Course syllabus for Inventive problem solving

The course syllabus contains changes
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Course syllabus adopted 2024-11-11 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameInnovativ problemlösning
  • CodeTRA365
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTRACKS
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • DepartmentTRACKS
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 97114
  • Minimum participants8
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0123 Project 7.5 c
Grading: TH		 7.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)

Course specific prerequisites

In addition to the general requirements to study at the first-cycle level at Chalmers, necessary subject or project specific prerequisite competences (if any) must be fulfilled. Alternatively, the student must obtain the necessary competences during the course. The examiner will formulate and check these prerequisite competences. The student will only be admitted in agreement with the examiner.

The course is open to all eligible students.

Aim

In general, being a Tracks course, this course aims to provide a platform to work and solve challenging cross-disciplinary authentic problems from different stakeholders in society such as the academy, industry or public institutions. Additionally, the aim is that students from different educational programs practice working efficiently in multidisciplinary development teams.

Specifically, the course aims to teach, train and practice the systematic approach to problem solving in engineering and beyond. We will go step by step, from understanding the problem, through identification of the key conflict or obstacle, which makes the solving challenging, and applying techniques to overcome the identified obstacle. This approach follows the spirit of the theory of inventive problem solving, or TRIZ. Important goal of the course is development of a specific inventive mindset, which will be trained through solving of multiple real-world problems. Worth emphasizing, the course by its nature is interdisciplinary and gains and benefits from variety of the students' backgrounds and experiences.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

Generally, after completion of the Tracks course, the student should be able to:
  • Critically and creatively identify and/or formulate advanced engineering problems. Master problems with open solutions spaces which includes to be able to handle uncertainties and limited information.
  • Work in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate in teams with different compositions.
  • Orally and in writing explain and discuss information, problems, methods, design/development processes and solutions.

Specifically, after completion of the course, the student should be able to:
  • Understand and analyze engineering problems. Identify and formulate the ultimate goal the desired solution should achieve.
  • Identify the important elements of a problem and their interactions. Abstract from not important details. Re-formulate the problem as a system of interacting elements performing certain function(s).
  • Identify system conflict.
  • Solve problem through overcoming of the system conflict and by modifying/adding or removing the problem’s elements and their interactions.
  • Be aware of and use techniques and tools from the TRIZ toolbox, e.g., ideal solution, SuField analysis, (40) inventive principles, etc.

Content

The course introduces to the systematic approach to solving problems in engineering and beyond following the spirit of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, or TRIZ. The course combines lectures and extensive problem-solving exercises in the class and students by themselves. The following techniques and tools will be covered:
  • Function-based approach to problem analysis
  • ARIZ ("Algorithm"),
  • Ideal Solution concept,
  • Separation principles,
  • Substance-Field Analysis ("SuField"),
  • (40) Inventive principles,
  • Techniques to avoid psychological inertia,
  • Evolution of (technical) systems
and more.

Organisation

The course is organized in weekly modules:
  • Lectures,
  • Week assignments (five assignments given to the student groups and two individual ones),
  • Workshops in support for the week assignments (on-demand based, in-person or online),
  • Follow-up lectures/discussions, and
  • Final project work.
  • Lectures and follow-up lectures are conducted in the classroom. Workshops could be also conducted in the classroom or online.

Literature

(all available at the Chalmers Library)
V. Fey and E. Rivin, Innovation on Demand: New Product Development Using TRIZ - Cambridge, 2010. (e-book)
G. Altshuller, And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving - Technical Innovation Center, Inc., 2004
D. Mann Hands-on Systematic Innovation for Business and Management - IFR Press, 2004 (2nd Edition (2007, 2014), ISBN:1-898546-73-8

Examination including compulsory elements

Grade for the course is counted as combination of the grades for the weekly home assignments and for the final project report.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.

The course syllabus contains changes

  • Changes to course:
    • 2024-11-11: Aim Aim changed by UOL
      Updated purpose
    • 2024-11-11: Organization Organization changed by UOL
      Updated information about organisation
    • 2024-11-11: Learning outcomes Learning outcomes changed by UOL
      Updated learning outcome
    • 2024-11-11: Prerequisites Prerequisites changed by UOL
      Updated course specific prerequisites
    • 2024-11-11: Content Content changed by UOL
      Updated content
    • 2024-11-11: Examination Examination changed by UOL
      Updated information about examination
    • 2024-11-11: Litterature Litterature changed by UOL
      Updated information about literature