Computer Science, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship Through a range of course offerings, the Computer Science, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship Department provides students with opportunities to engage in hands-on, real-world, creative problemsolving in a number of different disciplines (engineering, manufacturing, robotics, computer science, and entrepreneurship). These courses prioritize work that partners with authentic audiences, including oncampus partners and businesses in the Hartford area. Significant time in most of the courses will be spent in the Pearse Hub for Innovation (PHI), where students will engage in our design-thinking process: gather, generate, build, and share. Design-thinking and computer science courses are offered as term electives that approach the subject matter using the teacher’s expertise in the area to guide examinations of the topics at hand. No prerequisites exist for the design-thinking and computer science courses; all of the courses have been designed to open subject matter to students from a range of academic backgrounds and experiences. Students need only to come to these classes with the desire to engage in intellectual discourse and an interest in exploring issues of contemporary significance across a variety of disciplinary approaches. Design-thinking and computer science classes cannot count toward diploma requirements, except where noted. For those classes that are cross listed with another academic department, credit for classes taken can be assigned to just one department, according to the course description. Introduction to Problem-Solving in Manufacturing, Society, and Entrepreneurship term course/sophomores This course will introduce students to the process of design thinking and provide them with an opportunity to practice the skills involved in three different areas. • Students will learn the design-build process and gain manufacturing experience in the makerspace. • Students will design and implement a solution for a problem related to the concept of the common good. • Students will tackle a business-related entrepreneurship problem for a local business. This course will meet in the Pearse Hub for Innovation. Problem-Solving for the Common Good (GESC) term course/juniors and seniors Students will learn about and gain experience in the process of design thinking and how it can be applied to problems related to the common good and social entrepreneurship. Students will identify and design solutions for problems/challenges on campus as well as within the local community (Windsor or Hartford area). At least one of the challenges will be global or environmental in nature. This course will meet in the Pearse Hub for Innovation. Problem-Solving for the Business World term course/juniors and seniors Students will learn about and gain experience in the process of design thinking as it applies to businesses, both established businesses and start-up companies. Students will partner with local businesses to solve real-world problems/challenges and will present their solutions to the partners. This course will meet in the Pearse Hub for Innovation. Robotics term course/sophomores, juniors, and seniors This hands-on, experiential term course teaches students about advances in technology and collaboration skills, both of which are critical for innovation in the evolving 21st-century workplace. Students are exposed to three ways in which robotics functions in today’s society: manufacturing, human assistance, and autonomous control. Students work in small groups to explore the field of robotics through the completion of two major projects over the course of the term. First, students build kit-style unmanned aquatic vehicles, modify them as needed, and learn how to successfully control the vehicles to perform tasks under water. Second, students will design and build small “mouse-like” robots to autonomously navigate a maze, find a piece of “cheese,” and return it to the mouse hole. Both projects require students to become familiar with the Loomis Chaffee design process and the tools and resources in the Pearse Hub for Innovation. In addition to fabricating their own robots, and in order to better understand robots’ use in industry, students have the opportunity to visit a local manufacturing company that uses robots.
52