Course Information

● TECH 12000 Design Thinking in Technology.

● CRN: 19484
● TR 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM
● Instructional Modality: Face-to-Face
● Course credit hours - Dist 1, Lec 2, Credit 3
● Prerequisites – None
● Honors Contracts: None. An Honors Tech 12000 section takes place during the Fall semesters.

Instructor(s) Contact Information

● Name: Hassaan Ahmad Waqar
● Email: [email protected]
● Office/Consultation hours, times, and location: https://calendly.com/hwaqar-purdue/tech120 or through
appointment by email (preferred).

There will be regular course communication via the Purdue email system. Therefore, students are expected to
check their Purdue email account ([email protected]) daily.

Emails to your instructor should include your full name, section and “Tech120” in the subject line. Emails must be
from your Purdue account; others may be ignored.

Course Description
Students in this course will engage in critical analysis of real-world problems and global challenges. They will
demonstrate the ability to recognize opportunity and to take initiative in developing solutions applying the principles
of human-centered design. Students will be able to communicate effectively and to work well in teams. Problems and
solutions will be examined from societal, cultural, and ethical perspectives.

Learning Resources, Technology & Texts

● Informed Learning resources:
○ No textbook
○ Standard office supplies for prototyping. See Before Class Meeting 1 in Brightspace.
○ Additional prototyping materials may be necessary later in the course.
○ A limited number of Chromebooks will be available in class.
○ Students will need a Gmail account for Chromebook and Google Drive use.
● Software/web resources – Microsoft TEAMS app or web app
● Hardware requirements - Device with webcam to access Brightspace, MS TEAMS and Google Docs - Laptop is
preferred. Fully charged batteries in your devices and power supply/battery charger. Stable internet connection.
Headphones with microphone or earbuds with microphone may be preferred when video conferencing during
class.
● Brightspace learning management system
○ Access the course via Purdue’s Brightspace learning management system. Begin with the Start Here tab,
which describes how the course Brightspace is organized. It is strongly suggested that you explore and
become familiar not only with the site navigation but with content and resources available for this
course.
 ● Academic Success and/or Tutoring and Purdue Libraries support: Please find a full list of support options in
Brightspace under the “Student Resources” module in the “Content” section. You’ll find many options that may
assist you with this course or your other courses should you need them.
● Generative AI Statement: Our approach to Generative AI tools like ChatGPT revolves around the preservation of
critical thinking and focusing on learning. Firstly, integrity guides our use of AI tools, ensuring ethical and
responsible application in line with the core nature of the course. Secondly, AI tools should complement learning
rather than replace your thinking and genuine engagement. Thirdly, upholding academic integrity is crucial –
utilize AI as a tool to augment understanding and creativity, avoiding plagiarism or misrepresentation. AI’s
impact within Design Thinking may prove significant as long as its use aligns with the course expectations. Let’s
responsibly engage with AI tools, leveraging their capabilities while upholding ethical standards and enriching
learning experiences. For instance, copying and pasting, or otherwise using AI-generated material without
significant changes is not responsible and is considered a violation. To preserve the human-centered, active
learning nature of the course, any violation of our established policy, including academic integrity breaches, will
be addressed and will involve reporting violations to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. A Turnitin
originality report will accompany each assignment and is available in Brightspace. This report will be the basis of
all discussion of potential violations. See the Academic Integrity guidelines below for further clarification.

