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DESIGN 700 : Design Research Methodologies
Creative Arts and Industries
2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
Students will learn about, select and apply selected design research methodologies toward developing research skills such as research planning; navigating complex ethical questions and processes toward creating research design(s). Students will gain an understanding of design as an academic-and-applied undertaking, learning about what counts as academic and research rigour through data collection and analysis, reporting, and dissemination phases, while also understanding the design field's position popular discourse in which op-ed and so-called 'grey literature' may have a place in design research.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
Capability 1: | People and Place |
Capability 2: | Sustainability |
Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
Capability 6: | Communication |
Capability 7: | Collaboration |
Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Understand key theoretical and philosophical concepts relevant to a critical consideration of contemporary design. (Capability 1.1 and 3.1)
- Explore a range of research methodologies relevant to the written and spoken discourses that accompany the production of contemporary design. (Capability 1.3, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
- Reflect on the motives, contexts and methods of contemporary design practices, including the identification of new questions relevant to a chosen field of design production. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3)
- Communicate the motives, contexts and methods of contemporary design practices. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4)
- Understand how research practices can give consideration to and reflect upon Tikanga Māori values. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.3 and 8.4)
Assessments
Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
---|---|---|
Design Jam | 5% | Group Coursework |
Reflective reading responses | 25% | Individual Coursework |
Design toolkit | 30% | Group & Individual Coursework |
Design research proposal (formative) | 20% | Group & Individual Coursework |
Design research proposal (summative) | 20% | Individual Coursework |
5 types | 100% |
Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
Design Jam | ||||||||||
Reflective reading responses | ||||||||||
Design toolkit | ||||||||||
Design research proposal (formative) | ||||||||||
Design research proposal (summative) |
The grade of DNC (did not complete) is assigned a grade point value of zero and is used when a student fails to complete compulsory coursework despite earning over 50%, or when coursework is incomplete and a fail grade would misrepresent their achievement.
Teaching & Learning Methods
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 12.5 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 1-3 hours of engagement in lectures, discussions and collaborative activities, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 6.5 hours of work on assignments.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at weekly sessions to complete components of the course. Lectures will be scheduled in advance and the recordings will be available afterwards on the Canvas site.
Group discussions and other activities will not be available as recordings. Guest lectures will be recorded and disseminated subject to the guests' approval.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes 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.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching 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.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Students' feedback from a previous iteration has been included. Principally, some students were confused about what an intricate major outcome: the design research proposal; because this requires an integration of more traditional research and theoretical investigation (in 700) and more practice-oriented testing of such (in Des 701), as a result, it proved difficult to navigate students through a single deliverable across two classes despite this deliverable being of generally superior quality to the 2023 version. As a result, the 700 and 701 instructors have agreed to separate these deliverables functionally. This insight has been integrated into the 2024 course design. Students in Des 700 also reported the need for more formative assessment moments; this has been formalised, in the Design Project as two assessment moments; it will also be integrated into the reflective reading responses, and the design toolkit, although these are not called out as separate assessments.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations 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. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
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.
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 http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework 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 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Requests for extensions of time must be submitted and approved using the online Extension of Time Application form available on Canvas:
Students should notify the Course Director/Course Coordinator of their situation as soon as practicable, and preferably before any due date. Notifications received after an assessment due date will be accepted, where this is reasonable, within the context of the course. If possible, students are encouraged to seek medical, counselling or other support from the most appropriate sources.
No extensions will be granted for problems such as accidentally erased computer files, which should always be prevented by keeping backup copies.
Learning Continuity
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 your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. In the event of a disruption, the University and your course coordinators will make every effort to provide you with up to date information via Canvas and the University website.
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 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.