There are a variety of "proper" ways to encourage creativity/innovation when educating senior students at a university. At our school students in our senior years had to produce senior projects (unique and specialized reports) similar to a master's thesis.
I am a big proponent of encouraging creativity/innovation. College students are often in hurry to display their knowledge and wisdom; more especially those in the field of engineering. However, a request for unique or one-of-a-kind ideas from hundreds of students should be part of a phased program that educates students on how to own, protect, patent and/or copyright their ideas prior to sharing. This multi-phased approach should include some educate the student on some of the following:
How to search the Patent Database
Copyright Laws
"Poor" person's Copyright (Seal in an envelope and mail to yourself)
Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
How to file a Patent
Benefits of a Patent Attorney
Without an NDA (Non-disclosure Agreement), the process of getting hundreds of students to present "unique" or "new" ideas or inventions to a visiting instructor may be perceived in a negatively. Companies may still use that technique to solicit ideas from consumers that the company will own in the end. In an ideal situation, an instructor that views, grades and thinks highly of a student's "unique", "new" or "innovative" idea would follow that up with instructions on the next steps. Who knows, my idea for "Tag Alert" may not have been the first, but it definitely was not the last.
In my personal opinion, this should be part of every engineering schools curriculum. Without this education, we throw students with brilliant ideas out into the world to learn via trial and error. Some may develop multiple patents over their lifetime, while others may simply have one or two ideas that had the potential. When they develop ideas under the employment of a company, the former student (and university) may lose out on a potential revenue source.
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James Williams P.E., M.ASCE
Principal/Owner
POA&M Structural Engineering, PLC
Yorktown, VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-21-2022 09:08 AM
From: Stuart Walesh
Subject: Eureka! Moments Don't always happen 9-5
James:
Why is the "idea gleaning technique" no longer allowed. That seems contrary to encouraging creativity/innovation.
If you want more Eureka moments, consider my book Introduction to Creativity and Innovation for Engineers. (Introduction to Creativity and Innovation for Engineers ) It offers 20 creating/innovating tools.
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Stu Walesh PhD, PE
Consultant - Teacher - Author
219-242-1704
www.HelpingYouEngineerYourFuture.com
Original Message:
Sent: 04-20-2022 06:00 PM
From: James Williams
Subject: Eureka! Moments Don't always happen 9-5
Interestingly enough, I believe that most Eureka moments come doing something you love and enjoy. A lot of mine came in an effort to improve or optimize a process or process flow of which I was directly involved in. We had an OFI (Opportunity for Improvement) program at work and I was lucky enough to have several ideas accepted.
One of my purest Eureka moments came following a Senior Seminar Class assignment from a visiting instructor in the late '80s. One visiting instructor asked us to come up with an original idea or invention. (It should be noted that this idea gleaning technique is not allowed at our school anymore.) Mine was called "Tag Alert". The concept was to provide an emergency calling card or badge that a child or senior adult could swipe at a pay phone (without paying) or home phone in an emergency. Only had a few days to come up with an idea and submit it, so apparently I had not worked out all the kinks. I received a "B" on the project because "If they are in trouble, how are they going to get to a phone?" written across the front. I held on to that paper for a long time and it is probably somewhere in a box. Some of you may not know what a pay phone and calling card are. I mentioned it to my daughter, so she starts laughing every time the commercials come on late at night. I tell her that it is lucky for her because my life may have taken a different path. Regardless, proud that I had three-fourths of an idea that is benefitting society.
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James Williams P.E., M.ASCE
Principal/Owner
POA&M Structural Engineering, PLC
Yorktown, VA
Original Message:
Sent: 04-19-2022 11:40 AM
From: Chad Morrison
Subject: Eureka! Moments Don't always happen 9-5
As engineers we are charged with solving complex problems. Such problems require deep thought. The thoughts could be worked out on scrap paper or draft work, but often remain in the mind's eye. We often feel that if we are not producing calculations or drawings, we are not working... but our thoughts follow beyond the office, into the breakroom, out on the street, and at home. A change in surrounding can spark the required inspiration. While partitioning your professional and personal life is highly recommended, we cannot always control when great ideas hit us!! Of course as the story goes Archimedes shouted Eureka! as he discovered volume as he displaced water in his bathtub.
How do we as a profession recognize and quantify this abstract work?
What was your Eureka moment? Where and when did it happen?
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Chad Morrison P.E., F.ASCE
Professional Engineer
Greenville RI
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