Course Wishlist

If we are able to offer Technology: Art and Sound by Design again in Spring '07, what should we change?

• It is difficult to lug all Logochip kits and supporting materials back and forth from class. I think you should have lockers for students to store relevent equipment for the class
• Batteries are wasteful. Sell the logochips with AC adapters instead of batteries next time.
• * Comment: Batteries are okay. Adapters just limit the portability. They last quite long with normal applications. I like the idea of using a 9V battery and a regulator. It's much more portable.
• Don't require student pairing outside of class. Instead make sure there is a lab included and in the course schedule, and have student pairings happen during the lab.
• Student pairing is a good idea but it wasn't always effective because we didn't know what to do in the student pairs. Make these assignments more defined for the student pairing.
• More diversified class. Music students, mechanical engineers, etc. would mix it up in an interesting way.
• It was structured unfairly since artists struggled way more than the engineers. Every assignment, besides the paragraph art reviews, introduced completely new and difficult concepts for the artists and just review for the engineers. Why werent any of the assignments centered toward good art making or art concepts? I feel because of this that art side of the collaboration was completely overlooked and focus was put on technology and sound.
• I don't know that if was unfairy structured as much as structured to teach ideas that were impossible to grasp in the time frame. Some of the topics are entire semester classes for the Engineering students. There is no way to learn such info in one hour.
• I would like to see an digital overhead projector for ALL demos and breadboard building. Visual people learn visually. Show me where that wire goes and why... not just telling.
• The class needs to be much longer... more like a studio arts class... 4 hours twice a week with a possible lab time for example. That way equal time could be placed on the engineering skills of construction and the physical building skills. Tool demonstake much more time than one hour to be effective in the area of safety. And I am sure that more time with the logo chip would be much more effective.
• Eliminate PD alltogher or reduce the time spent on it and focus on the logo chip.
• Find a larger lab space
• I agree on the structure be unfair, perhaps co-teaching?
• More time, splitting into two semesters?
• Lie and say the final exhibit is a week before it actually is. :-)
• Would there be any way to produce a "mini" project a few weeks into the class, to have something concrete to do in partner groups, to get a feel for what the LogoChip will actually do, and to turn up the pressure on how long it'll take to assemble final projects?
• I second the thought of eliminating PD, just pose it as a possibility, then explain it if someone can use it.
• maintain one semester class and keep similar presentation, just begin the project part of the class earlier in the semester, and create a deadline for project completion well before the last final friday.
• each group should create a online reference (ie webpage, wiki, blog), not each individual, it only creates unnecessary work.
• for above comment... to require that each GROUP keep an online reference is insane. Certain individuals couldn't even keep up their end of projects, no matter how small the part was... thus screwing over the other partners. Guess what... do you think these people are going to maintain a wiki page as well????
• Have a proper manual for the LogoChip. I think everyone should help (or at least give suggestions/tips on what they've used) with the LogoChip Crash Course :)