Collaboration Methods

Effective and good collaboration is often crucial to achieving success in today's social and working life. The working life organizations often use different collaboration methods depending on the tasks to be carried out and the challenges they face. In this subject, students gain a deep understanding of several current collaboration methods which are widespread in working life and which are particularly suitable for given problem situations. Students will gain practical problem-solving experience using selected collaboration methods. Current methods can be Concurrent Design, Design Thinking, various agile project methods (Scrum, Kanban, ...) and Virtual Project Teams.

The subject is based on insights from the research field of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). The students thus become well acquainted with issues and concepts that traditionally have been discussed in connection with the development of digital solutions that support collaboration processes. Furthermore, the course builds on theoretical insight from the concrete collaboration methods that the students gain practical experience with during the course.

The students will build an understanding that collaboration is context-dependent and that different collaboration methods have characteristics that mean they can be well suited for some problem-solving processes and less suitable in other contexts.

After completing the course, the following overall learning outcomes should be achieved:

Knowledge

Students should:

• Be able to explain the various collaboration methods included in the course.
• Be able to explain what interdisciplinary collaboration is and what advantages can be achieved by interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Be able to explain important elements for successful interdisciplinary collaboration in various projects.
• Be able to explain the various principles within Concurrent Design.
• Be able to explain how selected collaboration methods can be used in a concrete problem-solving process.

Skills

Students should:

• Be able to participate in planning for the use of selected collaboration methods.
• Be able to carry out problem solving using selected collaboration methods.
• Be able to give qualified advice and recommendations in relation to organisations' use of different collaboration methods.

General competence

Students should:

• Be able to contribute to increased efficiency and improved achievement of results by facilitating good interdisciplinary and integrated collaboration.
• Be able to adapt the current collaboration method to different projects and problem areas.
• Have an understanding that interdisciplinary needs must be satisfied if the whole is to be as good as possible.

Various forms of working and learning activities will be used. This includes a combination of lectures, group-based work between the lectures, participation in interdisciplinary working sessions in a collaboration room, as well as work before and after the sessions.