Learning Outcomes – by the end of the course, you will be able to:
1. Write a narrowly focused problem statement addressing open-ended or ill-defined global challenges
a. Describe how problems are nested in a complex system with technological, political, economic and
cultural implications
b. Identify opportunities to address global challenges
c. Identify stakeholders in design contexts
d. Identify measurable constraints and criteria
2. Apply ethnographic methods to understand technological problems.
a. Gather, synthesize and use information to drive decision making processes
b. Describe the Point of View of stakeholders
c. Explain how ethnographic techniques provide empathy and how this relates to design
d. Use observation and interviewing skills to understand a problem
e. Evaluate a problem through measured constraints and criteria when applying ethnographic and
quantitative methodologies
f. Ask open-ended, penetrating questions to define a problem from the human perspective
3. Develop a search strategy, access technical data bases and evaluate results and source quality
a. Determine the extent of information needed by defining the scope of research, key concepts and types of
information.
b. Access information using effective, well-designed search strategies in relevant sources
c. Evaluate information and its sources critically, analyzing the assumptions and relevance of the contexts to
the current problem
d. Communicate, organize and synthesize information from several sources
e. Access and use information ethically and legally
4. Create a technical report documenting results of the design process
a. Identify essential elements of technical reports
b. Present compelling information related to their problem and solution
c. Use textual, visual and multimedia modalities to communicate
d. Use proper citation methods
5. Manage design projects, develop project timelines and negotiate individual responsibilities and accountability in
the team environment.
a. Scope projects based on supplied time constraints
b. Develop teams
c. Students will be able to provide feedback to team members regarding individual contributions to the
group effort

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 d. Students will be able to communicate with the instructor about their performance and the performance of
their teammates
e. Students will incorporate teammate feedback to improve their efforts
6. Apply strategies of ideation to develop novel and innovative solutions
a. Provide examples of effective ideation processes resulting in potential alternative solutions
b. Propose a solution that indicates comprehension of the problem and is sensitive to the content factors as
well as the ethical, logical and cultural dimensions of the problem
c. Systematically identify and evaluate solutions through the analysis of constraints and criteria
7. Prototype solutions for purposes of design, testing and communication
a. Plan, implement and reflect on testing scenarios for their prototypes
b. Give and receive constructive feedback in design critiques
c. Present prototypes for the purpose of receiving feedback from peers

Assignments and Participation

• Late assignments will not be accepted without written instructor approval.
• All assignment files must be submitted in PDF format. Students should also save a copy of the Word document (or
Google Doc) for later use.
• Writing should be professional. Use proper grammar, complete sentences and punctuation.
• Some assignments will be individual and some will be group based. Group based assignments will have the word
“group” in the title. If you are working in a group, it is your responsibility to make sure you are in the Brightspace
and that someone in the group submits the work or all students in the group will receive a “0”.
• Rubrics accompany nearly all assignment and should be reviewed prior to submitting. Questions about the
assignment should be raised prior the submission and well in advance of the due date.
• If you have difficulty with Brightspace, please contact ITAP – [email protected]
• Assignments in this course will total approximately 1000 points.
• There is no final exam.
• All students may be expected to have webcams on during class to establish a sense of community. Remotely
participating students will not earn course credit for work during class time unless:
o They are logged into Brightspace
o They are logged into MS TEAMS
o They have joined the MS TEAMS class meeting
o Their webcam is on
o They are responsive to audio interactions
o They have completed any class-based assignments during class
• This is a “flipped” and “blended” course which means you will spend a substantial amount of time engaged in
class activities outside of the 2 hours of weekly class meetings. According to the Purdue Registrar, a 3 credit
course should require a total of 9 hours of effort per week (3 hours of content delivery, 6 hours of out of class
engagement). This course meets for 2 hours which means you should plan an additional 7 hours outside of
class per week.
• To help ensure success in this course you should:
o Familiarize yourself with the assignments before they are due
o Complete the work in Brightspace as required
o Review the rubric used to evaluate the assignment
o Email the instructor or visit office hours with questions
o Submit assignments before the deadline
o Double check the correct file was uploaded in each submission
o Review the rubric after it was used to grade your assignment
• Students are expected to complete and submit assignments described in Brightspace before the deadline unless
otherwise specified. Due dates and times are shown in Brightspace for each meeting.
• Students are expected to submit assignments in class via Brightspace unless otherwise specified.

