The Ted talk is by Ayanna Howard, who is a roboticist. She is trying to explore ways in
which people can create robots that are fairer. In this case, she is posing the question of how
humans can be more accountable in their relationships with robots. She starts by showing some
of the benefits of robots in some fields, such as education and healthcare. They help in improving
the quality of work. However, they are, at times, created in a biased manner either in races or
sexes. She gives an example where robots can influence children in making decisions. They act
as peer pressure in such cases. The robots that get created have some emotions since they have
some emotional connections with a human being. They are programmed in such ways so that
they can understand humans even though at times they are hard. In health care and education,
they help people with special needs such as autism. In such instances, they appear to be useful to
humans since they help in improving the quality of life. Robots help in emergencies such as fire
outbreaks. To demonstrate how biased they get created, she presents a white robot which is
making some moves and seems happy. When a black robot is displayed, making the same
moves, it looks angry. It is such factors that they are seen to have gender and race.
References
https://www.ted.com/talks/ayanna_howard_tedwomen_2018
Video Summary: The Beautiful Future of Solar Power
The video presents the inspirational story of Marjan Van Aube, a solar designer, who fell in love with
the magic of harvesting light and turning it into electricity. She passionately describes how innovation
can contribute to a self-sufficient ecosystem. Her main focus is to maximize efficiency and design
aesthetic solar cells that utilize color properties in the generation of electricity. The failure of solar
panels to evolve in shape and size for more than sixty years inspired her to come up with ways to
incorporate solar cells into the environment and significantly increase the production of electricity.
The designer collaborated with Swarovski, the company, and together, they came up with innovative
ways to cut crystals that direct the sunlight to chosen surfaces. She also uses dye-sensitized solar cells,
which are typically in red, blue, among other colors and applied them on glass surfaces like tables and
windows. The video demonstrates this application on what she Marjan calls a Current Table that
harvests light, stores the energy on batteries, which facilitates the efficient charging of phones (Aubel,
2019). They were successful in modifying a gallery in London with a stained version of glass, integrated
with solar cells that harvested light from all the windows.
In the video, Marjan also explains about her novel concept of the Power Plant, which aims at creating
independent ecosystems in the long run. The innovation was a collaborative effort with top engineers
and architects, and they were able to come up with means to use transparent solar panels to power
greenhouses and support plants while at the same time harvesting vast amounts of electricity. The video
indeed introduces the world to the power and future of solar panels, a field that will soon revolutionize
the world.
References
Aubel, M. (2019). The beautiful future of solar power. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/marjan_van_aubel_the_beautiful_future_of_solar_power
The insightful video on ‘How Germs Can Travel on Planes’ explores the low-cost filtration
meant to clean the environment where airplanes operate in. Raymond Wang who worn in 2015
Intel Science and Engineering Fair has improved the effort to reduce pathogen inhalation among
human beings and utilized modern computers to change patterns of germs which were in past
circulating in airplanes hence affecting operations of aeronautic engineers(Raymond, 2015). The
fresh air quality has improved by 190 percent after aeronautical engineers agreed to operate within
the ‘personalized breathing zone’ proposed by Raymond Wang.
According to Raymond Wang, research on how germ travel, especially on planes, was
influenced by the outbreak of Ebola and its influence in increasing mortality rate developing
countries in Arica and Asia. The research was based on infections, which quickly spread in the
airplane cabin. Results from Raymond’s research revealed that it is always challenging to prescreen for diseases spread through airplane cabin(Raymond, 2015). However, getting treating
options for diseases described above helped reduce the health risk of travelling with the use of
international airlines operating through countries with airplane cabin diseases. As per Raymond,
establishing computerized devices to detect germs spread through airplane cabins will make air
transportation more efficient and simplify the duties of airline practitioners.
References
Raymond, W. (2015). How germs travel on planes – and how we can stop them [Video file].
