We Own This: A Class Patent System as Experiential Learning

Joshua L. Hertz; Noah Daviero

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Conference: 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Tampa, Florida
Publication Date: June 15, 2019
Start Date: June 15, 2019
End Date: June 19, 2019
Conference Session: The Best of First Year Programs: Best Paper Session
Tagged Division: First-Year Programs
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--33549
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/33549
Download Count: 317

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Paper Authors

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Joshua L. Hertz Northeastern University orcid.org/0000-0003-0650-5141

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Dr. Hertz earned a B.S. in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University in 1999 and then a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006. Following this, he worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology as a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow. He joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware as an Assistant Professor in September 2008, leading a lab that researched the effects of composition and nanostructure on ionic conduction and surface exchange in ceramic materials. In 2014, he moved to Northeastern University to focus on teaching and developing curriculum in the First Year Engineering program.

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Noah Daviero Northeastern University

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Noah Daviero is an undergraduate student at Northeastern University pursuing his BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics. He has interests in mechanical design and robotics, especially with regards to actuation and sensor feedback. He has completed a co-op at Waters Corporation, is currently on co-op at Corindus Vascular Robotics, and is a Teaching Assistant for Cornerstone of Engineering.

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Abstract

This complete evidence-based practice paper presents a study on a new “class patent” system designed to increase first year engineering students’ interest, understanding, and knowledge retention in the area of intellectual property. We describe here the conception, implementation, and analysis of this semester-long experiential learning activity, which was designed to make patent and trade secret concepts more grounded, engaging, and fun for students. We also include lessons learned during the implementation of the class patent system, in order to assist instructors who want to implement a similar system in their courses.

The class patent system was implemented in a required, 4 credit-hour, first year engineering course at a medium-sized, private university. Course learning outcomes included topics in design and intellectual property, among a range of other foundational areas. Coursework included a major team-based, design-and-build project. This project had a slightly competitive aspect in that bonus points were awarded to the team that built the best project. Three years ago, one of the authors conceived and implemented a “class patent” system whereby teams could write and submit an application to patent a project idea. By patenting an idea, a team could hope to gain competitive advantage in achieving the best project.

As a pedagogical study, we sought to determine the effects of the class patent system on the class and learning outcomes. Specific research questions were: 1) What knowledge of patents and intellectual property protections have been retained from the class? 2) What role did the class patent system have on student learning outcomes related to the purpose and mechanics of patents? and 3) What role did the class patent system have on student experience in the class and, especially, the design project? A post-class student survey instrument was developed, and requests to complete the online survey were sent via email to all students who had taken the course while the class patent system was in place. This group covers the last two academic years, and the response rate to the survey was high at 53%.

The lead finding of this work is that there is a positive correlation between a student’s level of participation in the class patent system and the student’s knowledge retention in patents. In addition, students reported very favorable opinions of the class patent system, with 92% of the students reporting that the class patent system led to “some” or “a lot” of learning about intellectual property.

Citation
Format

Hertz, J. L., & Daviero, N. (2019, June), We Own This: A Class Patent System as Experiential Learning Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--33549

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This complete evidence-based practice paper presents a study on a new “class patent” system designed to increase first year engineering students’ interest, understanding, and knowledge retention in the area of intellectual property. We describe here the conception, implementation, and analysis of this semester-long experiential learning activity, which was designed to make patent and trade secret concepts more grounded, engaging, and fun for students. We also include lessons learned during the implementation of the class patent system, in order to assist instructors who want to implement a similar system in their courses.

The class patent system was implemented in a required, 4 credit-hour, first year engineering course at a medium-sized, private university. Course learning outcomes included topics in design and intellectual property, among a range of other foundational areas. Coursework included a major team-based, design-and-build project. This project had a slightly competitive aspect in that bonus points were awarded to the team that built the best project. Three years ago, one of the authors conceived and implemented a “class patent” system whereby teams could write and submit an application to patent a project idea. By patenting an idea, a team could hope to gain competitive advantage in achieving the best project.

As a pedagogical study, we sought to determine the effects of the class patent system on the class and learning outcomes. Specific research questions were: 1) What knowledge of patents and intellectual property protections have been retained from the class? 2) What role did the class patent system have on student learning outcomes related to the purpose and mechanics of patents? and 3) What role did the class patent system have on student experience in the class and, especially, the design project? A post-class student survey instrument was developed, and requests to complete the online survey were sent via email to all students who had taken the course while the class patent system was in place. This group covers the last two academic years, and the response rate to the survey was high at 53%.

The lead finding of this work is that there is a positive correlation between a student’s level of participation in the class patent system and the student’s knowledge retention in patents. In addition, students reported very favorable opinions of the class patent system, with 92% of the students reporting that the class patent system led to “some” or “a lot” of learning about intellectual property.
AU  - Joshua L. Hertz
AU  - Noah Daviero
CY  - Tampa, Florida
DA  - 2019/06/15
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - We Own This: A Class Patent System as Experiential Learning
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/33549
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--33549
ER  -