ACIT4200 Interdisciplinary Innovation and Complex Problems Course description

Innovations that leverage diversity and interdisciplinary is an important part of addressing the complex challenges we face as a society today, including digitalisation, our ageing population, societal inequalities, climate change, sustainable development, and the rapid growth in industrialization 4.0.

This course aims to provide candidates with a solid theoretical understanding of innovation processes and practical skills and tools for developing innovative solutions to complex problems. The focus will be on how candidates can, through working in interdisciplinary teams, better understand and use their expert domain knowledge of digital technologies and work towards producing new solutions to the challenges faced by society.

No formal requirements over and above the admission requirements.

A student who has completed this course should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

Upon successful completion of the course, the candidate has:

• an in-depth understanding of innovation processes
• an advanced understanding of relevant social challenges as articulated by the United Nations, European Union, and national governments including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Skills

Upon successful completion of the course, the candidate can:

• critically reflect on the role of personal experience, implicit bias, disciplinary traditions, professional background, gender, culture, and other social identities and characteristics in innovation
• participate in innovation processes and critically identify and analyze social, organizational or technical problems
• use creative processes to suggest innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• identify and put into practice mechanisms for ensuring ethical, professional conduct, and diversity in teams.

General competence

Upon successful completion of the course, the candidate:

• has an advanced understanding of how innovation and design frameworks and processes can be implemented in interdisciplinary teams
• can critically explain and debate creative processes.

This course features weekly lectures, seminars and workshops to provide both theoretical content and hands-on experience. Teaching sessions may include short presentations, discussions, games, data collection, simulations, and other forms of group collaboration.

Students will be working together in groups of up to five students on a complex problem that requires innovation.

Students are to supplement the lectures and workshops with their own reading.

The following coursework must be approved before the student can hand in the exam:

1. Participation a minimum of 2 out of 3 workshops
2. A deliverable from each workshop attended (minimum 2 out of 3)

The exam consists of the following:

1. a written group project report (max 4000 words, groups of between three and five students); each group member receives an individual grade based on their contribution to the project - 60% of the final grade
2. a group oral presentation (10 min + 10 min Q&A) - 40% of the final grade.

The written parts of the exam can be appealed. The presentation cannot be appealed.

New/postponed exam

In case of failed exam or legal absence, the student may apply for a new or postponed exam. New or postponed exams are offered within a reasonable time span following the regular exam. In the event of resit and rescheduled exams, another exam form may also be used or a new assignment given with a new deadline. If oral exams are used, the result cannot be appealed.

The student is responsible for registering for a new/postponed exam within the time limits set by OsloMet. The Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet.

All aids are permitted, provided the rules for plagiarism and source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

One internal examiner. External examiners are used periodically.

Associate Professor Tulpesh Patel