The time flies by quickly when you have a good time. Three years at KISK went very fast. Reading back about my expectations and hopes, I think they were fulfilled.
I wrote about…
…diverse learning, because I am a person “who wants to do everything”
…being excited and challenged during my studies
….getting the most from the courses I take and giving them the energy they need
How was my vision fulfilled?
I think that I stayed curious and proactive throughout my whole studies. I was excited and inspired by the classes I took, and I gave them the energy not only to pass them but also to get the most out of them. Of course, there were times when I had too much on my plate and felt overwhelmed, but for the most part, my studies were smooth and pleasant. The skills I developed most were analytical thinking, academic writing, and the ability to articulate my thoughts and intentions more clearly. I also learned to ask more questions and research my interests more.
You can read about the courses I took in this portfolio (semesters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6), or take a look at a mind map that shows not only what courses I took, but also how they influenced each other and my main takeaways. I also added stars to the classes that had the biggest impact on my studies.
Even after three years of studying, I still have some classes that I would like to take, but I did not have the capacity or time to take them. That includes:
- ISKB52 Social Inovations in Libraries because I want to know what is happening in the Libraries and how the design of innovation can make them more attractive to new users.
- ISKB80 Digital wellbeing: How to live online without losing balance, because I think that stopping and reviewing my digital habits would help me to find a better balance.
- ISKM105 Constructive design research: critique, futuring, innovation. This course was unfortunately open only from last semester, when I lived abroad. I believe it would help me get deeper into Research through Design a methodology I used in my Master thesis. I also admired the practical side of creating tangible prototypes, which I did not have that many opportunities to do.
- ISKM56 Data Visualisation because I believe that understanding data and being able to communicate it is important, and I feel that this area of Information Studies is my biggest gap till now.
- ISKM95 Learning design: theory and practice. As a facilitator and learning designer, I would like to enlarge my skills and knowledge in this area.)
I am planning to focus on these areas after finishing my studies and maybe even apply to individual courses to keep learning.
Profilation
Even though I came to KISK for the design motivation, I did not specifically mention it in my first post here. After the first semester of the DISRI course, I knew this was the direction I wanted to pursue. During my studies, I attended many design classes, and thanks to CEEPUS fremover, I even attended HCI classes at Salzburg University. I am motivated by the aspirational side of Design to aim and create possible futures that make our world better, and that is why I think the move from Environmental studies is not as random as it may seem. The areas that interest me most are speculative design, learning design, and game design, which I tried to connect in my master’s thesis.
Master thesis
When thinking about the topic of my thesis, I knew that I wanted to work on something tangible and board games as tools for play and learning interested me, so connecting design with game-based learning seemed like a great combination. After my first consultation with my supervisor, I was afraid that I would not choose something too big for a thesis. Designing a board game takes many hours, and I could have spent more time on that than on the research itself. Thankfully, thanks to my supervisor, I found a doable, research-focused angle and decided to use the Research through Design methodology, focusing on High School students as my target group.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the design, research, and even writing of my project. When researching the topic, I found it even more interesting than I anticipated and testing the game with students was insightful. Even after spending so many hours on it, I am still curious and happy to continue working on this project. I also became more confident in my academic writing, and I am open to further developing my research skills.
Community
A big part of my studies was the community and friends I made along the way. Participating in community events organised by the department, such as Kiskforums or Trekflow, motivated me to continue with my studies, engaged me in many interesting conversations, and showed me the paths alumni took after finishing their degrees. I also met an amazing friend group that made everyday life more fun. We support each other with studying, discuss diverse topics, and I am very grateful for them and the whole KISK community that I met thanks to enrolling on this degree.
What comes next?
There are a few possible futures I am considering. Firstly, I am looking for a job in the area of design, learning and event coordination. I want to use the knowledge I gained during my studies to further develop. As I already mentioned, I am thinking about taking some Lifelong learning courses to keep learning and revisit things that I had less capacity for during my studies. I am also considering further long-term studies, either a design programme or a PhD, but I believe I will need a few months or years to find the courage to do it. Either way, I am excited to learn about what is happening at KISK as an alumnus and participate in various events.