ENST192

ENES192 is new to UMD for spring 2020, so by enrolling you will help to shape how the course is offered and provide important feedback for how to improve the UMD community through invention! Hope to see you there!  Click this link to register! ter.ps/E4USA   

Flex your skills and grow some muscle working on problem identification, teamwork and get hands-on experience.  ENES192 is a studio and workshop class open to non-engineering majors that invites everyone to engage in the process of invention.  If you want a space to dabble with a new idea, tinker with some hardware, or explore your ability to be creative, you'll find this new Gen-Ed scholarship in practice class is just the space for you! No prior experience necessary and all abilities are welcome! This class exists in an ecosystem of creativity, problem discovery, and problem-solving at UMD.  It is a smaller commitment than a multi-part programmatic element and a larger bite than a one-credit design thinking class.  Like a community theater that invites contributions from all with an interest in developing acting skills, this engineering class is an inclusive space for anyone interested in invention, creativity, and making. For your three credit investment, you will learn answers

• Which style of creativity do I prefer? (How you create is what you create)
• Why do I usually hate group work and how do I fix a dysfunction in my team? (The double-edged sword of dominant logic diversity)
• How do you move beyond the 'problem discovery' phase of design thinking and into implementation and experimentation via an invention? (All four steps! Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate)
• What's the deal with rapid prototyping, anyways?  Are 'atoms' so different from 'bits' when it comes to authentic engagement and evaluation?   (Iterae, Itereat, Iterate)
• How does someone who knows nothing about my idea help me improve it?  How do I communicate and get useful feedback from just about anyone? (Generative, not reactive, pitch style)
• AND MORE!

The regular class meeting will be MW form 2-3:50. There will be two required field trips and two required rehearsals (Schedules will be distributed early in the semester) - akin to a performance class.  Due to the one-semester nature of the course, you will have an opportunity to do rapid iteration and 'fail fast.'  Successful students will be those who have an interest in exploration and connection over those who are looking for a one-size-fits-all approach.