DESIGN FOR SAFETY
2021-Hands-on and project-based computing & electronics curriculum
An engaging learning experience for middle school students
Scope
Instructional Design
Service Design
Modular coding
Role
Service Designer
Monitor evaluator
Documents writer and organizer
About DfS
"Design for Safety" is an inspiring pre-STEM curriculum designed for middle school students in NYC, incorporated with the founder and executive director of Allergic to Salad, Stacey Ornstein. The organization is looking to expand its hands-on offerings to support learners in engaging activities that connect engineering concepts (pre-STEM knowledge) with real-world examples. Our team contributed to the development of tangible teaching tools and learning activities that integrate into a hands-on computing and electronics curriculum.
Research
Our team did several kinds of research and multiple times of play-testings during the whole design process. Data and feedback are carefully analyzed to help us iterate and refine the design.
Academic resources
Observations
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Client's needs
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Play-testing Q & A
Interview with stakeholders
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Play-testing Q & A
Iterations
Our team tested and iterated on several options for tangible learning tools and course outlines. Through player-testings and client visits, we carefully refined the design.
Wearables & Arduino
Color-coded conductive threads with clips to help students design their own safety wearables with Arduino boards.
Modular coding & Microbits
Tangible coding pieces prepare students with the basic coding knowledge.
Refined Modular coding
Clear instructions guide students through the process of reasoning behind codes.
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Final Design
The tangible coding tools are integrated into the newly designed computing and electronics course, properly assisting the instructors to teach the course.
Our final design includes two big sections:
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the course outline and the instructor-facing brief;
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the tangible coding kits for in-class teaching.
Course Design
The overall structure of this course contains three step-by-step stages of learning with engaging group activities for each stage.
Activity Design
In stages 1 and 2, students will be guided by the instructors and the tangible coding kits to complete four practicing projects. The alternative paper version of all the tangible pieces is also designed for accessibility.
