STKD6210 Action Research and Design Thinking: Enabling Communities through Enacting Change II Course description

Action research provides a basis for producing innovative technologies by integrating diverse human experiences in research and development. It brings together action and reflection; theory and practice; and participation with others and the pursuit of practical and meaningful solutions. Through an action research approach, innovators and social entrepreneurs can enable individuals and their communities to flourish by ensuring that participation is autonomous, secure and influential. In this course, we will learn about the theory and practice of action research. We will explore the traditions and ethical issues in action research, and the varieties of action research practices. The course will offer a unique intercultural opportunity, which will allow us to examine action research practices in other organizational and national settings.

It is recommended to have completed one full year of university studies (60 ECTS) before the program starts.

One half year of university studies (30 ECTS), in addition to the international summer school's general requirement must be achieved by application deadline.

After completing this course the student should have the following learning outcome:

Knowledge

On successful completion of this course the student has knowledge of:

• action research theory and practice
• field methods for conducting action research
• principles and ethics of action research

Skills

On successful completion of this course the student:

• has demonstrated ability to apply action research principles to research design, data collection and analysis
• can exhibit the ability to engage with communities of practice
• has ability to promote community-driven goals through empirically driven scientific research
• can critically analyse and evaluate research methodology from an action research perspective
• can successfully manage small-scale action research projects
• can construct mechanisms for successful involvement and integration of key stakeholder perspectives

General Competence On successful completion of this course the student can apply:

• effective use of action research methods
• proficiency regarding community engagement
• dissemination strategies to research results
• engagement processes for involving stakeholders

The course is organized around a series of workshops, in-class projects and field work. Our approach, which will be highly flexible, will allow for different modes of learning, including self-reflection, and will also allow us to connect new ideas with emergent questions about quality of life and human dignity. We will learn about action research by reading, but more importantly, also by doing - we will be immersing ourselves in a project together with a host / client community organization. The action research project will be shaped by their needs and our desire to learn and help. The projects will be integrated with each other and with the course lectures and discussions, which will allow the students and the faculty to learn from each other and further inform the course's development. The projects will enable us to explore how action research can enhance the quality of life for our host organization and its community.

The course uses blended teaching: Four weeks in class and four weeks online.

None.

1. Oral presentation of a group project done in collaboration with a host / client community organization, which counts for 50% of the grade.
2. A 6,000 to 8,000 word project report, which counts for 50% of the grade.

Each group may consist of 2-5 candidates.

Both exams must be passed in order to pass the course.

Oral presentations cannot be appealed.

No support material is permitted in the exams.

The final assessment will be graded on a grading scale from A to E (A is the highest grade and E the lowest) and F for fail.

Two internal examiners will be used. External examiner is used regularly.

The course has 5 ECTS of overlapping content towards STKD6200 Action Research and Design Thinking: Enabling Communities through Enacting Change I.