1. Submit your matrix of research and venture goals for the Spring semester, Summer/Fieldwork, and Fall semester. 

Timetable:

1. Spring 2023
   1. Project goal
      1. Air monitor
         1. Learning to assemble monitors (new members)
         2. Assembling 20 air monitors and sending to Alma U for the quasi study
         3. Creating exterior design for the air monitors
      2. Air Filter
         1. Doing research on the design of affordable and insertable air filters
         2. Analyzing the old prototype we build last summer
         3. Listing and purchasing necessary materials for the filter
         4. Building the first air filter
         5. Creating an exterior design for the air filter
      3. Air monitor and air filter
         1. Testing the air monitor and filter at Lehigh before the Fieldwork and collecting data
            1. 3 weeks
            2. Open window; closed window; open window+air filter
         2. Improving the monitors and filters based on the test
      4. Assembly shop
         1. Doing research on establishing an Assembly shop
         2. Finding local partners to collaborate on the Assembly Shop
      5. Social media
         1. Creating and developing social media account
   2. Research goal
      1. Quasi-experimental study
         1. Getting CITI certificate
         2. Designing the method and the environment of the study
         3. Monthly online meetings with partners
         4. Writing research proposal
         5. Applying for the IRB
         6. Writing consent form (if needed) and translating the consent form
         7. Start collecting data through our local partners
      2. Last year’s study
         1. Conference in REEESNe
   3. Resources needed
      1. Air monitor parts for air monitor 
      2. The old air filter design to analyze
      3. The information on how our partners can cooperate with us on the study
      4. Testing location at Lehigh
      5. Local partners to collaborate on the Assembly Shop
2. Summer 2023
   1. Project goal
      1. Air monitor and filter
         1. Finding the necessary materials in the local market
         2. Replicating the test at Lehigh in Almaty in a shorter time period
            1. 3 days
            2. Open window; closed window; open window+filter
         3. Testing in multiple locations to collect data
            1. Indoor; outdoor; downtown; outer area of the city
         4. Fixing the models based on the fieldwork testing
         5. Repeating the 3-week test at Lehigh
            1. 3 weeks
            2. Open window; closed window; open window+air filter
         6. Finalizing the design of the air monitors and air filters
      2. Assembly shop
         1. Finding local partners
         2. Establishing the agenda and the practices
         3. Setting up the Assembly shop
      3. Social media
         1. Informational posts about the consequences of air pollution
            1. Sharing the result of the study
         2. Promotional posts for monitors and filters
         3. Keep posting and updating the account with the process of the project and research
   2. Research goal
      1. Experimental study
         1. Exploring the social dimension and selecting another organization to conduct the study and to scale up our study
         2. Continue collecting data at AlmaU
         3. Finish collecting the data 
         4. Analyzing the data
         5. Writing a paper
         6. Applying for conferences
         7. Applying for publication
   3. Resources needed
      1. Airfare
      2. Funding for materials of monitors and filters
      3. Locations to test the monitor and filter
      4. Finding local partners for the Assembly shop project
      5. Assembly shop logistics
3. Fall 2023
   1. Project goal
      1. Air monitor and filter
         1. Participating in conferences to introduce our low-cost monitors and filters
      2. Assembly shop
         1. Training Assembly shop workers
         2. Starting the mass-assembly of monitors and filters
      3. Social media
         1. Promotional posts for monitors and filters and the Assembly shop
         2. Keep posting and updating the account with the process of the project and research
   2. Research goal
      1. Experimental study
         1. Participating in conferences to share the results of the study
         2. Formulating the next year’s study
   3. Resources needed
      1. Promotion of the products
      2. Funding for conference traveling

Blog#5

 

1. Does your work require IRB approvals…right now? At a later stage? If Yes, articulate your detailed IRB strategy. If No, explain why you don’t need IRB approval and identify situations when you might need IRB approval

 

As of right now, our team is in the process of building the air monitors. Once we successfully finish our first prototype we will need IRB approval on whether the monitor will exceed more harm than potential benefit. We will need approval on consent forms for high school participants that will be formulated once our team decides on how to approach our cognitive learning experiment. For our experimental study of examining the relationship between cognitive performance and air quality, we might need IRB approval. It depends on which approach we will choose to conduct the research. In order to determine the impact of air pollution on cognitive ability, we are planning to compare students’ performance in different times of the year with different levels of air pollution. We expect to see visible improvement in the performance as the air quality gets better. For our method, we have two options: repeated observation or single-entry observation. Doing repeated observation has many benefits, but we will need to collect identifiable information, which will require us to get IRB approval. On the other hand, in the single-entry approach, we do not need to identify the participants, but we will not be able to rule out extraneous variables. Therefore, first of all, we need to decide on the method of our experimental study.

1. Repeated observation

• Identifiable personal information
• IRB approval
• Getting consent /students are underage; we will need to get consent from the parents; we will need to translate the consent form/

1. Single-entry

• Randomization 

 

1. Based on your life experience, skills and interests, what would a design process that is both uniquely yours and effective look like? 

