DESIGNING COMPLEX SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS - EXPERIENCES WITH STUDENT PROJECTS …
DS 36: Proceedings DESIGN 2006, the 9th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Year: 2006
Editor: Marjanovic, D.
Author: Bockstael-Blok, W.; Herder, P.M.
Section: COMPETENCIES & COMMUNICATIONS
Page(s): 1077-1084
Abstract
In the SEPAM-design project our students apply their acquired theoretical knowledge on designing complex socio-technical systems in a real life case. After running the project for two years we felt the need to evaluate the course: how do students deal with the synthesis of the three major design perspectives in the project (technical, institutional and decision-making)? And how do they perceive the project? For the evaluation, we have analyzed the project reports of 4 groups on one topic in more detail and we have set out a survey among all the students that participated. We conclude that the project successfully serves as a capstone project, in which students indeed learn how to synthesize the three design perspectives in systems’ design.
Keywords: socio-technical systems, multi-disciplinary systems design, design project education