NDAK10006U IT Innovation and Change (ITIaC)

Volume 2015/2016
Education

MSc Programme in Computer Science

Content

The purpose of the course is to develop student's theoretical and practical skills in conducting an IT innovation project within an existing organisation. The focus of the course is on analysis of the interplay between IT and social actors in an organisational context and generation of innovative IT designs.
 
A great deal of students in computer science and other IT related educations will after completion of their studies find themselves involved in IT innovation processes within existing organisations. This course is intended to prepare and train those students for this task.

The course could be seen as a preparation course for practical project work later in ones graduate studies for instance in conjunction with the System Development Studio course.

The course is organized in two tracks: a practical and a theoretical.

In the practical track a group of 4-5 students will conduct an IT innovation project for a minor company, a department in a larger company, a non-profit organisation or the like. Students are strongly encouraged to make contact with a potential company prior to the course. The students will investigate problems and opportunities in the company's current way of producing products and services based on which coherent visions for IT based changes are proposed. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with management, employees and other interest groups. Throughout the course there will be lectures introducing an IT innovation method and supervision to support the project work.

The theoretical track consists of lectures and student presentations. Here the students will develop their argumentative skills, and learn to reflect and combine knowledge gained through the student projects, the applied method, and the course literature.

The course require active participation from each student. It is expected that the students conduct an IT design project with an organisation. It is also expected that the students will present part of the course literature, and engage in discussions on the topics presented.

Learning Outcome


Knowledge of:

  • Techniques for analyzing a company's current situation and challenges including ethnographic methods
  • Methods for the active involvement of users including participatory design
  • Techniques to create and anchor visions for IT-based change such as prototyping and workshops

 

Skills to:

  • Analyse a company's current problems and opportunities
  • Design visions for IT-based change
  • Plan implementations of visions for IT-based change
  • Reflect on choice of method and techniques in own projects
  • Presenting the result of a design project as a report


Competences to:

  • Write a report summarizing and reflecting on a design project
  • Work in groups on a design project
  • Communicate effectively with people that are not part of a design project such as end users and project owners

 

Is expected to be: K. Bødker, F. Kensing and J. Simonsen: Participatory IT Design. Designing for Business and Workplace Realities. MIT Press 2004. Compendium with texts that supplement and put the textbook into perspective.

It is highly recommended that students master a structured and methodical approach to group work. Students should have experience in giving constructive and positive criticism to fellow students.
Mixture of lectures combined with group and project work
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 24
  • Exam
  • 20
  • Lectures
  • 32
  • Preparation
  • 66
  • Project work
  • 64
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 25 minutes
Oral examination (25 minutes without preparation time) based on a written report over one's own project work. Submission in Absalon.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome.