Osion kuvaus

  • Assignments

    By following this page you make sure you are up-to-date with weekly tasks and assignments, and possible updates and changes. See also complementary information in the Program page.


    During the course we have varied, complementary, learning activities, individual and also groupal.

    • The main deliverables will be described here below and are submitted as indicated, in your wiki (unless otherwise indicated);
    • possible further details on the deliverables for the final session in May are introduced in due course.
    • Material specific to the sessions (and possibly related tasks and exercises) will be found in the Program page.
    • Use the resources page and your own, to complement your learning interests. 
    Scroll down to see the tasks to complete during each week and in the final two weeks.


    Reminder of Assessment Methods and Criteria

    Students are expected to be critical, to contest or re-characterize any given or mainstream notions. The assessments reflect both the quality of the contributions and work as well as the commitment to the components and dynamics of the Course. Completion of all assignments and deliverables is required, as are active participation in all the components. Students must attend minimum 80% of the contact sessions i.e. lectures, excursions, discussions etc.; register your attendance in MyCourses at the end of each session: request the password from Paola.

    Criteria for your weekly self-assessments and for the final assessment on the 0-5 scale:

    – a 5 will normally be granted to work that demonstrates excellence in all areas;
    – a 4 will be granted to 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 work that shows scarce commitment to, and/or little effort or understanding of, the course content.

    Eventual delays in submission of deliverables impact the assessments.


    Guidance on the weekly tasks and assignments and deadlines


    • Prior to the kick-off on Friday 22.4.

    Ahead of the kick-off on Friday 22.4. at 15:15 on Zoom (meeting ID 64915371995), please complete these, 1.-3.:

    1. Select a photo that is meaningful for you and time a 2-minute presentation to tell the class about it and also about yourself and the choice to join the Design and Culture course.
    → Once your wiki page is set, on it, write down a brief text that begins with your name and program in Aalto (exchange, bachelor, master, major, minor, School...) followed by a text that contextualizes the image you chose and a text about your background, interests, and the reasons for which you made the choice to take part in the Design and Culture course and your expectations. Have the photo ready in digital format, in good resolution quality (good to have the text ready in advance too).

    2. As these are the guiding texts for the course, if you haven't yet, start getting acquainted with the material by reviewing the following information online: 

    Julier, Guy. 2014. (alt. 2008). The Culture of Design. Sage.
    https://www.designculture.info/the-culture-of-design/
    Available in Aalto Primo.

    Julier, Guy. 2017. Economies of design. Sage.
    https://www.designculture.info/economies-of-design/
    Available in Aalto Primo, also as E-book.

    Korvenmaa, Pekka. 2014 (alt. 2009). Finnish design: a concise history. Aalto University. Review by Fallan (2009):
    https://www-tandfonline-com.libproxy.aalto.fi/doi/abs/10.2752/175630610X12877385838966
    Available in Aalto primo, also in Finnish as Taide & Teollisuus: johdatus suomalaisen muotoilun historiaan.


    Complementary reading to support your analyses:
    Du Gay, P., Hall, S., Janes, L., Mackay, H., Madsen, A. & Negus, K. (2013). Doing cultural studies: The story of the Sony Walkman. Sage, in association with The Open University.  | Available at Aalto Primo.
      → Recommendation: read pages 1-7 of the Introduction to the 1997 edition and then continue with the Introduction to the 2013 edition.



    • Prior to the session of Monday 25.4.

    1. Finish your intro page in your wiki.

    2a. Read on the nature of science, art and design:

    "Science, Art and Design: A Methodological Comparison" by Richard Foqué (chapter 2 (pp.30-48) of his book Building Knowledge in Architecture, 2010); complete the reading ahead of Monday's session.   |  Book available in Aalto Primo as E-book.
    → Complement this reading with a quick search on the main differences between qualitative and qualitative research.

    2b. Make a graphic summary/mind map; accompany it with a short text and post it in your wiki page latest by Monday noon.

    2c. Be prepared to present your work and discuss with others on Monday.


    → After the session, follow up the reading with chapters 1 and 3; graphic summary: optional.


