MAPD5000 Technology and Design Course description

Technologies play a distinctive role in everyday lives. Human - technology relations are complex as they influence product/service usability and generate new practices on an individual, organizational and societal level. The process of introduction of new technologies is not necessarily linear starting with scientific invention or design conception and ending with reception of a particular product/service on the market. This iterative process is characterized by ethical, sustainability, and material engineering challenges, but above all, by the imprint on human behavior in the way that technologies augment or prohibit human actions. This course explores complexity in human - technology relations and how design can be strategically used to merge the above mentioned factors for commercialization of emerging technologies.

Content:

• Reading and workshops connecting design, innovation, research and technology
• Using design sprints to run cross-disciplinary teams
• Discussions concerning ethical situations that emerge by the application of technologies as part of design through participatory processes, postphenomenology, speculative design, actor network theory
• Engagement and user experience facilitated by technology products and services

Language of instruction: English

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has achieved in-depth knowledge of:

• using key concepts in philosophy of technology and design science methodology to implement emerging technologies.
• reviewing technologies from the perspective of wellbeing, and sustainable practices
• anticipating and assessing technological impact on human actions
• discerning key social and behavioral issues while designing technologies

Skills

The student is capable of:

• independently contributing to multidisciplinary design projects within the area of technology and design
• linking various fields of technology to promote innovation
• demonstrating human-technology relations by building prototypes
• applying design science principles in a technology related project
• linking theory and methods attained in the course with technology and design

General competence

The student can:

• evaluate the ethical challenges around use of technologies and propose ethical solutions
• plan and conduct design processes which include technological implementation and human factors in new design contexts.
• propose holistic answers on achieving sustainable technological practices.

Combination of lectures, workshops and teamwork. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) approaches can be used in this course.

Combination of theory and practice (activities related to topic-matter).

The course includes presentations by student groups.

None.

The course provides a sound grounding in some traditions and approaches that are categorised as qualitative research and their epistemological basis. The focus will be on different methodological approaches each time the course is taught.

Newer qualitative social research draws inspiration from philosophy and the humanities, and is reflected in the subject. A presentation of various ways of producing empirical material is given. In the course, emphasis is placed on the dialogue between theory and empirical work in analysis, the choice of analytical tools, the development of empirically based and/or theory-inspired analysis models and the generation of theory on the basis of empirical work. The importance of context-sensitive analyzes and what it may entail in the field of social work and social policy. The subject also discusses various quality criteria for qualitative knowledge projects.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are followed.

The course will be organised as lectures, student presentations and discussions.

Active participation supports the development of candidates' understanding of the subject area, and candidates must have prepared by reading the syllabus in order to be able to take active part in discussions.

Participation is mandatory and expected in all lectures and seminars. Only a minor absence may be accepted in certain circumstances after application. In the event of absences that are not approved, candidates will lose their right to have their essays assessed.

The course lasts four or five days, depending on number of participants, first three days, then one or two last day about 10 weeks later. On the last day/s the participants receive feedback on submitted essay from the course leader and fellow students. Each of the participants must provide feedback on essay to two fellow students.