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• Students are expected to arrive on time for all class sessions and be alert and engaged for the duration of class.
• Verify that you have submitted an assignment by looking for a gradable submission in the grade book. This applies
to both individual and group assignments – no submission means you have not correctly submitted an assignment
and will receive a “0”! You should also receive a submission receipt in your Email. Do not delete these!
• The grade book will be your feedback mechanism and should be up-to-date within 1-2 weeks. One of the first rows
in the grade book will be an estimation of your current letter grade. Notice it! Instructors will often include written
feedback in the rubrics, please review the feedback.
• Learn from your mistakes – check the rubric after the grade has been issued to understand how the grade was
determined.
• Identify and resolve errors in the grade book. If the assignment was graded in error, communicate with the
instructor immediately via email or office visit (not in class).

Assignments Due Value

Quizzes (6 total) Throughout the first 8 weeks 50 pts.

Project 1 (First 2 weeks) During the first 2 weeks 90 pts.

Project 2 (~4 weeks) During weeks 3-6 290 pts.

Project 3 (~8 weeks) During weeks 7-16 570 pts.

Total: 1000

Attendance and Participation Policy

This course follows Purdue’s academic regulations regarding attendance, which states that students are expected to
be present for every meeting of the classes in which they are enrolled. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class
and lateness will be noted. When conflicts or absences can be anticipated, such as for many University-sponsored activities
and religious observations, the student should inform the instructor of the situation as far in advance as possible. For
unanticipated or emergency absences when advance notification to the instructor is not possible, the student should contact
the instructor as soon as possible by email or phone. When the student is unable to make direct contact with the instructor
and is unable to leave word with the instructor’s department because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, and in
cases falling under excused absence regulations, the student or the student’s representative should contact or go to the Office
of the Dean of Students website to complete appropriate forms for instructor notification. Under academic regulations,
excused absences may be granted for cases of grief/bereavement, military service, jury duty, and parenting leave. For details,
see the Academic Regulations & Student Conduct section of the University Catalog website. Classroom engagement is
extremely important and associated with your overall success in the course. The importance and value of course engagement
will be discussed at the beginning of the semester.

Working Remotely:

This is a F2F course. The remote option, through MS Teams, is intended to be used temporarily (once or twice) and only if you
are unable to attend face to face that day. Some situations warrant temporary remote attendance while others do not.
Remember, this is not an online only or asynchronous course. Below, I’ve listed a few situations of when it is acceptable to
attend remotely:

1. You’re sick
2. Your child has to stay home from school and you can’t attend F2F
3. You’re travel to, or attending a, Purdue sponsored conference or sporting event in which you are
participating
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 4. You’re in the military and have to be away but can attend remotely
5. You live off campus (outside of the bus system) and it is too dangerous to drive. For reference, I live
outside of the bus system and will drive unless campus is closed.
6. Other reasons authorized by me ahead of time

Grading Scale
Assignments are graded as Total Points and assessments are not weighted. The total points for the course is
1000, with roughly 60% of the points coming during the final project. The final date to withdraw from a course with a
W for Spring 2025 is April 18. Midterm grades will be submitted to show your midterm progress.

93-100 A 90-92 A-
87-89 B+ 83-86 B 80-82 B-
77-79 C+ 73-76 C 70-72 C-
67-69 D+ 63-66 D 60-62 D- 0-59 F

Course Schedule
Brightspace contains the most up-to-date version of the course schedule. Use the “Content” tab view all
assignments and course content. A full list of assignments can be found in the daily modules in Brightspace organized by
“Prep for Class” and “In Class”.

