October 22-26
Week 11
Monday Review Interviews +Modify BMC
HW: Blog #3, due Friday
Start making purchases to build the prototype
Tuesday Continue to work
HW: Blog #3, due Friday
Start making purchases to build the prototype
Wednesday Presentation Clinic Teams 1-3
HW: Blog #3, due Friday
Start making purchases to build the prototype
Thursday Presentation Clinic Teams 4-6
HW: Blog #3, due Friday
Start making purchases to build the prototype
Friday Presentation Clinic Teams 7-9
HW: Get 10 Interviews (#5) done by Monday
Blog 3 Literature Review Blog
1. Why is it important to research the science concepts behind your project early on? How did your research change your project?
2. How confident are you on actually making a working prototype for your project? Point to some evidence for either just making an MVP or going fully into making a working prototype.
3. If cost were not an issue, what other issues are in the way of actually getting your project to the working prototype level? If cost is the biggest issue getting in your way, then how much money is needed to make this project happen?
4. What are the next steps for your group in the design and building of your Minimal Viable Product?
SEMESTER 2
April 2-6
Monday Write Literature Review "What Already Works"
Review Interview Questions + Modify BMC
HW: Write the Literature Review, due Thursday
Tuesday Continue with Literature Review
HW: Continue with Literature Review
Wednesday Continue with Literature Review
HW: Continue with Literature Review
Thursday Turn in Literature Review today
HW: Prepare for Presentations #2 beginning tomorrow
Friday Presentations #2 of Teams 1-3
HW: Get 10 Interviews (#4--part B) done by Monday
What Already Works?
The Making of a Literature Review
Background:
Every research project requires that the researcher knows what is already known about the project and where they will then make a contribution to further that understanding. Researchers write an essay that is called a Literature Review for this purpose. The literature review allows the researcher to focus on what is known and what needs to be found out. Knowing what the starting point is will allow one to know what a possible finish line would be, and this is a really important step to creating a great project. Writing a literature review also ensures that the researcher has the basic background knowledge to pursue a project and it gives the researcher the benefit of finding the names of the experts in the field who are well experienced. These people might even become potential mentors.
Your literature review needs to contain the following sections:
Your literature review should be in paragraph form and provide lots of details in your writing. You should find at least four articles or sources (no Wikipedia, About.com, or the like) to base your literature review on. One source might be Kickstarter.
Monday Write Literature Review "What Already Works"
Review Interview Questions + Modify BMC
HW: Write the Literature Review, due Thursday
Tuesday Continue with Literature Review
HW: Continue with Literature Review
Wednesday Continue with Literature Review
HW: Continue with Literature Review
Thursday Turn in Literature Review today
HW: Prepare for Presentations #2 beginning tomorrow
Friday Presentations #2 of Teams 1-3
HW: Get 10 Interviews (#4--part B) done by Monday
What Already Works?
The Making of a Literature Review
Background:
Every research project requires that the researcher knows what is already known about the project and where they will then make a contribution to further that understanding. Researchers write an essay that is called a Literature Review for this purpose. The literature review allows the researcher to focus on what is known and what needs to be found out. Knowing what the starting point is will allow one to know what a possible finish line would be, and this is a really important step to creating a great project. Writing a literature review also ensures that the researcher has the basic background knowledge to pursue a project and it gives the researcher the benefit of finding the names of the experts in the field who are well experienced. These people might even become potential mentors.
Your literature review needs to contain the following sections:
- Introduction to the Problem
- What is the problem that you are trying to solve?
- Why is it a problem?
- How many people does this problem affect? Try to predict a market size and type (mass, niche, segmented).
- Will this problem go away in 2-5 years?
- Summarize the Solutions that are Available
- Who are your competitors?
- Choose at least one competitor to highlight how they are trying to solve the problem.
- Evaluate how well you think they are solving the problem.
- How will your product improve/progress/develop the existing solutions out there already, or is it a copycat project?
- The Science Behind the Method
- Identify your product as requiring an engineering (a.k.a. design), chemistry, physics, biology, or a combination of scientific knowledge to bring it to reality.
- Identify the key scientific concepts involved in making a working product. List as many concepts that you feel are relevant to research on.
- Explain in depth the most crucial of the scientific concepts
- What is one drawback to this method? Meaning, is there room for improvement anywhere in the design or perhaps a point of efficiency for the science that can be improved? Or, are you trying to provide a lower cost alternative?
- Your Bright Idea
- What is at least one idea you have for either higher efficiency and/or cheaper cost that might be able to become a project? Try to keep it at the most important idea(s) of change.
- What are your initial plans to achieving higher efficiency and/or lower costs? Meaning, exactly what changes will you make that will be a marked improvement?
- Why have competitors failed to do this before? This one might be all speculation, but I want you to try to find a researched answer, if possible. Chances are, this is the type of question a venture capitalist might ask you one day.
- What is one thing that you still have to learn more about in order to start on your project?
- Resources Used
- List all websites on Section A.
- List all books/encyclopedias on Section B.
- List all people interviewed on Section C. People info should include names, work titles, and contact information like phone number or email address.
Your literature review should be in paragraph form and provide lots of details in your writing. You should find at least four articles or sources (no Wikipedia, About.com, or the like) to base your literature review on. One source might be Kickstarter.