provide, and even improve, a supportive learning environment where all students feel comfortable participating.
Attendance was the foremost concern, followed by internet connectivity issues.

I shall continue to use My Programming Lab, a excellent cloud-based tool, for the following reasons:
a. it provides a personalized learning experience that improves results for each student;
b. it contains a set of programming exercises correlated with the textbook that are focused on
a particular topic;
c. the feedback offered to students helps them master the syntax, semantics and basic usage
of Python programming language;
d. autonomous practice, where the feedback provided allows students to easily identify both compiling and logic errors in their code.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

Category: Technology & Design

A Museum of Culture/ Assignment 1A: Museum Research

Electrification of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Area: Ensuring Safe and Efficient Electrical Distribution

Public Space design

Pre-class discussion

Student self-assessment that promotes learning

Ethical Design: Evaluating Digital and IRL Experiences (and how one might support or hinder the other)

ECHOES

Understanding Animations and Films Through a Deeper Cultural Understanding

Programming in Python

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The OpenLab at City Tech:A place to learn, work, and share

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