MEMORANDUM – Senior Innovation Project

To: UAT Students

From: Kathleen Dunley and Holly Rick

RE: Senior Innovation Project

Date: 7-6-2009

Introduction:
Innovation. This word represents one of UAT’s key values and is an intrinsic part of our
mission. We want students to discover through innovation and be enthusiastic about the
process since it is, intrinsically, an exciting and affirming activity. When we heard about
students having a hard time getting excited about the Senior Innovation Project, we wanted
to learn more. We listened to many students, did a lot of research, and had many a meeting
to work through the issues raised. This document represents the findings of the SIP
Committee which was formed under Dave Bolman’s guidance to evaluate the Senior
Innovation Project course chain to better understand the roots of the discontent students
expressed about the project.

As the result of our efforts, we have developed an action plan to target issues in the present
course chain in order to streamline the process and create a more rewarding experience for
students. The following document highlights the proposed changes and provides an FAQ
based on the student concerns raised to both Holly and Kathleen, in the Student
Government meeting devoted to SIP, and on the Dave Feed.

Issue One: The Placement of Research Skills

One issue that was voiced when we spoke to students was that there was duplicate
content between the PRO211 and PRO250 and the ENG102 class. Basic research
methodology should not be a part of the Senior Innovation course chain since the
goal of PRO211, PRO250, and PRO300/301 is to work on the innovation itself. Since
the documentation of any innovation will require research skills, it is key that
students entering PRO211 share a common skill set.

In order to ensure that all students have the same skills, the ENG102 course will be
streamlined to cover APA style as well as search strategies and how they relate to
the general internet, electronic databases, advanced databases, specialized subject
directories, patents, dissertations, and all of the other information resources
available to students who are learning how to innovate. Students will be taught how
to critically evaluate sources, how to properly integrate them into their writing, and
how to engage specific modes of research writing including annotated bibliographies
and literature reviews. The revised ENG102 class will debut in the fall of 2009.

Since students frequently voice a concern over losing shell access once a course is
completed, and since the skills for the SIP chain are important to be able to
reference time and time again, the most relevant tutorials from ENG102 will be
made available on a Wiki page geared towards the Innovation Project. Since ENG102
is a prereq for the SIP chain, these skills will be removed from the PRO211 and
PRO250 curriculum to allow students more time for engaging their innovations. Any
students who need a little help in the areas of research will have the wiki to assist
them as well as the Learning Support Hours of the English Faculty and Tutors for
additional one-on-one support with the basics.
Issue two: How the SIP will be documented
A common concern among students is that the SIP chain seems more focused
towards writing a long paper than working on an innovation. Much of this is due to
the original conception of the end-product as a thesis-length paper.

While it is important to know how to express oneself in writing, the document should
not be the primary focus since the document will not exist without an innovation.
The goals of the SIP process are to first learn how to innovate (and do it!), and
secondly, to know how to document the innovation and how to talk about it with
others.

Again, to allow for more time for innovation within the SIP specific classes, the
documentation of the innovation will be scaled back to an Innovation Brief-- a 15
to 20 page document that describes the stages of the innovation process.
Innovation Briefs are becoming the industry standard for documenting these forms
of exploration. The document will contain the following sections, with length
depending heavily on the type of project the student will engage:

• About the Innovation

○ Intro to the Innovation (1-2 pages talking about what they want their
innovation to be)
○ Today’s situation about the innovation (1-2 pages talking about what
the current situation of the innovation is)
○ Innovation Timeline (to be done as a Gantt table/chart with a brief
project plan, 1-2 pages)
○ Innovation Inquiry (what one wants to accomplish in creating this
innovation and/or questions they hope to answer- typically ½ a page)
• Review of related materials (this should be a decent background about the
pieces that go into the innovation or that relate to the innovation. The length
will vary depending on the type of project, but 7-10 pages is considered a
baseline).
• Learning process (The “how to” manual for the innovation; the length will
vary depending on the type of project, but 2-4 pages is a solid baseline)
• Results
○ Start with 2-3 pages to tell your reader what happened when the
innovation was created, did it work out like you wanted it to?
○ Conclude by describing what steps to do next? (publication, where
when etc…. or if the innovation did not work, what would you do to fix
it, change it etc. This will also likely run 2-3 pages)
• References (APA styled Bibliography)

This type of paper focuses on the how’s and why’s of the project. Students will be
provided with an APA formatted template in which to develop their work in order to
have consistent, professional looking documents. The form of the brief, with its focus
on inquiry and exploration, will serve as an asset to future students as we will link
relevant documents to the SIP Wiki for future reference.

