1420X Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Centred Design – Portfolio Requirements

Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design

Portfolio Requirements

• • Overview
  • Plagiarism
  • Specifications
  • Requirements
    • Title Page
    • Experience
    • Case Study
  • Assessment
  • Submission

Overview

To process your application, we must receive your portfolio as per the instructions defined in this requirements document. Please complete this portfolio ONLY if you have received acceptance from Algonquin College. If you have any questions, please contact Jed Looker, program coordinator, at lookerj@algonquincollege.com.

Plagiarism

Applicants who have submitted plagiarized work will not be admitted to the program.

As per Algonquin College Policy AA48, plagiarism, whether done deliberately or accidentally, is defined as presenting someone else’s work, in whole or in part, as one’s own. This applies to ideas, wording, code, graphics, music, and inventions from all sources, including the Internet, television, video, film, and recordings; all print and written sources, such as books, periodicals, lyrics, government publications, promotional materials, and academic assignments; and all verbal sources such as conversations and interviews. Sharing one’s work with other learners where this has not been authorized is also considered an act of plagiarism. The reuse of one’s own words, ideas, artistic expression or work from pre-existing material especially without acknowledgment of their earlier use, is self-plagiarism.

To learn more about plagiarism, please see college resources related to Academic Integrity.

AI

Work generated by AI will not be accepted. In the context of this portfolio work is defined as, but not limited to, written (e.g. headings; paragraphs; sentences; etc.) and visual (e.g. images; graphics; illustrations; etc.) content. Upon submission your portfolio will be audited by several AI detectors. Content that has been flagged as having a high probability of being produced by AI will be considered to be plagiarized.

Specifications

Please submit your portfolio as a Word Document per these technical specifications:

• Size: Letter (8.5” x 11”)
• Orientation: Portrait
• Line spacing: 1.2 (min) 1.5 (max)
• Document: Single sided
• File Size: No larger than 5Mb

Requirements

The purpose of the portfolio is to assess your potential for success in the Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design program. The portfolio will position your academic and professional experience in relation to the program focus and your career objectives and will demonstrate your approach to project development. Applied design skills will not be assessed. Your portfolio must be completed in English, and must be developed as per the following outline:

Title Page

A single page with the following information:

• First and last name
• Algonquin College student number
• Personal email

Experience

1 page (max) to position your experience in relation to program focus and your career objectives. Please respond to the following questions:

1. Design research often draws from previous knowledge and experience. Summarize your academic background and professional experience. What skills from either do you feel will be an asset to you in a design research capacity and why?
2. Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design teaches design research methodology, from user interviews to data analysis to the development and testing of evidence-based strategies. How will these skills support your career objectives?

Case Study

Select 1 project from your academic and/or professional experience. Develop a case study for this project as per the criteria defined below:

Selection

• Any project you developed individually or collaboratively
• Any project from either your academic or professional experience
• Any project from volunteer experience
• Any personal or side projects at home, school or work

Media

Use figures and tables as needed to support your discussion. A reminder that applied design skills will not be assessed. Your case study should be considered a written exercise.

Outline

2-3 pages (max) to discuss the following. Do not answer the questions below directly, but rather use them as a guide to describe your project. Identify sources of any reference literature or media and demonstrate a professional use of written English.

1. Goal
   a. What problem or objective were you addressing?
   b. Why was addressing this problem or objective important?
   c. What was your role in this project?
2. Method
   a. What methods did you use to develop this project?
   b. Why did you choose these specific methods?
   c. How did you use these methods throughout project development?
3. Outcome
   a. What were the project outcomes?
   b. Were your outcomes successful at meeting the project goals, and why?
   c. What lesson(s) did you learn from the methods used and/or outcomes that would inform iteration or your approach to future projects?

Assessment

The portfolio will be assessed based on the following criteria.

Rubric

Score

Submission