Postgraduate Course: Case Studies in Design Informatics 2 (INFR11095)
Course Outline
| School | School of Informatics |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | How would you help the next generation of Design Informatics students avoid the mistakes you made? Every time a decision is made to pursue one course of action, other routes are closed off. The goal is to lead a group of fresh thinkers to see why you made particular project design decisions, and to help them map out a different service or product that could be built from the same components. |
| Course description |
This course extends students' engagement with real examples in the emerging field of Design Informatics. A key component of the course is the detailed evaluation and rationale behind several current research projects that highlight the limitations of the state of the art, or novel use of the latest theories and technologies. The primary learning outcome is the development of specialist reflective and leadership skills that can then be exploited in future industrial application or academic research into Design Informatics.
The senior students following this course as part of a two-year masters work with junior students (normally, who are enrolled in CSDI1) in groups of 5-6, under the direction of the senior student, with a member of academic staff as mentor.
The syllabus divides into three phases, with the middle phase being the longest. Only the first phase is associated with lectures.
- In the first part of the course, the class is split into small groups; A first, core case study is introduced via lectures. The case study varies from year to year, but is normally derived from an active or recent informatics research project where a product or service is an important deliverable. Presentations are normally given by members of the relevant project team. Groups then work to identify important features of the project, and analyse decision decisions to identify possible extensions or improvements, and to identify possible new applications of the core techniques. Documentation is assessed by academic staff.
- In the second part of the course, each group works on its own, new case study. The case study varies from year to year, but is normally derived from an active or recent design informatics project - conducted by, or known to, the second year student leader - where a product or service is an important deliverable. Under the guidance of its leader, each group works to identify important features of their project, and analyses decision decisions to identify possible extensions or improvements, and to identify possible new applications of the core techniques. Selecting and scoping a new project, and developing a proposal for using it in future course delivery constitute the main documentation assessed by academic staff; the team leader¿s proposal can be based on, but is not confined to, their group¿s exploration of a new case study.
- In the final part of the course, each individual reflects on what they have learned so far, and on how well the group functioned, specifying which aspects of its activity were successful, and which less so. Each individual writes a term paper synthesising their reflections and identifying which skills and strategies they need to develop further. The team leader¿s report focuses especially on issues to do with project management and team leadership.
The core aims of this course mean that the examples used on an annual basis have to be re-assessed for current relevancy. However, the primary focus is on projects relating to groups of humans interacting with, and via, networks of objects.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2014/15, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 14,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 14,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
164 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessed Assignments 100
- 30% of assessment is for the team¿s multimodal documentation of their response to the core case study.
- 40% is for the individual¿s proposal for new content for future delivery on the course.
- 30% is for the individual¿s written critical evaluation of the successes and failures of the team, and reflective analysis of learning points for team leadership. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this course should be able to:
1 - Manage and lead the activities of a small group of individuals with diverse skills
2 - Critically evaluate personal experience in addressing problems and suggesting potential solutions
3 - Introduce selected problems as potential new case studies
4 - Lead discussion in analysing problems and scoping solutions
5 - Mentor colleagues who extend, through engineering and/or design methods, specific features or applications identified in one real example
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Reading List
| Readings are provided by teachers. Each week students are asked to read one or more papers. The list varies from year to year. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Throughout the course, there are peer support labs for the students on this course, who function as team leaders for students pursuing CSDI1. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jon Oberlander
Tel: (0131 6)50 4439
Email: J.Oberlander@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Katey Lee
Tel: (0131 6)50 2701
Email: Katey.Lee@ed.ac.uk |
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