Credits: 4
Prerequisites: none (students of all levels can enroll, cross-registrants welcome)
Designation: counts as a design elective
Websites: dream.olin.edu
Instructor: Amon Millner (website)

Whole-class time and Lab time: the course catalogue lists the whole-class time for this course, which is held for all registered students in the AC213 studio. Each student will also attend a hands-on Lab session each week. These Lab sessions will take place in the AC312 Lab space. A survey will be sent to students during the first whole-class session, to determine the times that these weekly Lab sessions will take place. In addition to whole-class time and Lab time, students will spend an additional two to six hours per week working on projects and assignments independently or on off-campus class trips. Each student is expected to attend at least one of the off-campus engagements, barring extenuating circumstances.

Course Overview

DREAM is a studio for students to examine inequalities in places where hands-on making is encouraged and to understand what it means to develop empowering experiences. The class features hands-on projects on Olin’s campus that allow students to expand their skills as makers with media of their choosing, from computing to craft material and from CAD to CAM. Students will attend at least one of approximately four interactions with off-campus entities such as community technology centers, maker faires, and innovation spaces in schools or libraries. A group project will provide opportunities for students to grapple with the realities of facilitating hands-on making in scenarios where participants have a history of being marginalized. Weekly class meetings mix making time with studying cases of both effective and ineffective empowering interventions in a variety of settings. Students will draw from lessons learned from each case as they design their experiences pragmatically.

Assignments

As a student in DREAM, your work will include: two small individual assignments, one multi-part personal project that spans the semester, entire-class outings, and a multi-part pair/team project.

Assignments are due before the start time of the class session they are due - unless otherwise specified. Late submissions will lose points. Grading rubrics are included on each assignment description.

Approximate weight of each assignment:

• three small individual assignments, 20 percent of your grade.
• multi-part personal project that spans the semester, 35 percent of your grade.
• multi-part pair/team project, 35 percent of your grade.
• class participation and professionalism, 10 percent of your grade

Each team will have access to a budget that will be determined once the total number of teams become clear. Students should take appropriate steps to make purchases without paying sales taxes, as we are a tax-exempt organization. Receipts for reimbursement must be submitted before the Expo event at the end of the semester.

Participation

Each class session will benefit from the presence and participation of every registered student. Plan on being at the sessions and showing respect for yourselves, your instructors, guests, and classmates.

Five things you can do to help the DREAM experience:

1. Come to class on time. I will do the same and attempt to make class time useful and fun. Late arrivals are disruptive.
2. Come to class prepared. Let instructors know whether what is expected from students is unclear in advance, so that the teaching team can clarify expectations.
3. Try to avoid falling behind. We have a lot to cover, with each activity building off of material covered in previous classes.
4. Take care of yourself to the degree that you can. Staying up all night or skipping breakfast and lunch to complete an assignment may have tradeoffs that are not worth making.
5. Be yourself, professional, respectful, reflective, and generous with your insights.

Olin's honor code is in effect for this class, and you will be learning about the ethics and understandings of operating within Maker Cultures (e.g., the Open Source Hardware community.)

Participation in this class includes making yourself available to partner or team work outside of class hours, potentially off-site. In the event that you are paired with one or more students from a campus other than your own, it is a good idea to make use of the project work time provided in class - in addition to what is available outside of class time for collaborating.

You are expected to join the off-site class field trips. Be aware that scheduling is often difficult when faculty, students, and host organization calendars are involved. Your flexibility is appreciated. We have taken regularly-scheduled class sessions off of the calendar near times when we will be holding class at a remote site during times outside of regularly-scheduled class times.

Additional Policies

It is Olin College’s policy to comply fully with all state and federal disability laws. Olin does not discriminate against applicants or students with disabilities, and will consider modification to academic programs where necessary to ensure that our requirements are not discriminatory, as long as the modifications do not fundamentally alter the nature of our programs. The Office of Student Life coordinates services for students with learning disabilities, sensory impairments, psychological disabilities and medical conditions. Students are responsible for identifying themselves to the Assistant Dean of Student Life for Advising and providing appropriate documentation of their disability and need for accommodation in a timely manner. Students requesting accommodation should contact the Assistant Dean of Student Life for Advising as soon as possible after matriculation.

Services for students with learning disabilities may include, but are not limited to, academic accommodations, coaching on organizational and time management skills, faculty notification and academic advising. Services for students with physical, sensory, or psychological impairments as well as medical conditions may include, but are not limited to, academic accommodations, assistance with adaptive technology, accessibility accommodations and academic advising. Any specific modifications granted will be based on detailed discussions with each student about their particular situation, and on information from a medical care provider concerning the student’s disability and related needs.

The teaching team assumes that all of us learn in different ways, and that the organization of any course will accommodate each student differently. Please talk to us as soon as you can about your individual learning needs and how this course can best accommodate them. Even if you do not have a documented disability, remember that other support services are available to all students.