exchange study package facilitating technological … · 2017-08-25 · a stakeholder analysis and...

WHAT IS AN EXCHANGE STUDY PACKAGE?Exchange Study Packages are balanced, coherent, well-structured, and self-contained sets of courses at a final Bachelor year academic level. Choosing one of these packages means you do not have to worry about selecting the right courses or managing your calendar to fit all of your classes. Simply apply for a package that suits your academic background and interest to be ensured of a well-balanced exchange programme, often consisting of 30 EC. These packages are generally accessible to students who have successfully completed the first two years of their Bachelor programme.

EXCHANGE STUDY PACKAGE

EXCHANGE STUDY PACKAGE

WWW.UTWENTE.NL/GO/EXCHANGE

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FACILITATING TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE

Technological innovation projects usually involve many different

stakeholders that have a ‘make-or-break’ influence. The government,

for example, influences the development of technological innovations

through regulations and subsidies. Private investors play a pivotal

role in financing new projects, and the general public in the

legitimization of technological innovations. Whether new

technologies succeed or fail depends to a large extent on effective

communication with these stakeholders.

This module addresses the development oftechnological innovations from a system and stakehol­ders perspective. Students learn about the keyprocesses of innovation and the different stakeholdersinvolved in those processes. The knowledge acquiredserves as input for a communication strategy toadvance the development and implementation of a

specific innovation. The general public is a crucial stakeholder in innovationprojects. Students learn about motives, perspectivesand interests, and how to influence the public using theheuristics of science communication and publicrelations. Furthermore, students work on a popularscientific magazine, setting up their own editorial office,to educate the general public about varioustechnological innovations that have been developed atthis university. This module includes four components:2.1 Project: Stakeholders and Technological Innovations2.1 Theory: Science Communication & Public Relations2.1 Research Methodology: Qualitative Methodology 22.1 Academic and Professional Skills: PopularizingScience 2.1 P: Stakeholders and Technological InnovationsThe project consists of two parts. First, working in theirproject teams, the students write a strategic report on

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www.utwente.nl/en/education/exchange-students/departmental-exchange-coordinators/

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the development and implementation of a technologicalinnovation developed at the University of Twente. Thestrategic report is based on the system perspective anda stakeholder analysis and focuses on how (in terms ofmeans and messages) important stakeholders should beaddressed.Second, students are required to address the generalpublic by creating a popular scientific magazine abouttechnological innovations used in the first part of theproject. Based on a media analysis and focus groups,students write a popular article about their innovationwithin their groups. With four other groups they form aneditorial office, consisting of text editors, journalists andvisual editors, to publish a complete magazine. 2.1 T: Science Communication and Public RelationsIn this module component, students acquire anunderstanding of strategic communication theories andthe technological innovation system perspective. Bothparadigms are required by communication professionalsto facilitate technological change. Strategiccommunication theories in this context consist of stake­holder management, public relations and sciencecommunication. The technological innovation systemperspective covers the key processes of innovation,including: knowledge development, resourcemobilization, legitimization, entrepreneurialexperimentation, market formation, the influence of thedirection of search and the development of positiveexternalities. 2.1 R: Qualitative Methodology 2To understand the needs of the general public and howthese should be approached, students are introduced totwo qualitative research methods. By means of mediaanalysis, which includes making a codebook andanalysing a large number of media articles, studentslearn about the frames used by journalists to describe atechnological innovation. Secondly, the students learnmore about the perspectives, interests and motivationsof the general public through focus groups. Studentswill make an interview scheme, guide participants

through the focus group session, and code and analysethe answers. Both methods provide input for thepopular scientific magazine. 2.1 S: Popularizing ScienceIn this module component, students will learn how towrite and visualize innovations in an accessible way.Students learn how to write popular articles by applyingthe principles of journalism. From a designerperspective, students learn how to explain a technologyusing an infographic.

Course code201700001

SemesterFall, block 1

Succes or failuredepends on effective

communicationwith stakeholders.

To be paid at home institution.

ADMISSION CRITERIARelevant domain-specific prior knowledge

STUDY LOAD15 EC

STARTFall Semester

For more information about this Exchange StudyPackage, contact the Departmental ExchangeCoordinator of the Faculty of Behavioural,Management and Social Sciences.utwente.nl/go/exchange-coordinators