    • Your individual work each week

    1. Browse two chapters of the book you chose to get the basics; go deeper into one (obviously, you are also free to engage more in depth with not only one but two or more chapters).
    Please note:
    → Those reading The Culture of Design ed. 2014: start with chapters 10 and 12.
    → Those reading The Economies of Design: start with chapter 9.
    Reminders of the approach to reading this and other course material:
    • don't feel you have to read everything word-for-word;
    • read introductions carefully;
    • read through quickly to get an overall sense of what it is saying;
    • read conclusions carefully;
    • write some notes of your own thoughts and reactions;
    • it's more important what ideas the readings provokes than trying to understand every detail of each text.
    2. Make a graphic summary/mind map by hand; it can include photographs or other visual material...; accompany it with a short text that may include new or interesting concepts, questions, challenges to the content, gaps identified, insights... (you can think of these as your learning points, your takeaways. You can draw connections to issues discussed during the sessions and you may use your reflections on these as well as your previous knowledge from your own field. Post these image + text in your wiki latest by the end of every Thursday.
    3. Be prepared to present your work and discuss with others on the session of the following Monday (and also in the following week in your group meetings).
    4. While doing and sharing your weekly individual work, keep present that your analyses constitute the resources for a final group presentation. Toward the end of the course, with those analysing the same book, as a group, you will do a work of synthesis. You will select one, or more, interesting topic(s)/concepts and on the basis of your insights, you will design a presentation that communicates individual and groupal reflections.
    → Thus, it is recommended that you arrange a weekly meeting with others in your reading group to further refine your discussion points, having in mind the final presentation of 3.6.
    5. Weekly self-grade.  Grade your own performance during each week: write in a personal notebook (not public, not in the wiki) the grade (1-5) and a few words to qualify it. Have these personal weekly notes readily available on 3.6.


    • Prior to /  The final weeks of the course

    General description of the final assignment

    You will review the book and your individual weekly work you have done during the course. Then, based on the individual work, together with the others in your reading group, you will design a presentation that communicates to the rest of the class, highlights of book content –central ideas, topics/concepts– and individual and groupal insights and reflections.  In both your individual work and your group work, you may draw connections to issues discussed during the course sessions and use your reflections on these as well as your previous knowledge from your own field; you may too include points that aid in bridging possible gaps in the book, for instance those identified between the time when the book was written and today. You may consider context and reflect in terms of values: what sort of (cultural, social, environmental, economical/financial) values are involved in or expressed through the issues and concepts you choose to discuss?


    More detailed guidance and deadlines


    1. Individual proposal

    Go through your individual work:  your weekly posts on the book you are reading and the personal notes you are taking along the course. Describe a main idea and revolving ideas of topic/concepts and issues and insights that as an individual you would like to include in the final group presentation — do this in a text of 300 to 400 words accompanied by an advanced mind map (or other visualization). You may consider context, and you may reflect in terms of values: what sort of (cultural, social, environmental, economical/financial) values are involved in or expressed through the issues and concepts you choose to discuss? Use examples.
    Post text and image to your wiki by 18:00 on Friday 27.5.


    2. Group proposal

    During the final week you will in the reading groups complete the planning and execution of the design of a final presentation. Together you will:

    - Review your individual proposals (see point 1. above).
    - Discuss and agree on the topic(s)/concepts and issues and insights that as a group you will include, and likely develop, for the final presentation; you may consider context, and you may reflect in terms of values: what sort of (cultural, social, environmental, economical/financial) values are involved in or expressed through the issues and concepts you choose to discuss? Use examples; illustrate with images.
    - Discuss and agree on visual and written content, layout, the format and platform...
    - Write up an abstract for the presentation, 400 to 500 words long.
    - Write up concluding critical observations and/or questions (between 6 and 8).
    - Prepare a presentation document (file) that has: a cover, the abstract, main content and conclusions, list of references, optional list of bibliography. The 'main content' can be considered the presentation's script (see below).
    - Take into consideration your audience, their perceived previous knowledge on the concepts the group will bring up.
    - Plan and time so that everyone in the group intervenes.
    - To stay on topic and within the allotted time, write a script for the presentation and rehearse and time your presentation.         Take into consideration the time allotted (time per presentation 20' + time for discussion 10').
    - It may prove helpful to test-deliver your presentation to a chosen audience (a group of) friend(s), a family member(s)) and request feedback and questions from them. Tweak as needed.
    - Latest by 12:00 noon on Friday 3.6., post to all wikis the abstract of the presentation with its cover image AND upload to a selected wiki the document.
    - Be ready to present your work to the class during the final session on Friday 3.6. starting at 15:15.



    Personal reflection

    At the end of your wiki entries, include a short reflection of 150 - 200 words: after the final session, review the learning outcomes set for the course and reflect on what you learnt during the course, through its components.



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