Thinking with Representations

Aim

The student shall develop theoretical and experiential knowledge about the role of representations for thinking, including knowledge about choosing, using and developing tools and methods for representations based on purpose

After the course, the student shall be able to:

• Understand, describe and apply foundational concepts from distributed cognition
• Apply knowledge about how to represent alternatives in a design space and reflect on the value of those representations
• Use and develop tools and methods for representations, and reflect on what the tools enable and confine
• Systematically reflect on and show knowledge about how to represent complex situations on a detailed as well as holistic level

Content

The students of this course develop their ability and knowledge about what the roles of representations are in design, including the ability and knowledge to use different tools to plan and use representations, by conducting a series of assignments and using literature from design and cognitive science to reflect on their process. Emphasis is put on reflecting in- and on action to further the understanding of mechanisms for learning with the help of representations and the connection between the built representation and the knowledge it makes available. The more general implications for design of placing representation at the center of the design process is also considered in the course.