Program Overview

Introduction to the Technological Innovation and Design Module

The Technological Innovation and Design module is part of the Master's Programme in Techno-Anthropology. This module aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to develop or evaluate an innovation process for designing a technology or a specific product.

Prerequisite for Participation

The course module is based upon knowledge acquired in the module Technology in Practice (project) (1st semester) or corresponding.

Content, Progress, and Pedagogy of the Module

The aim of this module is for students to acquire experience with the application of theoretical and methodological knowledge, skills, and competencies within the Techno-Anthropological repertoire. This experience will qualify them for the development or evaluation of an innovation process for design of a technology or a specific product.

Learning Objectives

Students who complete this module can:

Knowledge

• Present theories of the interplay between innovation strategies and technology development, product design, and product evaluation by selected actors/user groups.
• Present theories and methods for analysis of the cultural or institutional context of technological product innovation in a technology domain.
• Present ethnographic or interventionist research methods of relevance to a specific technology design, product development, or product evaluation.

Skills

• Draft a plan for how either an ethnographic study or an intervention study with an arranged situation of user involvement (e.g., a design game) may contribute to technology or product development or product evaluation.
• Independently develop and carry out a qualitative study design that can contribute with knowledge relevant to the development or evaluation of an innovation process for design of a technology or a specific product.
• Develop a technology domain-specific controversy mapping as input to the problem analysis.
• Develop a plan for facilitation and documentation of a design process.

Competences

• Reflect on how ethnographic and interventionistic approaches may facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration in technology and/or product design, development, or evaluation within a technology domain.
• Reflect on potential controversies and ethical dilemmas that may arise during product development or implementation.

Exam

Exams

• Name of exam: Technological Innovation and Design
• Type of exam: Oral exam based on a project
• ECTS: 15
• Assessment: 7-point grading scale
• Type of grading: External examination
• Criteria of assessment: As described in the Joint programme regulations.

Facts about the Module

• Danish title: Teknologisk innovation og design
• Module code: TBITANK16201
• Module type: Project
• Duration: 1 semester
• Semester: Spring
• ECTS: 15
• Language of instruction: English
• Empty-place Scheme: Yes
• Location of the lecture: Campus Aalborg, Campus Copenhagen
• Responsible for the module: Lars Kørnøv Botin, Anne Marie Kanstrup

Organisation

• Study Board: Studyboard for Techno-Anthropology and Sustainable Design
• Department: Department of Planning
• Faculty: Technical Faculty of IT and Design

Curriculum

The module is used in the Curriculum for The Master's Programme in Techno-Anthropology - 2016 - Aalborg and Curriculum for The Master's Programme in Techno-Anthropology - 2016 - Copenhagen.