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Elective Course: Critical Design

Title
Elective Course: Critical Design
Semester
E2023
Master programme in
Computer Science / Digital Transformation
Type of activity

Course

Teaching language
English
Study regulation

Read about the Master Programme and find the Study Regulations at ruc.dk

REGISTRATION AND STUDY ADMINISTRATIVE
Registration

You register for activities through stads selvbetjening during the announced registration period, which you can see on the Study administration homepage.

When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts and overlaps between course and exam time and dates. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programmes, which should not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programmes, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

Number of participants
ECTS
5
Responsible for the activity
Michael Haldrup Pedersen (mhp@ruc.dk)
Head of study
Nina Boulus-Rødje (ninabr@ruc.dk)
Teachers
Study administration
IMT Registration & Exams (imt-exams@ruc.dk)
Exam code(s)
U60592
ACADEMIC CONTENT
Overall objective

The purpose of elective courses is to give the student opportunitities to specialize within a specific subject area, where the student acquires knowledge, skills and competences in order to translate theories, methods and solutions ideas into their own practice.

Detailed description of content

The elective course aims to allow the students to build a repertoire of critical design theory and to understand the complexity of the interaction between technology, body, society and politics concerning IT systems, software- and digital design development.

Critical Design is an established subfield within Human Computer Interaction, which aims to challenge our basic assumptions about the design technologies we develop. In recent years, the field has been developed in dialogue with posthuman theorizing, gender/queer theory and decolonial theory. In the course, we review, among other things, the theory of Critical & Speculative Design, Somatic Design, Design Activism, More-than-Human Design and 4th Wave Human Computer Interaction, as well as concepts such as Post/de-colonial, Intersectional & Discursive Design.

We ask critical questions about design and technology development and examine and challenge the complexity of the interaction between the technology we develop and how digital technology is entangled with ethics, politics, society and our own biases.

The course integrates theory and practice and consists of lessons based on read articles, critical reflection and practical work with different design cases in groups.

After completing the course, the student is expected to be able to: - Describe, discuss and critically reflect on the latest theories and methods within Critical Design - Select and integrate relevant theories in relation to a relevant design case - Independently define and motivate and chosen problem within the field of Critical Design - Identify and apply Critical Design concepts to design and technology development

Course material and Reading list

A selection of literature addressing the various topics in the course will be available before the start of the course. Please consult Moodle for the final literature list.

Overall plan and expected work effort

The course's 5 ECTS correspond to a total of 135 hours workload with: - 40 hours lec tures and exercises, - 70 hours of preparation over a 10 week course period, and - 25 hours for the exam and preparation before the course period.

Format

The teaching will consist of a combination of exercises and lectures. For each lecture there will be exercises in which the student gets concrete experience with the concepts that have been introduced.

Evaluation and feedback

Evaluation form to be filled out (anonymously) plus open discussion on the last course day.

Feedback will be collected continuously during the semester.

Programme
ASSESSMENT
Overall learning outcomes

After completing this course, students will be able to:

  • demonstrate knowledge within a defined subject area.

  • demonstrate an overall overview and understanding of the general principles behind the field’s theory, methods and technological solutions.

  • choose and apply appropriate methods and techniques relevant to the field to analyse, design and implement solutions

  • work with it-related problems within their field, both individually and in groups.

  • be proficient in new approaches within the subject area in a critical and systematic way and thereby independently take responsibility for their own professional development.

Form of examination
Take-home assignment written in a group

Permitted group size: 2-5 students.

Assignments written by a group must be individualised.

The character limits of the assignment:
For 2 students: maximum36,000 characters, including spaces.
For 3 students: maximum40,800 characters, including spaces.
For 4 students: maximum43,200 characters, including spaces.
For 5 students: maximum45,600 characters, including spaces.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices.

The students start writing the take-home assignment during the course. The duration is 10 weeks and may include public holidays. The submission deadline will be announced on study.ruc.dk.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale
Form of Re-examination
Samme som ordinær eksamen / same form as ordinary exam
Type of examination in special cases

The same form as ordinary exam

Examination and assessment criteria

The written exam will be assessed based on the extent to which the student is able to fulfil the following criteria

- Demonstrate knowledge within the field of critical design
- Demonstrate an overall overview and understanding of the general principles behind theory, methods and technological solutions within critical design
- Choose and apply appropriate methods and techniques relevant to the field to analyse, design and implement solutions drawing on critical design

and whether the written exam meets all the formal requirements.

Exam code(s)
Exam code(s) : U60592
Last changed 25/05/2023

lecture list:

Show lessons for Subclass: 1 Find calendar (1) PDF for print (1)

Friday 15-09-2023 08:15 - 15-09-2023 12:00 in week 37
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 22-09-2023 08:15 - 22-09-2023 12:00 in week 38
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 29-09-2023 08:15 - 29-09-2023 12:00 in week 39
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 06-10-2023 08:15 - 06-10-2023 12:00 in week 40
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 13-10-2023 08:15 - 13-10-2023 12:00 in week 41
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 20-10-2023 08:15 - 20-10-2023 12:00 in week 42
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 27-10-2023 08:15 - 27-10-2023 12:00 in week 43
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 03-11-2023 08:15 - 03-11-2023 12:00 in week 44
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 10-11-2023 08:15 - 10-11-2023 12:00 in week 45
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Friday 17-11-2023 08:15 - 17-11-2023 12:00 in week 46
Critical Design (DIGIT)

Tuesday 28-11-2023 10:00 - 28-11-2023 10:00 in week 48
Critical Design - Hand-in (DIGIT)

Thursday 08-02-2024 10:00 - 08-02-2024 10:00 in week 06
Critical Design - Reexam hand-in (DIGIT)