Issue Three: What “Counts” as an Innovation

The SIP Committee has used the following definition in scoping what it means to be
innovative at UAT which places innovation as an intrinsic part of a creative product
that involves “a person’s capacity to produce new or original ideas, insights,
restructurings, inventions, or artistic objects, that are accepted by experts as being
of scientific, aesthetic, social, or technological value; the acceptability or
appropriateness of the creative product, even through this valuation may change
with the passage of time” (Thompson, 1992, Qtd. In Hughson, 2004, pg. 21).

The SIP committee acknowledges that the types of innovative output will be
radically different depending upon one’s discipline. We also acknowledge that
innovations often occur in group settings (see below for the information on cohorting
which will make it easier for groups to work together). Defining innovation within
one’s field and understanding the different tiers of innovative works will be a vital
part of the PRO211 curriculum with nearly half of the class devoted to understanding
what it means to innovate and learning about how to do it, common myths and
misconceptions about innovations, and similar themed topics.

Issue Four: The Course Content

With the removal of basic research from the SIP specific classes, each will be
retailored to focus on more on the process of innovation, and less on writing. The SIP
instructors are presently discussing how these goals will be reflected in the week-to-
week course content. The revised curriculum will debut in the fall and the goals of
each class follow:

PRO211: Over the course of this class, students will gain a deeper understanding for
what constitutes an innovative work. They will explore potential topics and select
one for further study. By the end of this class, students will have the innovation and
review sections of their documentation completed and ready for PRO250. This class
will be heavily workshop based with the understanding that innovations cannot
happen in a vacuum. Students will workshop ideas and concepts with their peers.
They will engage in discovery learning on potential topics, and teachback at various
points in the semester on what they find out regarding the background of their
innovation.

PRO250: The goal of this class is to work on the innovation itself. Classes will enable
students to bring in their materials, work with their instructor and peers, and
teachback on their roadblocks and their achievements. Course content will be
focused on exercises to inspire creativity and brainstorming. Workshops will allow
students to share their progress and receive feedback and advice. Along the way,
students will take notes to be used towards the learning process part of their
documentation.

PRO300/301: This class will provide a short span of time to allow students to
complete their innovations. In addition, they will complete their documentation,
detailing their learning process and explaining their results and next steps. To
reinforce the different audiences between the SIP and portfolio, students will be
asked to explore routes for future use to highlight how their innovations can
contribute to the world outside UAT. For the 301 class, the majority of the energy will
be focused towards the patent process. For the students who are working on
projects that would not qualify for a patent, publication, presentation, and other
forms of submissions will be discussed.

PRO481: This class will focus mostly on the preparing the students’ portfolio,
although students will also be expected to prepare their SIP for presentation.

Students should note that they will be welcome and supported should they choose
to continue the thesis style of documentation. Students who need additional help
with writing and research will have additional opportunities outside of class with
continued SIP workshops, general writing workshops, the assistance of UAT’s writing
tutors, and the LSC hours for faculty who work on the innovation project.

Issue Five: Communication

To better improve the collaborative atmosphere of the SIP classes, the SIP course
chain will be taught in a cohort model. Students will begin PRO211 with the same
instructor and student cohort that they can follow throughout 250 and 300/301. This
will build a community of students who are working through their innovations and
create a deeper bond with the instructor who will serve as a mentor for his or her
cohort. Cohorting will also make it easier for students to work in teams, with the
understanding that the innovation brief will be an individual document that will
describe each team member’s unique contribution to the project.

Class activities will encourage students to seek out faculty during their LSC hours to
communicate their ideas to those engaged in the subject. In addition, moments to
discuss innovation with industry people will be integrated through the use of guest
lectures and sample works. The SIP committee believes that innovation needs to be
seen university-wide and the proposed Wiki for SIP will serve as a clearinghouse for
SIP resources, samples, and other helpful materials.

In addition, the goals of SIP will be communicated to the students, initially through
this memo, but later through the SIP Wiki. Students enrolled in the SIP classes will be
alerted to opportunities to share their work outside UAT as well as any events (such
as Tech Forum) that would encourage networking between students and industry
leaders.

The goals of SIP will also be communicated to all faculty, who will be encouraged to
contribute to the Wiki and share their ideas with students who are going through the
process.

Finally, while the form of the presentation of the final SIP project will naturally evolve
as the student cohorts grow in size, all students will do a presentation, receive
feedback and everyone will have a chance to see the students’ work. As SIP evolves,
presentations will not be hidden within the SIP classes; rather, our goal is to create
publically scheduled “in the theater” moments where faculty, students, and staff can
hear from the students and review the results. Completing the SIP, even if the
project does not turn out as planned, is still a moment for celebration and a moment
of learning and inspiration for the UAT community.

