In the first part of the module, the team of module conveners will give lectures on the concept of the living lab, the didactic conception behind it, the civil society context it emerged from, the different disciplinary perspectives on how to define social problems and how to conduct experiments concerned with finding solutions to them, the social structure of the city of Bangor itself, and the methodologies of conducting and reporting on the experiments. This will be complemented by online contributions from lecturers and students participating in similar modules at universities linked through the living lab concept, providing the international dimension of the module. In the second part of the module students will mostly work in small groups and define the problem they wish to work on, and design the experiment they wish to conduct. From this point onward, group work and tutorials will predominate, each group of students being tutored by one of the conveners, while teaching will be less classroom based. In the last several weeks of the module, students will present to each other the work they did in the groups and the video reports that will be shared online with students at other universities participating in the living lab projects.

Assessment Strategy

• Threshold students (D- to D+) will demonstrate an appropriate range or depth of knowledge and understanding of at least parts of the module, and will make partly-successful attempts to develop skills correlating with the requirements of the module. Assignments may be rather opaque, lacking in clarity and articulacy. The coursework submitted may be incomplete, or include one or more tasks which lack focus on core themes and issues, or address the problems/questions with imprecision. The coursework tasks may display only cursory intellectual engagement. Little attempt is made to reflect on and theorize the issues raised. One or more of the assignments may have an unclear structure, contain insufficient well-presented, well-chosen material. • Capable students (C- to C+) will show evidence of some reading and understanding in their submissions, but parts of their work will still remain superficial; they will cover most of the important aspects of the field, but lack depth or accuracy; they will provide an argument, but only employ limited evidence. There will be lack of reflection and theorization. One or more tasks will lack a precise focus on core themes and issues, or address the problems/questions with sketchiness. Tasks may demonstrate some intellectual engagement with relevant primary and secondary evidence. Lines of argument may not be as clear as they could have been. The submissions generally conform to the correct format but may display anomalies. One or more of the coursework tasks may have an unclear structure but contain some well-presented, well-chosen material. • Good students (B- to B+) will show a solid level of achievement in all the criteria relevant to the module, and will exhibit constructive engagement with the core issues of problem definition and the designing of an experiment. Ideas and arguments will be communicated effectively in both assignments. The assignments will consistently retain a precise focus on the core themes and issues, and address the problems/questions with accurate and relevant material. Arguments are presented and almost all lines of argument are supported and illustrated with appropriate evidence. The tasks conform to the correct format and are mostly presented in an accurate fashion, with some engaging elements. All of the coursework tasks will have a clear structure and contain material which is mostly well-presented and well-chosen. • Excellent students (A- and above) will show depth of achievement across the criteria relevant to the module, combined with particularly impressive depths of knowledge, sophistication and/or subtlety of analysis across the assignments. Work will exhibit a sophisticated engagement with core themes and issues, and address the problems/questions with reference to problem definition and the assigning of an experiment. Submissions will demonstrate in depth and detailed intellectual engagement with relevant primary and secondary evidence. Coherent and convincing arguments are presented, which are comprehensively supported with appropriate evidence. All of the tasks conform to the correct format and are presented in an accurate and engaging fashion. All of the submissions will have a clear structure and contain material which is always well-presented and well-chosen.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to compare and contrast their own perceptions of social problems and strategies for problem solving with the perspectives of students in very different contexts and circumstances.

• Students will be able to define, reflect on and articulate social problems at the end of the module with a view to finding solutions.

• Students will be able to identify and explain experimental educational methods in the context of didactic strategies and disciplinary contexts at the end of the module.

• Students will be able to use and develop critical and analytical thinking skills and use methods of experimental, open-ended enquiry at the end of the module.