Retrieved from http://start-engineering.com/start-engineering-now/2016/1/6/9engineering-ted-talks-to-watch-now
Stunning Building Made From Raw Imperfect Materials Video
The insightful video focuses on how architects can transform defective raw materials to
invaluable resources that can turn a typical house into a luxurious building. The video begins by
articulating that architects are often torn between following the rule written in books and
experimenting with their creativity. This is highlighted as significant adversity that architects
face as they attempt to challenge preconceptions and push boundaries to innovate. The narrator
describes the steps that she and the team utilized to make use of what they had around and was
overlooked all the time as they designed their early work. She notes that they had several
references but whatever they presented would not lead to an attractive building an instance that
pushed them to go to a nearby to understand how the extraction process takes place and ended up
sourcing for superior raw materials.
From the tour, they noted that they were several leftovers of the extraction sequences that
were scattered all over. From the recount, it is apparent that recycled unstructured materials can
become valuable raw materials that can build a fascinating and attractive structure. The video
notes that clients are hesitant to accept such resources for their building despite being
inexpensive (Mesa, 2019). The use of non-conventional methods and materials for construction
lead to exceptional structures but undertaking the project is often an uphill task.
The lessons learned from such undertakings inspire new work and are translated into
other projects and programs. The narrator recounts several other projects that they undertook and
the positive feedback they got. She states that they have set precedence on various architectural
matters and presents some of the economically built structures which had been transformed into
luxurious space through the use of non-conventional raw materials.
References
Mesa, D., (2019, Jan) stunning buildings made from raw, imperfect materials. [Video file].
Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/debora_mesa_molina_stunning_buildings_made_from_raw_i
mperfect_materials?language=en#t-511433
BENJAMIN M. STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES
FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGINEERING
CUMULATIVE COURSE PORTFOLIO
ENGR 101 - SUMMER 2019
The Fundamentals of Engineering Program (FEP) provides significant academic support and a variety of
educational and social opportunities for new students to help them adjust to the new responsibilities of
university life and to succeed in their chosen major. First year engineering courses (ENGR 101, 102, 150, 155,
191, and MAE 102), are designed to help students build problem solving skills and technical communication
skills. Strong teamwork and communication skills are essential to a successful engineering career, and students
begin developing and honing these skills in their first college courses.
The Cumulative Course Portfolio accounts for a 5% of the overall course grade in this class. In order to receive
credit, students must meet the rubric requirements listed in this policy.
Throughout the semester, students will build an electronic portfolio of their engineering course work and
watch TED Talk videos related to important engineering skills. Additionally, students must maintain an Excel
spreadsheet based on the course syllabus that tracks their performance in class. Towards the conclusion of the
semester, students will write a reflection essay on their cumulative experiences from the course and related
assignments, and at the end of the semester submit their final electronic portfolio through their MIX account’s
Google Drive.
TED Talk Videos
Appropriate TED Talk videos can be found through https://www.ted.com/talks or on YouTube. It is
recommended that you consider important skills you would like to better develop that are critical to success in
college and engineering. This includes, but is not limited to, time management and organization, teamwork,
failure, leadership, ethics, communication, and more. Students are expected to watch five (5) videos and write
a 200 word summary on each. These summaries are due throughout the semester (see deadlines below).
Reflection Essay
Reflect up on your two course projects. Discuss your experiences as a team member, your team dynamic, and
team leadership style(s). Did you experience any conflicts, and if so how were they handled? Do you see
differences or improvements in team dynamic between project 1 and 2? How can you use what you learned in
the modules, in your assigned readings, and from the TED Talks to improve your contributions as a team member
on future projects? Why is teamwork important in engineering in general?
Excel Gradebook
Students must maintain an Excel spreadsheet based on the course syllabus that tracks their performance on all
graded work (including assignments, quizzes, exams, and projects) and computes the weighted average to
correctly calculate the overall course grade. This spreadsheet should accurately track student performance in
their engineering class throughout the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to update this document as
grades are received, then include the final spreadsheet in their electronic portfolio.
statler.wvu.edu/freshman
Questions? Email Statler-Freshman@mail.wvu.edu
UPDATED 5/13/2019
Deliverables
All assignments are due at 11:59pm on the due date listed
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
TED Talk Summary #1, May 15
TED Talk Summary #2, May 20
TED Talk Summary #3, May 27
TED Talk Summary #4, June 03
TED Talk Summary # 5, June 10
Reflection Essay, June 17
Electronic Portfolio and gradebook, June 20
A sample portfolio can be found at https://tinyurl.com/FEPCCP . Further instructions for completing and
sharing the electronic portfolio can be found at the end of this policy.
statler.wvu.edu/freshman
Questions? Email Statler-Freshman@mail.wvu.edu
UPDATED 5/13/2019
ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO INSTRUCTIONS
(1) In Google Drive, create a folder with your engineering course number, section number, and last
name, separated by an underscore. For example, ENGR101_001_GADDE. All content and folders
below should be created in this master folder.
