TAD4523 Design research methods and seminar
Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
TAD4523 Design research methods and seminar is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, offered in 2020 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 1 unit.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2020
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 6 tasks
This is the 2020 handbook entry. See the 2024 entry.
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Requisites
Before TAD4523
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After TAD4523
1 unit list TAD4523 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite: 6 credit points in any level 3 theory (TAD) unit
Prohibitions: TAD4521, TAD4522
Overview
The unit examines methodological approaches to design research, from the scientifically oriented to the phenomenological, the discursive and the poetic. Attention is given to the way in which the terms of an investigation inevitably shape the material which is discovered. The range of topics may include techniques in information gathering and efficient management of bibliographic resources, postmodern theory, difference studies, post-structural writing and deconstruction. The unit ponders the relationship of studio research (i.e. designing innovative objects or spaces or interfaces) to conventional research.
Offerings in 2020
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | On campus |
| First semester (Fully flex) | Caulfield | Flexible |
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Task 1: Reading Summaries, Research Questions, Venn Diagram & Mind Map (20%)20%
- Task 2: Literature Review, Mind Map & Presentation30%
- Task 3: Research Video & Report50%
- Task 1: Preliminary Research20%
- Task 2: Research Essay40%
- Task 3: Field Response40%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Demonstrate awareness of current discourses in a range of disciplines which bear on contemporary design;
- 2
Pursue critical arguments with a sense of their relativity;
- 3
Assess the bias of an investigative method, considering gender, class and ethnicity;
- 4
Understand methodology as a critique of method and be able to practice criticism in your chosen field;
- 5
Explain the basis of designs or art or craft objects not merely as the outcome of practical constraints but the expression of cultural values.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars24 hours
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachResearch activities
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
- Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
12 hours per week including 2 contact hours plus 10 hours of independent study.
informal reviews will be held during seminar throughout semester to gauge progress and identify problems.
students will be introduced to a range of research methods to apply to their studio-based work.
students will be expected to discuss their individual projects and progress, and engage in critical discussion.
assigned readings, independent research, ongoing written summaries, literature review, and class discussions .
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Jess Berry
- Mr Dion Tuckwell
- Unit Coordinators
- Mr Stephen Palmer
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for TAD4523?
TAD4523 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
What can I take after TAD4523?
TAD4523 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 1 unit, including IAR4117.
When is TAD4523 offered?
In 2020, TAD4523 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Caulfield.
Does TAD4523 have an exam?
No. TAD4523 has 6 assessment tasks and no exam.