Changes are already underway…

Starting immediately, students will have the option to write an innovation brief
instead of a research paper. Those who want to continue with the old paper format
will still be supported, but assignments will be tailored towards both document
formats. Students who want to convert one format to another will also receive their
instructor’s support.

Activities will continue to become more holistic in order to encourage conversation.

As of week seven, some of these changes include:
• Group discussions in PRO211 on key words related to one's project in order to
search for the "review of prior materials" and discuss results within peer
groups
• Drafting self-schedules in PRO300 in order to plan the remainder of the
semester so one innovates and has time to create their piece
 • All course shells feature the above definition of innovation, which is already
receiving positive student feedback as it is designed to guide students across
all majors.

Since the innovation brief will be formatted with a template, there will be less time
spent on formatting concerns (although APA style will remain the norm, as in the
other classes at UAT).

We are confident that the proposed changes, as well as those changes already
underway will help to make the SIP process more rewarding for all students.

To address the broader set of questions we have received, we are attaching a SIP
FAQ to the end of this memo.

Kathleen Dunley and Holly Rick

SIP Committee
FAQ’s – Senior Innovation Project
How does the University define “innovation”?
UAT places innovation as an intrinsic part of a creative product that involves “a
person’s capacity to produce new or original ideas, insights, restructurings,
inventions, or artistic objects, that are accepted by experts as being of scientific,
aesthetic, social, or technological value; the acceptability or appropriateness of the
creative product, even through this valuation may change with the passage of time”
(Thompson, 1992, Qtd. In Hughson, 2004, page 21).

Why is SIP something we have to do?

This is the student’s opportunity to actually create something that is in their field to
show their academic endeavors that they have attempted. This is also part of the
mission statement; the SIP is the proof that we do it.

What counts as innovation?

The types of innovative output will be radically different depending upon one’s
discipline. While a computer programmer has the skills to create a potentially
patentable, tangible program, a student in the tech studies program will likely
innovate in intangible ideas. A DVA student might produce a work on film that takes
story in a new direction. A game design student might create an innovation that
involves story and NPCs in an MMO environment. A digital artist might blend their
skills at storyboarding to create an infinite canvas comic that blends humanities and
technology in a new way.

The SIP class has too much research and the classes are focused too much
on creating a paper not the SIP. What will be done to help this?
We have adopted a new model for the paper called the Innovation Brief, a 15 to 20
page document that describes the stages of the innovation process and is the
industry standard for documenting these forms of exploration. The document will
contain the following sections, with length depending heavily on the type of project
the student will engage:

• About the Innovation

○ Intro to the Innovation (1-2 pages talking about what they want their
innovation to be)
○ Today’s situation about the innovation (1-2 pages talking about what
the current situation of the innovation is)
○ Innovation Timeline (to be done as a Gantt table/chart with a brief
project plan, 1-2 pages)
○ Innovation Inquiry (what one wants to accomplish in creating this
innovation and/or questions they hope to answer- typically ½ a page)
• Review of related materials (this should be a decent background about the
pieces that go into the innovation or that relate to the innovation. The length
will vary depending on the type of project, but 7-10 pages is considered a
baseline).
• Learning process (The “how to” manual for the innovation; the length will
vary depending on the type of project, but 2-4 pages is a solid baseline)
• Results
○ Start with 2-3 pages to tell your reader what happened when the
innovation was created, did it work out like you wanted it to?
 ○ Conclude by describing what steps to do next? (publication, where
when etc…. or if the innovation did not work, what would you do to fix
it, change it etc. This will also likely run 2-3 pages)
• References (APA styled Bibliography)

In terms of the classes, ENG102 is being refocused on research methods in order to

arm all students with the same set of skills they will need in the SIP classes. The
most relevant tutorials from ENG102 will be available to students after that class
ends through the SIP Wiki, which will be created as a place to house all things
relating to SIP so that students will not lose any important information or access to
sample works just because they lose access to a shell.

With research removed, the SIP classes will also feel different, starting this fall (for
full descriptions, see the SIP memo):

PRO211: Over the course of this class, students will gain a deeper understanding for
what constitutes an innovative work. They will explore potential topics and select
one for further study. This class will be heavily workshop based with the
understanding that innovations cannot happen in a vacuum.

PRO250: The goal of this class is to work on the innovation itself. Classes will enable
students to bring in their materials, work with their instructor and peers, and
teachback on their roadblocks and their achievements. Course content will be
focused on exercises to inspire creativity and brainstorming through challenges.

PRO300/301: This class will provide a short span of time to allow students to
complete their innovations. To reinforce the different audiences between the SIP and
portfolio, students will be asked to explore routes for future use to highlight how
their innovations can contribute to the world outside UAT. For the 301 class, the
majority of the energy will be focused towards the patent process. For the students
who are working on projects that would not qualify for a patent, publication,
presentation, and other forms of submissions will be discussed.