(2) Create a folder called “Assignments”. Upload all your personal assignments into this folder. They
should be named using the following system:
Lastname_AssignmentName (for example, GADDE_GrandChallengesEssay)
(3) Create a folder called “Course Materials and Notes”. Upload all PowerPoints, supplemental
readings, personal notes you took, and other course-related materials into this folder. Name the
files appropriately.
(4) Create a folder for each project you had in the course, if any. Names these folders “Project #”.
Upload all relevant assignments into the appropriate folder. This may include the team charter,
gantt chart, project description, presentations, technical report, meeting minutes, grading rubrics
etc.
(5) Upload the course syllabus.
(6) Upload your reflection essay, named following the same format as assignment files.
(7) Upload your completed gradebook, named following the same format as assignment files.
(8) Following the instructions on the next two pages, get the “sharable link” and upload this link to the
assignment in eCampus.
You can view a template Portfolio here: https://tinyurl.com/FEPCCP
statler.wvu.edu/freshman
Questions? Email Statler-Freshman@mail.wvu.edu
UPDATED 5/13/2019
STEPS TO GET SHARABLE LINK FOR GOOGLE DRIVE FOLDER
1. Click the arrow next to the laster folder name, then click Share
2. Click “Get sharable link” in the upper right corner.
statler.wvu.edu/freshman
Questions? Email Statler-Freshman@mail.wvu.edu
UPDATED 5/13/2019
3. Select the drop down arrow, then click “More”
4. Select “On – Anyone with the link”, then click Save.
5. Finally, copy this link into the eCampus assignment submission box and submit!
statler.wvu.edu/freshman
Questions? Email Statler-Freshman@mail.wvu.edu
UPDATED 5/13/2019
GRADING RUBRIC
Total Points
Possible
Category of Evaluation
Required Verification of Event Attendance
50 Points
5 Summaries
4 Summaries
3 Summaries
2 Summaries
1 Summary
0 Summaries
Required Essay Length
Five Full Pages - double spaced, 12 pt font, normal margins
Four Full Pages - double spaced, 12 pt font, normal margins
Three Full Pages - double spaced, 12 pt font, normal margins
Less than 3 Full Pages - double spaced, 12 pt font, normal margins
Self-Reflection and Growth
15 Points
25 Points
50
40
30
20
10
0
15
10
5
0
Demonstrates ability to self-reflect; discuss frustrations and growth through experiences; seeks to
find possible weaknesses and ways to improve upon them; answers all prompted questions
25
Gives a more cautious self-reflection; one-sided analysis of frustrations and growth through the
experiences; may identify weaknesses but does not seek solutions to them; answers some of the
prompted questions.
15
Little self-reflection; does not discuss frustrations or growth; does not completely answer
prompted questions
Connection Between Course Objectives and Event Experiences
0
10 Points
Makes clear connections between course objectives, course content, and videos watched
10
Makes general connections between course objectives, course content, and videos watched
5
Makes little, if any, connections between course objectives, course content, and videos watched
0
Electronic Course Portfolio
Contains all assignments; Follows organization guidelines correctly; Gradebook is included and upto-date
Contains most assignments; Follows organization guidelines adequately; Gradebook is included but
may not be up-to-date
Lacks multiple assignments; Does not follow organization guidelines; Gradebook is missing multiple
assignments or is not included
None submitted
50 Points
50
35
15
0
150 Total Possible Points
statler.wvu.edu/freshman
Questions? Email Statler-Freshman@mail.wvu.edu
UPDATED 5/13/2019
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