At the start of the semester I give the students a design challenge to take action within a selected learning context (e.g. playground, classroom or museum) where they investigate, research and design during the semester in order to transform it in accordance with their design vision. A process is structured around the specific groups specific design challenge and vision to ensure that the students hand in iterations of their design and research on a regular basis in order for them to not get completely lost and drown in their first design process.

I have tried to experiment with 'emptying the curriculum', meaning that the students are not met with a fixed curriculum content. Rather, they are asked to construct their own curriculum that fit the particular research projects they are working on. Like every other researcher working on a project or on writing an article would do.

However, that does not mean there is no compulsory reading material. In the beginning I hand out a lot of texts. But these texts are targeted at enabling the students to navigate the overall research fields present in their design challenge such as design thinking, digital literacy, design methods and digital fabrication. All in all, this decision is made to end the reign of the replicating student. If we want research compeers, they should be allowed to seek out the texts and information they find enlightening and relevant in relation to their particular project.

A big part of the course is to set up a context for students that enable them to both participate in academic communities as well as design in real contexts. Accordingly, I put in some effort and work in order for students to be able to contribute to projects that I myself is currently engaged in as a researcher. In spring 2014 my students:

Furthermore, I ask them to seek out a real-practice context, such as a school or kindergarten, in which they can intervene and implement their thinking and design and thus become actual agents of change.