MBIB4600 Interactive Information Retrieval Course description

This course on interactive information retrieval (IIR) focuses on users';use and interaction with information systems and the users';satisfaction with retrieved information. The course deals with central concepts and models as well as theoretical and methodical aspects of context-based evaluation of IIR. Emphasis is placed on the relations between users, information needs, information situations, relevance of retrieved information, and information seeking behaviour. In particular, the course focuses on methods and study designs (methodology) for how to study users';system interaction, their satisfaction with retrieved information, and information seeking behaviour.

In summary, the course covers:

• Conceptions of information need and relevance, as well as models of information searching, information seeking, and information behaviour.
• (I)IR evaluation approaches.
• Data collection methods and study design for (I)IR evaluation and user studies.

The teaching language is in English when there are foreign exchange students present.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• One assignment in group or individual, orally presented or written submission
• Individual reflection essay on learning process, downloaded assignment

None.

The student should have the following learning outcomes upon successful completion of the course:

Knowledge

The student has

• advanced knowledge and insight about different IR evaluation approaches
• advanced knowledge about central concepts, models, and methods for IIR evaluation and user studies
• advanced knowledge about how to conduct IIR evaluation and user studies

Skills

The student can

• reflect on central models and methods for IIR evaluation and user studies
• assess relevant methods, and combinations of these, for IIR evaluation and user studies
• identify and compare key evaluation concepts for IIR evaluation and user studies
• use advanced knowledge on central concepts, models, and methods to conduct IIR evaluation and user studies

General competence

The student is able to

• disseminate and give an account of different IR evaluation approaches
• analytically assess relevant methods, and combinations of these, for IIR evaluation and user studies
• independently design, plan, and conduct different types of IIR evaluations and user studies

Lectures, dialog-based teaching in the form of class discussions based on "week assignments", group work, and student presentations.

The student conducts an empirical study based on the course (in the form of a pilot study).

The empirical study can be made individually, or in groups of 2-3 students.

No coursework requirements.

The assessment has two parts:;

1. The student writes a term paper reporting the empirical study
2. The student takes an oral exam on the basis of the term paper (empirical study) and the complete syllabus

The term paper is based on the empirical study and can be made individually (approximately 20 pages, excluding list of references), or in groups of 2-3 students (approximately 25 pages, excluding list of references). In the case of group work it must be clearly stated which student is responsible for which sections to ensure individual assessment. The introduction, problem statement, and conclusion can be joint work.

Font and font size: Arial/Calibri 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5.

The oral exam is taken individually. Oral examination: 30 minutes. The internal examiner and the external examiner make the assessment of both the term paper and the oral exam. Texts from syllabus, course notes, and presentation notes are permitted at the oral exam.

The student may choose English or Norwegian as examination language.

The term paper and oral exam each counts 50%. The grades of both the term paper and the oral exam are declared at the oral exam. The final grade is announced at Studentweb. The three grades are specified in the course certificate.

The student must pass both the term paper and the oral exam to pass the course.

In case the term paper does not pass, the student is informed in advance of the oral exam, and the oral exam is postponed. The student revise the term paper and takes the oral exam on the basis of the revised term paper and complete syllabus. Note, no supervision is offered in the case of revision of the term paper.

A student who has failed the oral exam is entitled to take a new oral exam on the basis of term paper and complete syllabus.

The course "Sustainable Design Approaches" introduces the ecological, social, and economic challenges that global society faces today and explores how designers can contribute to sustainable industrial production and everyday lifestyles through new design solutions. The course provides an overview of scientific sustainability principles as well as the political global goals (such as the Paris Agreement and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2030). It further explores how these may be implemented in the design process.

Systems theory and thinking will introduce you to the elements of sustainability and explain the complexity of relations in socio-ecological systems. You will train your design methodology to find focus, identify needs, and define problems related to chosen tasks and user groups, as well as explore a set of design strategies in idea generation and the design of final solutions. Finally, you will be introduced to methods for evaluating products and services to discuss their contribution to sustainable development at both the product level and from a systemic perspective.

Admission to the Master's programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have an overview and understanding of the most important socio-ecological challenges the world is facing today and how design can contribute to solving them. Working on this complex topic, the course should bring the students to an advanced level of

Knowledge

• understanding how products and services can be interconnected in systems and mutually affecting each other
• understanding the scientific principles of sustainability
• understanding how to make informed decisions for design strategies to minimize the negative impact on socio-ecological systems
• understanding the concept of a circular economy and how design can contribute to achieving this
• understanding the differences between scientific knowledge and political goals concerning sustainability
• about how people behaviour may affect the environmental impact caused by the product or service systems, and how the design may affect this behaviour
• about the global challenges of production and consumption as well as how design may contribute to a sustainable development and the UN sustainability goals

Skills

• taking a systems perspective to describe a chosen topic in relation to the sustainability challenges
• identifying needs on a basic level and related user groups
• identifying the main environmental impacts caused by a product/service system throughout its lifecycle and make rough estimates of these impacts
• evaluating choices of sustainable design strategy/strategies to be implemented in the project’s ideation phase, design process & results
• making design decisions to enable for additional life cycles in a circular economy
• analysing and comparing sustainability performance (socio-ecological) of product concepts in order to identify areas for improvement and select most promising concepts

General competence

• understanding the importance of considering sustainability aspects in a design process, identify and apply appropriate tools or methods to minimize or eliminate the negative environmental impact
• being able to communicate the design process, the use of design strategies and tools, as well as the evaluations and decisions made to reach the most promising results for sustainability
• is able to reflect on the consequences of values and strategies chosen by the designer and company in a systemic perspective.

The most important teaching and learning methods for this course are workshops in class, guest lectures, smaller assignments, peer group presentations, excursions, both individual and group project work. The course includes an individual reflection essay about own learning, contribution and group process.