@inproceedings{493bed5ffd7444a6b9d060f78b5c5b42,
title = "Out of their world: Using alien-centered design for teaching empathy in undergraduate design courses",
abstract = "Designing for others is a paramount focus of teaching user-centered engineering design. This paper presents a novel engineering design brief presented to undergraduate engineering students to design for extra-terrestrials scheduled to visit their collegiate campus. Through this alien-centered design approach, students are pushed to develop empathy for a group of users quite different from themselves and to conceive and design within such an given context. A detailed plan of action is described for both cases with detailed deliverables aligned to course learning objectives. Examples of the interactions students make with their extra-terrestrial users are listed and examples of student work and final deliverables are highlighted. Reflections from the end of project are also included from students and instructors alike. The work presented here may serve as a building block to these types of successful engineering design projects in the classroom.",
keywords = "Alien-centered design, Context, Empathy, Engineering design projects, User-centered design",
author = "Shawn Jordan and Micah Lande and Monica Cardella and Hadi Ali",
year = "2013",
doi = "10.1109/FIE.2013.6684957",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "9781467352611",
series = "Proceedings - Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE",
pages = "907--913",
booktitle = "2013 Frontiers in Education Conference",
note = "43rd IEEE Annual Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE 2013 ; Conference date: 23-10-2013 Through 26-10-2013",
}