BDSN3001: Semester 1, 2024

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Units BDSN3001 Semester 1 2024 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

BDSN3001: BioDesign Studio

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

The 21st Century is the century of biology, where living machines will disrupt industries-from medicine to transport, textiles and food. This requires biologists, medical scientists, biomedical engineers and designers to collaborate. In this unit, students will learn how to use design as a framework for developing novel product concepts, to draw on emerging biotechnology and biomedical science in the design of products and systems, to iteratively prototype and validate ideas, and to create solutions that demonstrate impact on human and planetary health. You will work in an interdisciplinary team of students in a design studio, bringing domain expertise to contribute to the conceptualisation, investigation, design and prototyping of innovative solutions that are based on biological systems. Your team will combine scientific theory with design practice, working closely with academic staff who can provide expert advice and support. At the conclusion of the unit of study, you will present your design solutions to an expert panel. Subject to funding and the quality of submissions, one team may subsequently be invited to present their project at the Museum for Modern Art in New York as part of the global Biodesign Challenge.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	BDSN3001
Academic unit	Design Lab
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	BDSN2001
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Knowledge of design methods and processes, and knowledge in biology, biomedical sciences, bioengineering or medical sciences
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Phillip Gough, phillip.gough@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	G3 - Design Documentation Completed design project documentation and video	25%	Formal exam period Due date: 01 Jun 2024 at 23:59	7000 words maximum and 3-minute video
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	G1 - Concept Presentation Group presentation and Visual Report	15%	Week 05 Due date: 21 Mar 2024 at 23:59	10-15 minutes Written Report 2 pages max
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	I1 - Related Work Background and related work	20%	Week 07 Due date: 08 Apr 2024 at 23:59	2000 words maximum
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	I2 - Implications and Discussion Reflection on implications for design	25%	Week 11 Due date: 06 May 2024 at 23:59	3000 words maximum
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	G2 - Project Presentation Group Project Presentation	15%	Week 13 Due date: 23 May 2024 at 23:59	20 Minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

The assessments are divided into two sections: Individual research and group project development.

The individual background research and research journal will include annotated bibliography of academic articles and critical review of biodesign projects.

The group project will include developing a strategic design and a proof-of-concept implementation.

Assessment criteria

Result Name	Mark Range	Description
HD	High Distinction	You demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard.
D	Distinction	You demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard.
C	Credit	You demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard.
P	Pass	You demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard.
F	Fail	You don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties are described on each assessment rubric, which is available on Canvas

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction and Brief	Studio (3 hr)
Week 02	Growing Designs Workshop	Studio (3 hr)
Week 03	Problem Shaping	Studio (3 hr)
Week 04	Academic Design Research: Methodology Planning	Studio (3 hr)
Week 05	Presentations	Studio (3 hr)
Week 06	Studio Time	Studio (3 hr)
Week 07	Related Work	Studio (3 hr)
Week 08	Studio Time	Studio (3 hr)
Week 09	Studio Time	Studio (3 hr)
Week 10	Studio Time	Studio (3 hr)
Week 11	Design Implications	Studio (3 hr)
Week 12	Studio Time	Studio (3 hr)
Week 13	Presentations	Studio (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Please refer to the Resolutions of the University School: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/architecture/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Readings will be made available online through canvas. The readings should be completed before the class time. Additional recommended readings are available on the class Zotero library

Genç, Ç., Launne, E., & Häkkilä, J. (2022). Interactive Mycelium Composites: Material Exploration on Combining Mushroom with Off-the-shelf Electronic Components. Nordic Human-Computer Interaction Conference, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1145/3546155.3546689

Kimura, T., & Kakehi, Y. (2014). MOSS-xels: Slow changing pixels using the shape of racomitrium canescens. ACM SIGGRAPH 2014 Posters, SIGGRAPH 2014, 1–1. https://doi.org/10.1145/2614217.2630572

Lazaro Vasquez, E. S., Wang, H.-C., & Vega, K. (2020). Introducing the Sustainable Prototyping Life Cycle for Digital Fabrication to Designers. Proceedings of the 2020 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, 1301–1312. https://doi.org/10.1145/3357236.3395510

Pataranutaporn, P., Vujic, A., Kong, D. S., Maes, P., & Sra, M. (2020). Living Bits. Proceedings of the Augmented Humans International Conference, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1145/3384657.3384783

Sabinson, E., Pradhan, I., & Evan Green, K. (2021). Plant-Human Embodied Biofeedback (pheB): A Soft Robotic Surface for Emotion Regulation in Confined Physical Space. Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1145/3430524.3446065

Stead, M., & Coulton, P. (2022). Sustainable Technological Futures: Moving beyond a One-World-World perspective. Nordic Human-Computer Interaction Conference, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1145/3546155.3547283

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Use design as a framework for developing innovative biodesign applications
LO2. Compare emerging biotechnology and biomedical science for the design of products and systems.
LO3. Iteratively prototype and validate ideas.
LO4. Formulate solutions that demonstrate impact on human and planetary health.
LO5. Evaluate the feasibility and potential of biodesign applications.
LO6. Work effectively in an interdisciplinary team environment to identify and implement a design brief.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit has been updated to include opportunities to support participation in academic research.

Additional information

Additional costs

There may be some costs associated with this course.

Work, health and safety

It is a requirement that you are able to work in DMAF this semester. You will be enrolled in the required modules on Canvas. Instructions will be discussed in class.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

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