Academic Integrity
Purdue’s Honor Pledge: “As a boilermaker pursuing academic excellence, I pledge to be honest and true in all
that I do. Accountable together - we are Purdue."
The Purdue Honor Pledge Task Force, a student organization responsible for stewarding the mission of the
Honor Pledge and encourages a culture of academic integrity, asks all instructors to prominently include the student-
initiated Purdue Honor Pledge on their syllabus, as well as exams and key assignments.
Academic integrity is one of the highest values that Purdue University holds. Individuals are encouraged to alert
university officials to potential breaches of this value by either emailing [email protected] or by calling 765-494-
8778. While information may be submitted anonymously, the more information is submitted the greater the
opportunity for the university to investigate the concern. More details are available on our course Brightspace table of
contents, under University Policies.
Your course instructor expects that the work completed in this course is original, contains your own thoughts
and work, and is of high quality. In this course, academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, using text from
printed and online sources for your work without proper APA citation and/or rewording (including work generated by
AI) unless instructed otherwise, completing a quiz with the help of someone else, sharing answers on a quiz, and/or
reusing a previous assignment from this course or another. Incidents of academic misconduct in this course will be
addressed by the course instructor and referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) for review at
the university level. Any violation of course policies as it relates to academic integrity will result minimally in a failing or
zero grade for that particular assignment, and at the instructor’s discretion may result in a failing grade for the course. In
addition, all incidents of academic misconduct will be forwarded to OSRR, where university penalties, including removal
from the university, may be considered.

Mental Health/Wellness Statement:

A full list of Mental Health and Wellness resources can be found in the “Student Resources” module in Brightspace.

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 If you find yourself beginning to feel some stress, anxiety and/or feeling slightly overwhelmed, try Therapy
Assistance Online (TAO), a new web and app-based mental health resource available courtesy of Purdue Counseling
and Psychological Services (CAPS). TAO is available to students, faculty, and staff at any time.
If you need support and information about options and resources, please contact or see the Office of the Dean of
Students (ODOS). Call 765-494-1747.
If you find yourself struggling to find a healthy balance between academics, social life, stress, etc., sign up for free
one-on-one virtual sessions with a Purdue Wellness Coach at RecWell. Student coaches can help you navigate
through barriers and challenges toward your goals throughout the session. Sign up is free and can be done on
BoilerConnect.
If you’re struggling and need mental health services: Purdue University is committed to advancing the mental
health and well-being of its students. If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and/or in
need of mental health support, services are available. For help, such individuals should contact Counseling and
Psychological Services (CAPS) at 765-494-6995 during and after hours, on weekends and holidays.

Basic Needs Security:

Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance
in the course is urged to contact the Dean of Students for support. There is no appointment needed, and Student
Support Services is available to serve students 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Emergency Preparation
In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to
changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances beyond the instructor’s control.
Relevant changes to this course will be posted onto the course website or can be obtained by contacting the instructors or
TAs via email or phone. You are expected to read your @purdue.edu email on a frequent basis. The following are methods
for getting information about changes in this course:
• Brightspace web page
• Instructor email address
• Instructor office phone

To report an emergency, call 911. To obtain updates regarding an ongoing emergency, sign up for Purdue Alert text
messages, view www.purdue.edu/ea.

There are nearly 300 Emergency Telephones outdoors across campus and in parking garages that connect directly to the
PUPD. If you feel threatened or need help, push the button and you will be connected immediately.

• If we hear a fire alarm during class we will immediately suspend class, evacuate the building, and proceed outdoors.
Do not use the elevator.
• If we are notified during class of a Shelter in Place requirement for a tornado warning, we will suspend class and
shelter in the basement.
• If we are notified during class of a Shelter in Place requirement for a hazardous materials release, or a civil
disturbance, including a shooting or other use of weapons, we will suspend class and shelter in the classroom, shutting
the doors and turning off the lights.

Please review the Emergency Preparedness website for additional information.

http://www.purdue.edu/ehps/emergency_preparedness/index.html

Related Considerations and Guidelines

1. Keep your cell phone on to receive a Purdue ALERT text message.
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 2. Log into a Purdue computer connected to the network to receive any Desktop Popup Alerts.

This syllabus is subject to change. All changes will be posted via email and/or Brightspace.