COURSE INTRODUCTION AND APPLICATION INFORMATION

Course Name
Graduation Thesis
Code
Semester
Theory
(hour/week)
Application/Lab
(hour/week)
Local Credits
ECTS
ID 494
Fall
2
2
3
4
Prerequisites
None
Course Language
English
Course Type
Required
Course Level
First Cycle
Mode of Delivery -
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course
Course Coordinator
Course Lecturer(s)
Assistant(s) -
Course Objectives This course aims to provide students with scientific research knowledge and skills related to the design discipline. In addition it provides students with communication skills for an academic environment within their ability to write a research paper.
Learning Outcomes The students who succeeded in this course;
  • Student will be able to conduct scientific research in design discipline.
  • Student will be able to evaluate scientific research in design discipline in relation to his/her subject area.
  • Student will be able to plan and conduct the research process systematically.
  • Student will be able to write a research paper.
  • Student will be able to display his/her studies within the framework of ethical issues in research.
Course Description In this course scientific research is undertaken within the design discipline; students are expected to conduct research and write a research paper on their individual research topics.
Related Sustainable Development Goals

 



Course Category

 Core Courses
Major Area Courses
Supportive Courses
X
Media and Managment Skills Courses
Transferable Skill Courses

 

WEEKLY SUBJECTS AND RELATED PREPARATION STUDIES

Week Subjects Required Materials
1 Organization: Distributing students to the related lecturers None
2 Meeting with the students and assigning Midterm-1 Midterm-1: “RESEARCH QUESTION”; “TITLE”; “KEYWORDS”; “TABLE OF CONTENTS”; “LITERATURE REVIEW (presentation and criticism of related, historical, similar, etc. researches)”; “METHODOLOGY (research methods used and their justification)”; “APPLICATION OF THE METHOD (DATA COLLECTION)”
3 Meeting with the students Literature survey
4 Meeting with the students Writing the literature survey
5 Meeting with the students Research planning and data collection
6 Meeting with the students Research planning and data collection
7 Submission of Midterm-1, meeting with the students and assigning Midterm-2 Midterm-2: “DATA ANALYSIS and SYNTHESIS”; “CONCLUSIONS and DISCUSSIONS”; “INTRODUCTION-ABSTRACT (research topic-question-aim, justification of the research, research methods, contribution of these methods to the research question-aim)”
8 Meeting with the students Analysis of data, evaluation, write-up
9 Meeting with the students Analysis of data, evaluation, write-up
10 Meeting with the students Analysis of data, evaluation, write-up
11 Meeting with the students Analysis of data, evaluation, write-up
12 Submission of Midterm-2, meeting with the students and assigning Presentation Presentation: Overviewing and writing up the overall research paper again
13 Meeting with the students Evaluation of results, completion of the thesis
14 Presentation Evaluation of results, completion of the thesis
15 Review of the Semester  
16 Review of the Semester  
Course Notes/Textbooks
Suggested Readings/Materials

Journal articles (Design Studies, Design Issues, Journal of Design Research, Journal of Design History, International Journal of Design, the Design Journal etc.), books (university libraries: IUE, ITU, BILKENT, METU, SABANCI etc.), thesis (the Council of Higher Education web page: www.yok.gov.tr), proceedings of conferences/symposiums, e-references.

Booth, W.C., Colomb, G.G., Williams, J.M. (2008) The Craft of Research, 3rd Edition, Chicago: the University of Chicago Press. Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., Tight, M. (1996) How to Research, Buckingham: Open University Press. Day, R. A. Çeviren: Altay, G. A. (2000) Bilimsel bir makale nasıl yazılır ve yayımlanır, 5.Baskı, Ankara: TÜBİTAK yayınları. Vidana Tavaşoğlu, D., Albayrak, S., Arıman, S. (2013) Essentials of Research Paper Writing, İTÜ Vakfı Yayınları, İstanbul. O’Leary, G. (2010) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project, Sage Publications, London. Loraine Blaxter, Christina Hughes and Malcolm Tight (2010) How to Research, Open University Press/McGraww Hill, NY - USA.

IMPORTANT NOTES: 1) Students study on their own individual research topics. They are assigned to lecturers, with whom they arrange meetings, and attend to these meetings orderly throughout the semester. 2 midterms and 1 presentation are given to the students in the semester. 2) Attending to the meetings and accomplishing the midterm assignments on time are evaluated as the participation of the student and are graded within the midterm assignments. 3) In the Presentation, students submit the latest version of their research paper, which is organized in a given format. (Evaluation is based on making a systematic piece of research, and writing up this research with an academic language in a given format. Proper written English is expected from the students for the evaluation. Attendance is compulsory. Punctuality is important for the meetings and for the submission of the midterm assignments. The midterm assignments are only accepted up to one week delay with up to 20% deduction).

 

EVALUATION SYSTEM

Semester Activities Number Weigthing
Participation
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury
1
20
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exam
Midterm
2
80
Final Exam
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade
3
100
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade
Total

ECTS / WORKLOAD TABLE

Semester Activities Number Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours
(Including exam week: 16 x total hours)
16
4
64
Laboratory / Application Hours
(Including exam week: 16 x total hours)
16
Study Hours Out of Class
0
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury
1
16
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exam
Midterms
2
20
Final Exams
    Total
120

 

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS RELATIONSHIP

#
 Program Competencies/Outcomes
* Contribution Level
1
2
3
4
5
1

To be able to equipped with theoretical and practical knowledge of industrial design, and to apply it to a variety of products, services and systems from conventional industries to urban scale with innovative and sustainable approaches

 X
2

To be able to communicate design concepts and proposals for solutions, which are supported with quantitative and qualitative data, to specialists and non-specialists through visual, written, and oral means

 X
3

To be able to equipped with the related theoretical and methodological knowledge of engineering, management, and visual communication that is required for interdisciplinary characteristic of industrial design; and to collaborate with other disciplines, organizations, or companies

 X
4

To be able to equipped with the knowledge of history and theory of design, arts and crafts; and culture of industrial design

 X
5

To be able to equipped with social, cultural, economic, environmental, legal, scientific and ethical values in the accumulation, interpretation and/or application of disciplinary information and to employ these values regarding different needs

 X
6

To be able to develop contemporary approaches individually and as a team member to solve today’s problems in the practice of industrial design

 X
7

To be able to define design problems within their contexts and circumstances, and to propose solutions for them within the discipline of industrial design considering materials, production technologies and ergonomics

 X
8

To be able to use digital information and communication technologies, physical model making techniques and machinery, at an adequate level to the discipline of industrial design
9

To be able to employ design research and methods within the theory and practice of industrial design
10

To be able to recognize the need and importance of a personal lifelong learning attitude towards their chosen specialization area within the industrial design field

 X
11

To be able to collect data in the areas of industrial design and communicate with colleagues in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1)

 X
12

To be able to speak a second foreign language at a medium level of fluency efficiently

 X
13

To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout the human history to their field of expertise

 X

*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest