Introduction to Design in Complex Systems

This is an intensive, structured one-week programme. The aim of the activities in this course is to engage you in forming a learning community with your peers and instructors, to introduce you to the TPM mindset, and to support you in developing a skill set that is needed for designing in socio-technical systems. As such, this course is an introduction to the other design-related courses in the COSEM MSc programme: SEN1121, 1131, 1141, 1151 and 1161. The course consists of a mix of lectures and collaborative project work. Lectures introduce the basic vocabulary, concepts, analytical and design methods that are useful for designing technical structures, institutions and stakeholder processes. Daily assignments are related to a real-world design problem and challenge students to apply these concepts and methods. At the end of the week, teams present an intervention of their own creation in response to the real-world problem presented to them to peers and instructors.

A final grade is based on team work assignments, as well as 2 reflection assignments due in week 4 and week 8 of Q1.

The grade for team work is based on the results of a cumulative, final assignment named Assignment 4. We administer the Bootcamp Project grade in Osiris only if the team has received a pass for all mandatory assignments given during the week. In the case of an insufficient grade for group work (<5 for the graded assignment or a fail on other assignments), teams must resubmit the failed or missed assignment that was given to the team. The deadline for this is Friday of week 1.3.

If the resubmitted pass/fail assignments are of sufficient quality, then a grade will be given in gradebook.

If the resubmitted assignment 4 is of sufficient quality, then a grade of 5,5 will be awarded to the team and administered as the Bootcamp Project grade in Osiris.

The group work is mandatory. The attendance policy is published on Brightspace.

The reflection assignments are graded on a pass/fail basis, but both reflection assignments must be passed in order to pass the course. In the case where either reflection assignments do not warrant a 'pass', the student will have until the end of Q1 to make up either or both assignments.