MAPD4000 Philosophy of Science and Design Research Emneplan

Design has evolved into a discipline that aims to make a positive impact on various aspects of nature and society. Consequently, designers find themselves in increasingly cross-disciplinary and multimodal environments, where they need to discover, investigate, define problems, and support claims based on evidence gained through universal scientific and academic practices.

In this course, students will develop the ability to conduct scientific design research and gain an understanding of its relevance to practice.

Content:

• History and philosophy of science
• Scientific research methods
• Ethics in research and professional work
• Research by design
• Studio workshop experiments

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 knowledge of

• the philosophical underpinnings of scientific research
• various theories and methods in science and design research
• ethical implications of scientific and professional work

Skills

The student is able to

• plan and complete their own research projects
• identify, discuss and evaluate relevant research theories and methods
• integrate academic scientific methods and coherence in practice based and creative research

General competence

The student

• has developed an understanding of academic and practical design research and its relevance to practice
• can contribute to collaboration for the sustainability goals

• History and philosophy of science
• Scientific research methods
• Ethics in research and professional work
• Research by design
• Studio workshop experiments

The most important teaching and learning methods for this course are lectures, seminars, group work, self-study, studio work and tutoring.

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

• Participation and presentation in two, full day seminars.
• Seminar 1: Prepare a 20-minute presentation outlining your research design and the progress of your research project to date.
• Seminar 2: Prepare a 20-minute presentation outlining your research design and the progress of your research project to date.

The exam consists of:

• A written research proposal of 2500-4000 words, or as specified by the course leader.
• Students can choose to work individually or in groups (of maximum 3 students). For group work, one proposal is submitted per group.
• The proposal must follow EU standards for research applications, including Excellence, Impact, and Implementation, and adhere to academic standards such as APA 7th format.
• Language: English, or after discussion with the course leader, Norwegian.

The examination result can be appealed.

All resources are permitted as long as the rules for source referencing are followed. The student is required to indicate if and how AI has been used to answer the exam.

Grade scale A-F

Two internal. External examiner is used periodically.