PINS9530 Well-being and Sustainability Course description

The course has a broad and critical perspective on health, such as public health, quality of life and daily functioning from a holistic perspective. It will address human interaction with the environment and the issue of interventions in society through products, services, and systems to enhance well-being.

From this perspective, the course will introduce the candidates to the discourse of sustainable innovation, including understanding the diversity of individuals, groups in society, and the ecological environment. The course will introduce research approaches within the area of workshops as method for data gathering, cooperation, and analysis of data.

The syllabus may be abbreviated and adapted to fit the interest of the participants of the course in cooperation with the supervisors.

The course will address the following, non-exclusive themes:

• Communication in workshops
• Diversity and equality in design
• Sustainability and systems thinking
• Critical theoretical discussions

Completed Master’s degree (120 ECTS credits) or equivalent education level.

Upon completing the course, the candidates are expected to have gained the following learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, and general competence).

Knowledge

The candidate:

• can contribute to the development of new knowledge, methods, interpretations and forms of documentation in design research and its application in design practice
• can evaluate the usefulness and application of different methods and processes that involve human interactions through environments, services and technologies
• has theoretical overview within the areas of social sustainability and communication

Skills

The candidate:

• can approach research by a holistic perspective
• can formulate problems, critically plan and carry out research and engage relevant individuals/groups in the process
• can utilize communication knowledge in workshop facilitation
• can critically discuss the relation between well-being and social sustainability

General Competence

The candidate:

• can identify new relevant ethical issues
• can examine and evaluate innovative technological solutions
• can communicate research about sustainability, communication, and well-being through recognized international networks

Lectures, conversations and workshops.

Active participation in the seminars is necessary to adequately understand the course material and themes. Participation is therefore mandatory, and candidates are expected to attend all days of teaching and required to attend at least 80 percent of teaching days. In special cases of documented illness, the course leader may accept exceptions to this requirement. In these cases, lack of participation can be substituted with alternative arrangements such as active reading of the relevant syllabus literature. Course requirements are assessed as confirmed or not confirmed. The course requirement must be completed and confirmed within the given deadline in order to have the right to submit the final exam.

The course requirements are:

• Each candidate will arrange a practical workshop relevant to the PhD project, alone or in collaboration with other candidates. In addition, participation in a number of the other workshops is mandatory.
• 80 % attendance is required.

Confirmed participation in the course and accepted exam.

Exam:

• Documentation of the development and execution of a practical workshop arranged by the candidate, alone or in collaboration with other candidates
• An individual reflection note (3000 - 4000 words) discussing experiences and reflections drawn from the workshop and the syllabus, relevant to the candidate’s PhD project. Cover page, illustrations, and list of references come in addition.

All examination support material is allowed as long as source reference and quotation technique requirements are applied.

Assessment is pass/fail. If a documentation and reflection is graded fail, the candidate has one opportunity resubmit a revised version within a given time-period.

The final exam is assessed by the course lecturer and one other examinator. External examinators will be used regularly. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course.

Kristin Støren Wigum