Student group’s challenge

“There was a group who were working on the problem of misophonia [a condition where normal sounds cause a psychological reaction]. The students generated a very interesting idea for that problem. […] A headphone-like device that would filter specific sounds out, so (the wearer) could still follow the conversation. The students had all kinds of contacts with technical companies; however, students got stuck because their idea was not feasible without any funding. […] This group really worked on their solution until the last minute, and they kept working on it. I personally think that is a good thing. However, it is also the reality if students work on an innovative idea and they (students) are dependent on third parties, that—sometimes—these third parties do not want to cooperate. The students really wanted to have some type of prototype” [T1 misophonia].

Teaching activities

“But, at a certain point, you also reach a limit. So, I told the students, ‘well, you have a very nice idea. You can explain to me very well how it works, and what it should look like. You just do not have the technical expertise to transform your idea into a prototype. That is okay, and it is not surprising. Now, make sure you put your idea on paper as well as you can. Try to add pictures, if necessary, of how you envision it, and then that will be your innovation’” [T1 misophonia].