 

In high school I was part of a team project in Senegal, part of our design process that made the project go smoother is building prototypes. The purpose of this project is to build two classrooms for a village near Dakar to help create an academic setting for young children who do not have access to an education. Before traveling to Senegal my team and I built prototypes of the chair and desk that would be implemented in the classroom. Doing this made things a lot more efficient as we were able to eliminate future problems with constructing the furniture. Issues like if the furniture pieces would stay together with the given material, having the right measurements, and maintaining comfort when using the furniture. We also as a team mastered the tools needed to build the chairs and desk so when we got to Senegal we already knew how to use the tools. 

 

Coming to a similar approach with building the air monitors is creating a prototype of one at Lehigh. Test it here at Lehigh or if possible send one to Kazakhstan to make sure the product is doing what it was designed to do. Then develop the monitor based on critiques and observations that can make the product better. This will help eliminate or at least minimize any issues with implementing air monitors in Kazakhstan. While making a product that the public can depend on.

 

To further our design process we will choose whether we want to do repeated observation or single-entry for the cognitive performance experiment but also keep in mind the second option if the first one does not seem to work. Connect with the school principal on how to get as many students to participate to have more detailed analysis, ideally getting a variation of students’ different academic standing. 

 

1. Identify your three most important stakeholders and list five UNIQUE attributes for each one of them. 

1. High School Students in Kazakhstan

• Participating in our experimental study
• Working together with us to build affordable air monitors
• Experiencing the impact of air pollution (lives in Almaty)
• Eager to help (contacted us first)

1. Alma U

• Partnering with us on our project
• Cooperating with us to collect data
• Serving as a counselor for our project
• Providing us with necessary information (locals)

1. Lehigh University

• Providing us with opportunity to do work on our project
• Supporting us to do the fieldworks (to conduct the research, meet the partners, etc)
• Counseling us on the appropriateness of our experimental study
• Help us build connections for possible funding for the air monitors and air filters
• Allowing us to implement the project that we put our ideas, perspective, and innovation together to help others

 

1.  Identify three ways in which you will validate your project concept, technology, usability, and business model.

1. Concept validation

• Air pollution definitely must be addressed as it impacts people’s lives on many different levels. We are conducting this experimental study to detect the impact of air pollution on cognitive performance, to alarm Almaty people, and to change their indifferent attitude towards the situation. Citizens of Almaty understand their situation (from what we found from our last year’s study), but we need to provide more alarming facts to let them start taking actions to change the situation or at least start preventing themselves from the exposures (air monitors and air filters). Once people see the benefits of this change from our study, they might change their attitude towards the issue. 

1. Technology validation

• We are aiming to build affordable air monitors and air filters to make equipment that will help Almaty people to prevent themselves from the exposure. We are experimenting on prototypes, and we are planning to collaborate with local high schools to build cheaper designs. As planned, we will test the prototypes during our fieldwork, and also we need to visit local markets to see if we can find materials locally. 
  • Finding materials from local markets

1. Usability 

• We are aiming to make our monitors and filters easy to use. Air monitors we are building displayed emoticons indicating the pollution level, so no one needs specific knowledge on PM 2.5 levels to read the result. We are planning to make air filters that can be inserted on the window, so it does not use any electricity. The user only has to wash it once in a while. 

1. Business model

• Our experimental study will help us to change Almaty people’s attitude.
  • We need to find a way to distribute the result of our study.
• Our air monitor and air filters help Almaty people to prevent themselves from indoor exposure to air pollution. 
  • We are planning to open assembly shop in the Almaty to make the monitor and filters more sustainable: employing locals (volunteers) and using locally available materials. 

Blog #4: Team Prompts– 

1. List the top 20 questions your team needs to answer to advance the venture forward. Categorize the questions if necessary. 

1. When is the heating season in Almaty?
2. Where are the powerhouses located?
3. What is the general map of the city?
4. Where are the main roads located?
5. Where are self-heating traditional houses mainly located?
6. Where are the schools located? 
7. When will we conduct the experiment?
8. How can we make our monitors and filters easily accessible?
9. How many participants do we need?
10. How will we analyze the data?
11. How can we convince citizens to take better precautions?
12. What is the best way to educate people about the effects of poor air quality?
13. What is the most effective way to make air monitors?
14. Can we persuade the government to make meaningful changes?
15. How much help can we anticipate from Kazak organizations?
16. What other potential partnerships can we form? 
17. Realistically, will we be able to improve the air quality? 
18. How to build sustainable and affordable air filters with local products?
19.  How to share the result of our experimental study?
20. Do we need funding? How can we get any?

2. Develop and Visualize the Theory of Change (Logic Model) for your venture. Please submit a crisp visual. 

https://lehighedu-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/jlm526_lehigh_edu/Ef30lmzn6olGnyEZitZG-g0B43TxQsfHz300l44wIoXp3A?e=4%3A91RzkX&at=9 

3. Develop a Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) plan for your venture. Identify short-term and long-term outcomes.