PRO481: This class will focus mostly on the preparing the students’ portfolio,
although students will also be expected to prepare their SIP for presentation.

In the meantime, the SIP instructor is working on offering options for the students
currently enrolled. Starting immediately, students will have the option to write an
innovation brief instead of a research paper. Those who want to continue with the
old paper format will still be supported, but assignments will be tailored towards
both document formats. As of week seven, some of these changes to class activities
include:
• Group discussions in PRO211 on key words related to one's project in order to
search for the "review of prior materials" and discuss results within peer
groups
• Drafting self-schedules in PRO300 in order to plan the remainder of the
semester so one innovates and has time to create their piece

Further changes are underway and students should feel a difference in their classes.

Students want more support from the faculty during the SIP process. What
is put in place for support?
 Cohorts: The biggest change in terms of faculty support is that for all future
semesters, the SIP classes will run on a cohort scheduling model. If you begin
a class with Todd Spencer in 211, you will be asked to register with the same
instructor and the same peer group in the next class. This will create two
deep bonds. The SIP instructor will be a steady and reliable mentor for
students who will guide them, literally, through every step in the process.
After three semesters, the instructor will know the student’s work very well.
Further, students will have the unique opportunity to stick with a consistent
peer group. While students are welcome to switch instructors, we are
confident that the majority will want to stick with the professor who best
knows their work. Students working in teams will find it a lot easier to meet
with their group since they will have the opportunity to share the same
cohort.

LSC and Workshops: The SIP is now an option that faculty can add to their
areas for the LSC. Students are welcome and encouraged to visit with any
faculty member during their hours. As in past semesters, student abstracts
on their selected topics will be reviewed. Unlike in the past, faculty will be
advised to guide students more clearly… if there is an issue with the topic
being proposed, it will not be rejected outright. Rather, faculty will give
suggestions on how to scope or refine the topic. The exception will, of course,
be any proposed projects that violate any of UAT’s codes of conduct or that
violate research ethics in any way.

SIP-WIKI: The SIP instructors are presently planning the SIP Wiki which will
be a clearinghouse for all things SIP. From research resources from the
ENG102 class, to sample papers, to inspirational videos, to calls for papers,
the wiki will be a place open to all faculty and students to share ideas. This
will help to improve communication across the board.

Students don’t know how to innovate. When are they going to learn this?
There are classes that have been identified as courses that will help the students
create portfolio pieces and innovation ideas, including ENG102. Nearly half of the
PRO211 class will be focused on an exploration and discussion of the types of
innovations, the processes that inspire innovation, and the myths associated with
the process. The SIP WIKI page should also provide some ideas about things to
innovate and options that are available. Utilize your major faculty’s LSC hours to talk
about innovation projects.

What if I pick a topic I don’t like or cannot work? How often can I change
it?
You have the option in PRO250 to change your topic. There are forms in the class
shell that you will need to complete. Since the SIP chain of courses for working on
the project are PRO211, PRO250, and PRO300/301 for actual working on the SIP,
changing topics any later than PRO250 will make it difficult to complete your project.
You will have plenty of opportunity to explore topics in your major courses, ENG102,
and PRO211.

Can we work in project teams for SIP?

Absolutely! This is a great opportunity for you to write about your expertise of your
major for the project. One recommendation would be to have the entire project team
cohort through the process, or minimally take PRO481 together to showcase your
project. Keep in mind that the Innovation Brief is a short paper and will be expected
to be an individual record of each team member’s contributions.
What will the presentation entail?
Since the SIP classes are still evolving as more students enroll, the form of the final
presentation will naturally evolve to suit the growing number of students. In the
briefest terms, students will be expected to do a presentation, have a “feedback
moment” from faculty, and, most importantly, everyone will see it. The completion
of a SIP, even an unsuccessful one, is a moment of celebration. As the 481 course
evolves, the goal is that the final presentations will not just happen during class. The
ultimate goal is a scheduled theater moment where everyone will have the
opportunity to hear the student’s pitch and review their project.

How does the SIP process impact the transfer students? How do they
obtain ideas for their SIP?

Transfer students with 60 credits will be expected to take PRO211 (since it really
gives a clear picture of what innovation entails) and PRO250 (since this is the
workshop class). When it comes time to register for PRO300, transfer students can
request to take 300 and 481 concurrently. The following is advised for transfer
students: in the first semester take a lot of tech courses to give you a sense of the
field; in the second semester take 211, then 250, and when you sign up for 300,
decide with the help of your advisor and instructor whether it would be feasible to
do PRO 300 and PRO 481 in the same semester. If the transfer student has the
additional time, they are welcome to take PRO300 and PRO481 in separate
semesters.