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Unit information: Transdisciplinary Group Project 2: Solving Someone's Problem in 2024/25

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Transdisciplinary Group Project 2: Solving Someone's Problem
Unit code INOV20002
Credit points 20
Level of study I/5
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director Mr. Bartlett
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

NA

School/department Centre for Innovation
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

Working with our wide social and commercial network and partners, we will present student teams with a series of real-life challenges to tackle. The network and partners will also provide mentors and coaches to work and help alongside the academics for each of the student teams. Students who work on these challenges will work in an agile manner in groups to research, prototype, and demonstrate proof of concept, innovative solutions to address their client’s needs. Agile development processes foster better collaboration, innovation, and results, traditionally used solely for software project this methodology, it is now recognised as successful methodology to transform entire innovation business management and processes.

The aims of this unit are:

  • To introduce key theories relating to undertaking an agile process to help solve the client’s problems within a rapidly evolving and adapting situations in business applications, methods, products and processes;
  • To advance students knowledge and understanding of key theories and methods that will support students to understand how to build participatory relations with those they are designing with and for;
  • To advance students critical reflection of their own innovative co-design and transdisciplinary group practices;
  • To develop their communication, presentation and collaboration skills with a real-world client.

Your learning on this unit

Students successfully completing the unit will be able to:

  1. Communicate effectively with a real world client.
  2. Investigate, interpret and think creatively about a client led problem.
  3. Reiterate and critique different designs solutions in an agile manner.
  4. Demonstrate different design solutions with the client.
  5. Implement, given the resource profiles available to the team and client, a chosen solution through to proof of concept.
  6. Reflect critically on their group work and on the process of designing for a real world client.

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including lectures and practical activities. The client led project is intended to promote self-directed and collaborative learning, under guidance of an academic supervisor(s) (plus any relevant external third-parties).

Students will be advised to set up their own spaces online for group collaboration.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

  • Individual Reflective Critique, 1500 words or equivalent, (40%). [ILOs 2, 3, 5, 6]
  • An individual reflective critique on the process of innovation with the clients.
  • Team Project, 3500 words or equivalent, (60%). [ILOs 1-5]
  • A client-facing team report documenting the innovation process for a client project including a proof of concept for the design solution.

The word count will be shared across the group and may be scaled based on team size.

When assessment does not go to plan

When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. INOV20002).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

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