Welcome to cyber CIIPS

Creativity and Innovation and Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Acronym: CIIPS
Pronunciation of acronym: cheeps?

When ChE 489/ES 489/SS 489 starts up this month, some of the class discussion will occur outside of "class." Much of the work we'll be doing will take the form of sharing - we'll be giving away as much information and insight to each other as we can. The patents and profits (quick quiz: how many patents lead to net profits for their inventors?) will come later.

We're going to start with every participant in the course joining a Google Group associated with the course. I say "we're going to start," because if we figure out a better way to do this ("this" being run a class-network with hyperlinked discussion), we'll do it. But this is our starting point.

Please send me an email with your full name, the email address you will be checking during the spring semester, and one of your pet peeves having to do with design (or lack thereof). If I type your email in correctly, you'll receive an email invitation to the Google Group with some additional instructions.

Grading. I don't know to what extent participants will want or need this little incentive system known as grading, but here's the general idea: the quantity and quality of your posts and comments on each other's posts will determine your grade for the "web discussion assignments" part of the course. I will be assigning some discussion/posting topics and providing some frameworks as far as deadlines, quotas, and expectations of good behavior, but you are welcome to use the Google Group for other course-related discussions in addition to the assignments. You will be responsible for reading what your colleagues write and writing in response. More (much more) on this later.