Credits: 5
Schedule: 18.04.2019 - 23.05.2019
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
The course is taught by Eeva Berglund (teacher in charge) and Idil
Gaziulusoy, with Ramia Mazé
Teachers are best available before and after the
sessions but also on email, firstname.lastname@aalto.fi.
Details on the course content (applies in this implementation):
Overview and learning outcomes
The
course gives students tools to attend critically to the values, ethics and
politics of designing futures in a technologically complex society. Drawing from several research traditions, the course enquires
into discourses and practices regarding “futures”, paying particular attention
to judgements about what is desirable and for whom, and to how to design
futures in a real-world context of diverse and potentially conflicting values.
By exploring and critically analysing change making and the ways futures are
and have been imagined and manifested, it introduces students to creative and
critical approaches relevant to more values-sensitive practice. It will particularly
help students identify the stakes in overt change-making and discourses of
transitioning, and tie these to political and policy ambitions related to sustainability above all. It will give students practice in communicating
creative as well as critical futures.
Elaboration of the evaluation criteria and methods, and acquainting students with the evaluation (applies in this implementation):
Completion of the course requires:
- Attending the first teaching session.
- Participation
in contact teaching sessions (at least 85% unless otherwise agreed). - Completion
of preparation and reflection work (reading and writing). - Progress
in critical thinking, as evident in class participation and coursework. - For
written work, presentation of work in academic style and demonstration of familiarity
with course materials (use references)
Generic coursework assessment criteria:
1) evidence of familiarity with the contents of readings and lectures and of how these connect to sociotechnical change generally. Includes evidence of using and referencing sources appropriately (40%)
2 ) evidence of analytic, critical and creative engagement with the topics (40%)
3) quality and clarity in the articulation and communication of what has been learned (20%)
Key criteria on a scale from 1 - 5: a 5 will normally be granted to work that demonstrates excellence in all areas; a 4 will be granted to a work that is excellent if uneven or slightly lacking in some area; a 3 suggests the work is good but the issues are not very developed, or that there are shortcomings in structure, critical insight or presentation; a 2 may contain good contents but is weaker, possibly superficial or mechanical; a 1 is normally granted to a piece of work that shows little effort or understanding of the course content.
Submitting work late incurs an automatic penalty of one grade. All submitted work as well as active class participation contribute to the final mark. All coursework including the final assessment will be examined holistically, with assessment criteria applied as appropriate to each exercise.
Details on calculating the workload (applies in this implementation):
Workload approximately 135 hours
Lectures,seminars and discussions 21 hours
Reading 74 hours
Individual
coursework: written reflections and final essay 30 hours
Group
assignments 10 hours
reading (make notes), with one piece of group work submitted as a visualization and a final individual essay
to be submitted as written work.
Details on the course materials (applies in this implementation):
Literature will be made
available via the MyCourses system. Students are
encouraged to explore related resources beyond these.
Students
should read the required (marked R) texts before each session.
Details on the schedule (applies in this implementation):
18.4.2019
Introduction to Values in Design Futures, Idil Gaziulusoy
25.4.2019
Change as an Imperative (Transitions), Idil
Gaziulusoy
02.5.2019
Utopia and Social Change, Eeva
Berglund - details of assignments 1 and 2 provided
09.5.2019
Theorising change, Eeva Berglund
16.5.2019
Design and Futures Studies as Critical Practice, Ramia Mazé
23.5.2019
Group presentations
Twelve Monkeys, the film that you need to watch for writing assignment 2, will be screened on Wednesday 8.5. At 15:30 in
Väre, room Q202. You may also watch it at your own convenience.
Assignment 1 is due 26.5., assignment 2 is due 31.5., both by 17:00.