400020 Systems Thinking, Managing Complexity and Communication Part 2 - Implementation and Client Feed Back

Details
Institute of Food and Resource Economics   66 %
Department of Agricultural Sciences   34 %
Earliest Possible YearMSc. 1 year
DurationHalf a block
 
Credits7.5 (ECTS)
Course LevelMSc
 
ExaminationFinal Examination

written examination and oral examination

Portfolio Examination


All aids allowed

Description of Examination: Evaluation of reflection document Presentation of outcome of the project to the client Oral presentation of the outcome of project to facilitators and students in class

Weight: Evaluation of reflection document (80%) Presentation of outcome of the project to the client 10%) Oral presentation of the outcome of project to facilitators and students in class (10%)



pass/fail, external examiner
 
Organisation of TeachingProject work Meeting with the client outside KVL Facilitation Presentations
 
Block PlacementBlock 4a
Week Structure: Outside schedule
 
Teaching LanguageEnglish
 
Optional PrerequisitesSystems Thinking, Managing Complexity and
 
Mandatory PrerequisitesCommunication Part 1 - Systems Description and analysis
 
Areas of Competence the Course Will Address
Basic Science:
Understand key concepts in communication and learning theories. Know the systemic principles associated with handling complex socio-technical situations and facilitating learning

Applied science:
Able to learn how to learn and to expand competencies to communicate effectively with clients. Able to negotiate and debate proposed improvements to problem situations with the client, and negotiate with the client a development project to improve the enterprise around identified themes, issues or opportunities. Work with proposed improvements. Apply theories and methodologies to the whole project in a reflective way. Use techniques, models and data gathering tools for collecting and analysing primary and secondary research data to improve the situation and solve problems.

Ethics & Values:
Aware of ethical aspects of communicating in a client-consultant relationship, and apply this in practice when negotiating and implementa
 
Course Objectives
The course aims to promote interdisciplinary thinking within the context of real world situations, owned by potential clients in their natural setting, and it will provide students an opportunity to bring together knowledge gained from a number of disciplines (e.g. agronomy, economics, animal production, food science etc) and help create integrated knowledge and promote the students ability to manage complexity.



 
Course Contents
Integrating knowledge from the disciplines
- drawing from disciplinary knowledge appropriate in the context of a problematic situation of real client(s) towards
Managing complexity
- learning to deal with complex problems and working out changes considered desirable and feasible by the client(s) and using a framework of
Systems science and its methods and tools
- Drawing from systems science in theory and practice and using appropriate methods and tools.
Communication and consulting
- Develop capacity to advise on a foundation of extension science and facilitate learning of the client(s).

 
Teaching And Learning Methods
The concluding reports from Part 1 consisting of the multi-perspective analysis, issue identification and suggestions for improvements form the basis of this second part of the course with focus on implementation and client feed back. Negotiations with the client and identification of a specific area of research of particular interest to your client will be agreed. The project is focused on situation improvement or development project on how to best change and manage the enterprise system around the selected research area. This will involve proposing and carefully researching and analysing improvements to the overall enterprise system. At this stage it is required that students compare and contrast suggested improvements and their management with existing system if no changes are made. The analysis of these comparisons has to be very thorough in order to be taken seriously by the client. Assisting the client with implementing some or all of the agreed changes and evaluating the outcomes will conclude the student's involvement in the process. The course concludes with presentations of the project, obtaining feedback and reflecting on the whole experience. First, students will be presenting the results of the analysis, improvements and outcomes to the client and key stakeholders such as family members, employees and consultants. Students will also obtain feed back from the client(s) and include all of these in a situation improvement document. Second, a presentation is made to the peers in the class followed by a discussion on relevant issues. Finally, a separate document is submitted as the outcome of reflection on the entire course experience. The two presentations and the two documents will make up the assessment of this part of the course.
 
Course Litterature
Study material to be presented at the start of the course.
 
Course Coordinator
Nadarajah Sriskandarajah, sri@kvl.dk, Institute of Food and Resource Economics/Consumption, Health and Ethics Division, Phone: 35283432
Vibeke Langer, vl@life.ku.dk, Department of Agricultural Sciences/Environment, Resources and Technology, Phone: 35332383
Vagn Olsen, vo@life.ku.dk, Institute of Food and Resource Economics/Consumption, Health and Ethics Division, Phone: 35332167
 
Study Board
Study Committee NSN
 
Course Scope
project work176
Excursions4
supervision18
examination8

206