ABSTRACT
QoLT is an emerging šeld that focuses on the use of intelligent technology to support those in need by enabling them to more independently perform activities of daily living and giving them opportunities to participate in society longer and more fully. QoLT is not just a set of new technologies. It promises a fundamental shift from traditionally more intelligent and more autonomous systems to person-system symbiosis in which people and engineered components are mutually dependent and work together. The unique focus of this emerging šeld demands integration across diverse disciplines including engineering, robotics, design, clinical, and social sciences, as well as a systems perspective on creating socially constructive products for human communities. Existing training programs fail at providing this interdisciplinary integration of šelds by isolating the engineering and technical domains from the medical and rehabilitation sciences. In contrast to traditional training programs, because integration across several disciplines is inherent in QoLT research, the QoLT Center Education, Outreach, and Diversity (EOD) team has created an
CONTENTS
14.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 263 14.2 K-12 Education ....................................................................................................................264 14.3 Undergraduate Education ................................................................................................. 266
14.3.1 Curriculum ............................................................................................................. 266 14.3.2 Research Opportunities ........................................................................................ 267 14.3.3 Funding Educational Programs at the Undergraduate Level ......................... 268 14.3.4 Special Initiative in Undergraduate Education: Veterans ................................ 268 14.3.5 Special Initiative in Undergraduate Education: Research Partnerships ........ 270
14.4 Graduate Education ........................................................................................................... 270 14.5 Continuing Education ....................................................................................................... 274 14.6 Community Outreach ....................................................................................................... 275 14.7 Evaluation ........................................................................................................................... 276 14.8 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................277 References ..................................................................................................................................... 278
environment where faculty, students, practitioners, and consumers from multiple disciplines collaborate on hands-on projects that address real-world problems.
