Themen der Lehrveranstaltung
research-through-design, design probes, embodied and situated design, design ethnography, material agency in design, eco-social imaginaries, design artefacts as inquiry

Unterrichtsform
Lectures, presentations, workshops; Weekly plena & check-in rounds; Collective mapping sessions; Review and support sessions; Guest lectures; (Im)possible partner meetings (A conversational format for engaging with transformation-oriented actors who may become project partners.); Site explorations; Case study sharing and analysis; Reading circles; Master colloquia with external experts (a feedback session supporting students in developing their thesis project proposal) and formats we develop based of needs and ideas of students, colleagues and partners;

Bildungsziele
Educational objectives Knowledge and understanding Students course will have developed their own individual project practice and will be able to: - design, implement and manage projects - initiate, carry out and lead project-oriented research, development and design activities - develop creative solutions and processes - working with and leading multidisciplinary teams - working with different experts, companies, organisations, groups and people - designing the aesthetic dimension of projects or collaborating in design - developing prototypes or delegating their development - developing interventions and events or delegating their development - test and evaluate prototypes, interventions, events or their individual elements, or delegate their testing/testing and evaluation. Applying knowledge and understanding Students will be able to: - develop projects and practices suitable for addressing complex challenges. - make tangible ideas, reports and projects, such as sketches, visualisations, mock-ups, models, prototypes, interventions and prototype events Making judgements Students will be able to: - take responsibility for the development and management of projects and activities - judging independently and critically: concepts and drafts, one's own behaviour and contribution (through reflection and self-criticism) Communication skills Students will be able to: - communicate convincingly in different ways and with different audiences - present projects convincingly - argue creative and strategic decisions - communicate productively within the team - lead creative processes and teams Learning skills Students will be able to: - working independently to learn according to different situations and in a personal way through experimentation and planning - working independently to learn according to different situations and in a personal way through the development of prototypes, models, mock-ups and the feedback they provide

Art der Prüfung
At the end of the semester, students exhibit, present, and critically discuss their work and its future perspectives and economic foundation. The complete assessment will be based on all elements: the exam presentation and discussion, the submitted document, a short video and the exhibition. The exam consists of an oral presentation and discussion of the above-mentioned elements. The students submit a document with a description of issues and aims, a contextual review, theoretical and methodological framing, a map of stakeholders and partners, a ‘theory of change’, an outline of obstacles and potentials. and a project plan. Guidelines for the documentation will be provided. As part of their final assessment, students will create and submit a short video (1–3 minutes) that introduces and explains their semester work. This video should communicate the core ideas and objectives of the project in an appealing and convincing story. Each work is exhibited at the end of the semester in the GOG exhibition of the faculty. The short video will be part of the exhibition. A short documentation needs to be submitted to the faculties online showcase. It needs to speak to all potentially interested audiences, such as current and future students, existing and future external partners, stakeholders and funders, and all who could benefit from the projects and practices and support them. Assessment of non-attending students: Non-attending students have the same assessment criteria as attending students. All requested assignments need to be done, and all deliverables (above mentioned) need to be provided in time.

Bewertungskriterien
The evaluation process will consider these criteria: 1. Eco-Social agency: (Potential) contribution to emancipatory social-ecological transformation; 2. Qualities of the designed artefacts: Aesthetic and technical qualities, and in how far these qualities foster the eco-social agency. How they build upon the state of the art in your chosen field and (design) disciplines. Boldness and vigour of experimentation and design exploration; 3. Conceptual framing, reflection and future perspectives: Clarity and coherence of the conceptual framing, including synthesis of the theoretical underpinnings, empirical basis, transformation strategy, understanding of context and backgrounds, relevance of case studies, planning of and learnings from the iterative development process, critical reflections, possible economic foundations, and future perspectives; 4. Relations, processes and organization: Quality of relations and processes with the project team, collaborators, partners, stakeholders and other actors. Management of time, resources, and persons (project management). 5. Storytelling: Effectiveness and potential in communicating the project to relevant publics. Quality of presentation techniques and narrative. How well the story attracts attention, convinces and touches audiences. Defence of proposition and response to critics. How elements and qualities discussed under 2 – 5 are contributing to (or hindering) emancipatory social-ecological transformation (criterium #1).