Civic Engagement
Course code
IFI7412.DT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Kodanikualgatus ja kaasamine
Course title in English
Civic Engagement
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
assessment
lecturer of 2023/2024 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
The aim of the course is to provide an overview of the relevant trends in civic engagement from theoretical and practitioner perspective. We uncover gaps in current practice for further research on design, critical thinking and reflection skills. We examine public participation and civic engagement from different perspectives and facilitate the design of civic engagement projects that address real life issues.
Brief description of the course
The lectures and discussions will introduce students to new conceptions of public life and how public life can be deliberately transformed (civic engagement) and measured, for instance, how to build and manage online communities and engage in collaborative design. Examples of real life case studies where digital tools were used to transform society will be presented.
Students will apply relevant research principles in their civic engagement projects including argumentation and inclusion theories.
As independent work: students are expected to read the assigned literature for analysing e-engagement platforms, describing how the engagement is taking place and how public life is being transformed in the form of an essay. Student groups submit a civic engagement project plan based on a defined problem statement and user research that supports the relevance and solution of the problem.
Students will apply relevant research principles in their civic engagement projects including argumentation and inclusion theories.
As independent work: students are expected to read the assigned literature for analysing e-engagement platforms, describing how the engagement is taking place and how public life is being transformed in the form of an essay. Student groups submit a civic engagement project plan based on a defined problem statement and user research that supports the relevance and solution of the problem.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- maps relevant theories and approaches to public participation and civic engagement;
- reflects critically on gaps in current practice;
- has an overview of how public participation has evolved;
- understands the different tools used to foster engagement in the online sphere;
- defines and validates a problem statement;
- selects the most fitting approach of research method to understand user needs;
- develops an informed approach to address a valid problem statement.
- maps relevant theories and approaches to public participation and civic engagement;
- reflects critically on gaps in current practice;
- has an overview of how public participation has evolved;
- understands the different tools used to foster engagement in the online sphere;
- defines and validates a problem statement;
- selects the most fitting approach of research method to understand user needs;
- develops an informed approach to address a valid problem statement.
Teacher
Sara Sinha
Study programmes containing that course