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Overview

Course Prescription

Introduces design thinking and develops a user-centred approach to innovation, emphasising the importance of a deep understanding of user needs throughout an iterative ideation and prototyping process. Utilising the maker space at the Unleash Space and a range of digital tools, students will develop practical making and early stage prototyping skills.

Course Overview

Utilising a combination of lectures, learning activities, and workshops in the Unleash Space (https://www.cie.auckland.ac.nz/unleash-space/) students learn to develop user empathy in order to create solutions and gain additional insights into the innovation process. Students from different disciplines work individually and in teams on everyday and "wicked" problems, defining needs and problems from which to create solutions, interventions, and new approaches to improve societal situations, identify beginnings of a product, or create a compelling digital experience.  The course uses an experiential approach to user-centered innovation.  Students  have access to a wide variety of maker space equipment and digital tools, allowing iteration through stages of prototyping to understand how product and service innovations address user needs, and provide for greater understanding of user feedback.

The course introduces research and practice based frameworks and methodologies (including user centred design and LEGO serious play.) Sustainable innovation is foundational to the course, including understanding and building upon the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect a live, online, or recorded one-hour lecture each week, two hours of readings/videos/podcasts along with assimilating/applying the content, six hours of work on assignments, including training on key prototyping tools.  Additionally, you'll spend 2 hours during four weeks of the semester participating in the Unleash Space experiential workshop tutorials.   A lot of your time will be making prototypes to be used to interact with users and writing up your learning from those interactions, along with preparing video submissions that capture and summarise the work created, your insights that underlie the work, and identifying improvements and next steps.

Expect to work consistently from Week 1, with a somewhat heavier workload in the 4 weeks that include in-person 2 hour experiential workshops in the Unleash Space.

Due to the experiential nature of the course, attendance and participation at workshop tutorials is required.   

Advice on Course Limits

This is a limited entry course: there is a limit on the number of enrolments due to staff or space capacity. In cases where the courses is taught under two separate codes (e.g. concurrently taught courses, general education courses) the course limit specified is the total across both versions of the course. For more information, please see the Programme and Course Limitations section of the University Academic and General Statutes and Regulations.

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities such as lectures.  Attendance is required at the Workshop Tutorials held throughout the semester in the Unleash Space as an integral part of this course, supporting the associated experiential learning, to receive credit for these activities.


Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including workshop tutorials will NOT be available as recordings.


The course may include live online events including lectures, group discussions or tutorials, particularly in response to COVID-19 or other disruptions.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a  weekly timetable with 4 experiential learning tutorials throughout the semester.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

There is no textbook for this course.  You’ll be expected to read/watch/listen to the materials provided on Canvas to prepare for class, complete assignments, and complete trainings for tools and resources.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Other Information

This class Is made up of weekly lectures held in a lecture theatre, online, or via recordings, and four experiential workshops run in the Unleash Space (Building 402, 20 Symonds Street)
As a course with a significant experiential workshop-based component, there is no lecture recording or remote learning access for the workshop tutorials. Therefore, this course is not suitable for registration by students overseas.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type1234

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.