1. Metric of success: we are going to measure success through cognitive tests. The results of the tests will tell us if air quality has an effect on cognitive performance.
2. Short term: educate people on ways to keep protect themselves from poor air quality and create air monitors
3. Long-term: infrastructural change and improved air quality will decrease the health issues associated with air pollution

 

Blog #3: Team Prompts

 

Air quality in Almaty

 

Our research: Cognitive ability vs air pollution [comparing cognitive performance]

Goal: Motivating citizens to take action individually and collectively to reduce air pollution by raising their awareness of the severity of air pollution through our research and project. (Last year’s research studied people’s general attitude on the issue.)

 

1. What SDGs does your project target? What might be reasonable indicators for those SDGs? 

• https://sdgs.un.org/goals

• SDG#1. Quality Education [#4]

Indicator#1: Community’s attitude towards air pollution

• SDG#2. Good health and well-being [#3]

Indicator#1. Health conditions caused by air quality 

Indicator#2. Declining cognitive abilities caused by air quality [comparing students’ test performances at different times of the year]

• SDG#3. Sustainable cities and communities [#11]

Indicator#1. Not eco-friendly, sustainable heating system (fossil fuels)

Indicator#2. Infrastructures and buildings (overheating→opening windows during winter)

• SDG#4. Climate Action [#13]

Indicator#1: Ecosystems declining due to water heating in Kazakhstan 

Indicator#2: Fossil fuel usage and emitted air pollutants and their impact on climate change

 

1. Crystallize the larger challenge your venture seeks to address, the specific problems you are targeting, and the kinds of opportunities you hope to leverage. 

1. 1. Larger challenge: Climate change and air pollution
   2. Specific problems: Almaty people’s  lack of knowledge on the severity of air pollution and their attitudes on the issue

• Opportunities:

• Last year’s research and project
  • Research on the attitude of the general public toward the issue
    • Now that we know how the people in Almaty perceive the situation as indifferent, we can work this year to address the situation.
  • Project of building affordable air monitors
    • Now we know how to build it easily, we have the necessary parts, and thus, we would be able to move on to our next project of establishing an Air Monitor Assembly Shop in Almaty.
  • Project of recommendation notecards
    • We have all the necessary information for the recommendation, so now we will transfer it to poster size and place it around the city.
• Fieldwork in May
  • Meeting our local partners
  • Conducting our research and collecting data
  • Setting up the Air Monitor Assembly shop
• Partnership with locals [high school; university; hospitals]
  • Local high school
    • To collect data on our research on the effect of air pollution on cognitive ability
    • Collaborating on the innovation of affordable air monitors
  • Local hospital
    • Distributing our posters and notecards with recommendations regarding preventing from exposure to air pollution

 

3. Identify the two most important social, economic, and environmental bottom lines that matter to your project. 

Triple bottom line:

Our goal: Raising people’s awareness of the severity of air pollution

• Social: Change the social aspect of how Almaty people perceive poor air quality and health issues caused by it

• Economic: Saving annual medical expenses caused by poor air quality by introducing effective and affordable ways to prevent exposures [air monitors; informational posters] 

• Environmental: Reducing air pollution in Almaty by motivating people to find an alternative, more sustainable way of heating

 

4. Describe ten cultural factors that might impact your project at various phases in its lifecycle. 

• General cultural differences: It is necessary for us to put ourselves in Almaty’s people’s situation to understand them and to also find a sustainable solution to the problem, but as we do not have any experience (except our one member who is from Almaty, Kazakhstan) with Kazakh culture, we might miss cultural aspects those need to be considered in our research and project. 

• Language barriers: Even though we have a team member who is proficient in the language, it still might be challenging for us to communicate with our local partners. 

• Different views on topics (such as air quality perception): As we lack personal experience with air pollution, we might have completely different views on the air pollution topic compared to that of the Almaty people. Therefore, we might miss considering factors that later can affect the implementation of our project. 

• Political views: We might come across someone with opposing political views which come from different cultural backgrounds. We have to remain considerate of this, and not allow it to bother us or treat anyone differently.

• Poor air quality: In studying poor air quality, we will most likely find ourselves in places with poor air quality. Coming prepared with masks and other things endorsed by healthcare professionals will help minimize risks associated with breathing in polluted air.

• Different views within Almaty’s class system: Lower classes use the coal-burning centralized heating system and higher classes have their own heating systems. Lower classes must open windows to cool down their houses, whereas high classes get to control their own heat.

• Transportation difficulties: We may find ourselves trying to get someplace and not having a direct route, so patience is important.

• Time Difference: People may value time differently than we do in the US, and its important to maintain patience and understanding if a meeting runs longer than expected, or starts later than was planned.

• Time Zone Change: Since we are going to a different country, we will have to deal with time zone differences at the beginning of our trip as well as when we get home

• Clothing differences: Some types of clothing may not be culturally appropriate, and we must be mindful about offending locals when we dress for our trip

 

5. Give three examples of cultural practices that can be leveraged to address community/market problems.

• Learning the most common phrases in Russian

• Researching/learning about Kazakhstan more

• Wearing masks/covers to help with air quality