Overview
Despite the rapid proliferation of AI technologies, the adoption of AI solutions in organizations remains challenging. In many work contexts, it is unclear what problems AI can/should help solve and how AI solutions fit into workflows. There is an increasing demand for AI transformation experts (or forward deployed engineers), who understand not only technical aspects of AI implementation, but the process of integrating such technologies into workflows and institutional environments.
CS497 is a project-based course that teaches students how to tackle AI transformation challenges in organizations.
In Fall 2026, CS497 will be held with HLT480 -- CS and Health students form teams and work with health organizations (e.g., hospitals, primary care clinics, rehabilitation centers, retirement homes) to co-create AI prototypes. Students will have the opportunity to interact with clinicians, administrative staff, patient advocates from a variety of healthcare settings.
Students will (1) identify and deeply understand, through contextual inquiry, a problem that their organization partner faces; (2) develop and compare candidate AI and non-AI solutions; (3) consider safety, regulatory, sustainability and ethical aspects of their solutions, (4) reflect on the AI transformation design process. A major component of the course is
community embedded classroom (CEC) sessions, where you will engage with representatives from diverse organizations and backgrounds within the classroom. There will be three CEC sessions over the term - need-finding, co-creation and demo presentations - facilitated by Greenhouse, University of Waterloo's social impact incubator.
Subject to funding, student teams might have the option after the course to further develop their capstone project through an internship, working with their community partner to fully develop the technology.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- define design requirements, critically evaluate and compare design choices and refine solutions to open-ended design problems.
- contribute as an active team member and/or leader and collaborate with others to complete tasks as a team.
- communicate information orally and in a written format to society at large
- understand how to critically analyze the cost-benefit tradeoffs of AI technology and assess the feasibility and risks of AI adoption in the real world
- apply concepts and skills to real-world work environments, demonstrating a practical understanding of how knowledge translates into professional practice
- analyze complex workplace problems and develop effective strategies to address them
- work effectively as an interdisciplinary team member and/or team leader
Required Materials & Technologies
Students will be assigned weekly reading and provided with access to certain AI technologies, e.g., predictive models, planning algorithms, generative AI tools, etc.
Teamwork Policies
- Most deliverables are assessed on the team.
- All team members are responsible for all team deliverables.
- Quizzes and in-class activities are individual.
- Students will be given regular checkpoints to manage team friction/conflicts; the most common form of team conflict in capstone is social loafing, where someone doesn’t pull their weight.
- In-person attendance is mandatory. The success of a team project depends critically on each student being a responsible member of the team, i.e., showing up and participating. Special consideration can be made for a few exceptions (e.g., academic travel, illnesses and family emergencies). However, students must discuss their anticipated absence with the instructor before their absence and provide appropriate documentation. Students can have at most two excused absences, without penalty, during the term.
Grading Scheme
*Preliminary and Subject to Change
| Assessment Item |
| Assessment Weight |
| Collaboration Plan and Outcomes |
4% |
| In-Class Activities and Project Documentation |
36% |
| CEC Preparations, Interactions with Organizations |
20% |
| Final Product: Prototype |
10% |
| Final Product: Integration Plan |
10% |
| Final Product: Demo Presentation |
10% |
| Final Product: Reflection on "AI Transformation in Healthcare" |
10% |
Attendance Policy
Students are
required to attend all lectures and studio lab sessions in person, where much of the groupwork and peer feedback take place. The success of a team project depends critically on each student being a responsible member of the team, i.e., showing up and participating. Special consideration can be made for a few exceptions (e.g., academic travel, illnesses and family emergencies). However, students must discuss their anticipated absence with the instructor and provide appropriate documentation.
In the event of illness due to COVID, please stay home and arrange with the instructor alternative ways of completing the assigned work.
Online Communication Protocol
We will be using Slack for communication between the studio lab sessions. This includes announcements, reminders, posting of links to lecture videos, question and answering, etc. Here are some basic guidelines regarding Slack communication:
● You can ask your question in the public #question channel, especially if it is a question to which you think other students might be interested in knowing the answer.
● Your team will be provided with a private team channel, which the instructor and your lab's TA will also have access to. You can ask your question in your private team channel, especially if it is a discussion about your team's project.
● You can ask private questions to a specific TA or instructor by directly messaging them.
● If your question requires a face-to-face meeting to resolve, book a 15-minutes zoom meeting with the instructor. If you require 30 minutes, book two 15-minute appointments back-to-back. You can also message and set up an appointment with your TA.
●
Online etiquette is important. While online chat tools, such as Slack, provide a convenient way for students to reach TAs/instructor and fellow students, do not expect instantaneous answers. Keep your questions clear/concise and your comments professional. Be considerate.
Deliverables and Late Penalties
All deliverables are due 5:00 pm on the due date. Late penalties for all deliverables: -5% of the deliverable total for each additional day (5:01 pm to 5:00 pm).
University Policies
Academic Integrity
In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. Check
Academic Integrity page for more information.
Grievance
A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read
Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt please be certain to contact the department's administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Discipline
A student is expected to know what constitutes
academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about 'rules' for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate Associate Dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to
Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties check
Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.
Appeals
A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 (Student Petitions and Grievances) (other than a petition) or Policy 71 (Student Discipline) may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to
Policy 72 - Student Appeals.
Students with Disabilities
The Office for persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.