6.S196: Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology

Syllabus and Timeline

6.S196 is a project-based course. In small teams, you will work with a person in the Boston area living with a disability to develop a novel and useful assistive device that meets their needs. You will work with this person to identify a specific challenge that might be addressed with a device or technology and design, prototype, and evaluate the solution. To be successful in developing assistive technology that is effective and gains acceptance, you will need to understand the person's realities and needs, grasp the situations and environments in which the device will be used, and appreciate the broader context of disability and assistive technology in society. To realize this goal, this course has the following components:

  • Weeks 1-5: Foundational Lectures and Understanding User Requirements
    We will introduce the history and current state of assistive technology and the challenges that remain today. The specific concepts that we will explore in class include contextual inquiry, user analysis, and evaluation metrics.

  • Week 1: Introduction to Assistive Technology
        Wed 7 September: Lecturer: Professor Teller: Lecture Notes (PDF)
        Wed 7 September: Lab #1:
           Slides: (PPTX) (PDF)
           Handout #1: Texas Council on Developmental Disabilities: People-First Language (PDF)
           Handout #2: Resolution from the National Federation of the Blind (PDF)

  • Week 2: Project Matching & Contextual Inquiry
        Mon 12 September: Lecturer: Professor Teller: Lecture Notes (PPTX) (PDF)
        Mon 12 September: Lab #2: Assignment: (PDF)
        Wed 14 September: Lecturers: Mary Ziegler and Kathy Cahill (MIT ATIC)
          Documents:
            Lecture Notes (PDF)
            What is ATIC? (1 page info sheet)
            Handout: Assistive Technologies (with pricing)
            Handout: Alternative Keyboards and Pointing Devices (Mice)
        Fri 16 September: Lecturer: Prof. Miller (Contextual Inquiry): Lecture Notes (PPTX) (PDF)

  • Week 3: Team Formation & Project Matching
        Mon 19 September: Lecturer: Bob McGillivray (CCftB): Lecture Notes (PPT) (PDF)
        Wed 21 September: No MIT classes today; see the Career Fair Schedule for other things to do today!
        Fri 23 September: Event: Products and Technologies that Change People's Lives Conference, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston

  • Week 4: Idea Generation
        Mon 26 September: Lecturer: Professor Teller (The Human User of Assistive Technology): Lecture Notes (PPTX) (PDF)
        Wed 28 September: Lecturer: Melissa A. Simonian, M.Ed, CCC-SLP, Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital - Dept of Speech-Language Pathology: Lecture Notes (PPT) (PDF)

  • Week 5: Measurement Instruments
        Mon 3 October: Lecturer: Dr. Chieko Asakawa, IBM Research - Tokyo: Lecture Notes (PDF)
        Wed 5 October: Lecturer: Dan Parkinson, PT, MBA, Director of Clinical Services, Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital: Lecture Notes (PPT)

  • Week 6: Project Development
        Mon 10 October: No MIT classes today; MIT observes Columbus Day.
        Wed 12 October: Lecturer: Brian Charlson, Director of Technology Services, The Carroll Center for the Blind
        Wed 12 October: Lab #3: Screen Readers (PDF handout)

  • Week 7: Mid-Semester Panels

  • Week 7: Proposal Writing
        Mon 17 October: Lecture CANCELLED
        Mon 17 October: PANEL I during LAB 3-5pm in 32-044
        Wed 19 October: NO LECTURE
        Wed 19 October: PANEL I during LAB 3-5pm in 32-044

  • Week 8: Project Development
        Mon 24 October: Lecturer:
        Wed 26 October: Lecturer: Dr. Robert J. Mendoza, Psy.D., Tufts University School of Medicine and The Boston Home: Lecture Notes (PPTX) (PDF)

  • Week 9: User Testing & Iteration #1
        Mon 31 October: Lecturers: Chris LaRoche and Katherine Wahl, MIT IS&T Customer Support: Lecture Notes (PPTX) (PDF)

        Wed 2 November: NO LECTURE

  • Week 10: Evaluation of First Prototype
        Mon 7 November: Lecturer: Professor Teller (Aging): Lecture Notes (PDF) (PPTX)
        Mon 7 November: PPAT Prototype Checkpoint (PDF handout)
                Hardcopy reports are due in lab on Monday 14 Nov 2011
        Wed 9 November: Lecturer:
        Wed 9 November: Lab #4: Alternative Text Input Devices and Strategies (PDF handout)
        Fri 11 November: No MIT classes today; MIT observes Veterans Day

  • Week 11: User Testing & Iteration #2
        Mon 14 November: Lecturer: Amy Ruell: Lecture Video (MP4) | Lecture Transcription (MSWord / .DOCX file & ASCII / .txt file)
        Wed 16 November: Lecturer: Don Fredette, Adaptive Equipment Specialist, The Boston Home: Lecture Notes (PDF) (PPTX)
        Wed 16 November: Lab #5: Alternative Pointing Devices (PDF handout)
        Fri 18 November: Lecturer:

  • Week 12: User Testing & Iteration #3
        Mon 21 November: Lecturers: Steve Saling and Jack Geilfuss, The Leonard Florence Center for Living
        Wed 23 November: No PPAT lecture or lab today.
        Fri 25 November: No MIT classes today; MIT observes Thanksgiving.

  • Week 13: Final Analysis and Report
        Mon 28 November: Lecturer: Prof. Miller (User Testing): Lecture Notes (PPTX) (PDF)
        Mon 28 November: PPAT Presentation and Final Report Expectations (PDF handout)
                Panel presentations will be held on 5 & 7 December; Final reports are due on Thursday, 15 December 2011 (the last day of classes at MIT).
        Wed 30 November: Lecturer:
        Fri 2 December: Lecturer:

  • Weeks 14 & 15: End-of-Semester Panels

  • Week 14: End-of-Semester Panels
        Mon 5 December: No PPAT lecture today.
        Mon 5 December: PANEL II during LAB 3-5pm in 32-044
        Wed 7 December: No PPAT lecture today.
        Wed 7 December: PANEL II during LAB 3-5pm in 32-044
        Fri 9 December: Lecturer:

  • Week 15: End-of-Semester Panels & Lectures
        Mon 12 December: Lecturer: William Li (Project Follow-up Opportunities): Lecture Notes (PDF) (PPTX)
        Wed 14 December: MIT: Last Day of Classes!
             Lecturer:

    Please contact TA William Li (wpli@mit.edu) or Prof. Teller (teller@mit.edu) with any questions.