Module finder

The course takes place during the Easter vacation at La Laguna University, Tenerife, Spain.

The course consists of two separately assessed modules.
Module 1 is a one week design study of an astronomical spacecraft.
Module 2 is a week of practical observations at the Teide Observatory using optical and infra-red telescopes involving both solar and night-time observations.

Due to space limitations at the observatory, only 12 students can take part in this module. Offers to participate are made only to the 12 academically strongest students registered on the MPhys with Astronomy Programme, based on performance in Year 1. Academic performance will be judged by the credit-weighted Year 1 average, using only marks obtained at the first attempt (i.e. no referral marks).

Only students registered on the MPhys with Astronomy programme by the end of the summer term of their first year will be considered for invitation onto this module.

The course takes place during the Easter vacation at La Laguna University, Tenerife, Spain.

The course consists of two separately assessed modules.
Module 1 is a one week design study of an astronomical spacecraft.
Module 2 is a week of practical observations at the Teide Observatory using optical and infra-red telescopes involving both solar and night-time observations.

Due to space limitations at the observatory, only 12 students can take part in this module. Offers to participate are made only to the 12 academically strongest students registered on the MPhys with Astronomy Programme, based on performance in Year 1. Academic performance will be judged by the credit-weighted Year 1 average, using only marks obtained at the first attempt (i.e. no referral marks).

Only students registered on the MPhys with Astronomy programme by the end of the summer term of their first year will be considered for invitation onto this module.

The third module is focused on the design and production of online learning across a series of lessons or learning sessions such as a module or curriculum. You will be given an opportunity to consider the issues around sequencing of learning, formative, and summative assessment, how to provide experiential online learning and how to produce online learning material including responsible use of AI to support the design and production of courses. The module will consider ways in which you can apply learning theory and pedagogy to your learning design and practice. You will learn how to support students as a tutor, how to reinforce learning, and provide for differentiation and progression across a series of lessons. Themes in the previous module will be developed further as we consider wider issues of learning design and creating a climate conducive to learning.

The third module is focused on the design and production of online learning across a series of lessons or learning sessions such as a module or curriculum. You will be given an opportunity to consider the issues around sequencing of learning, formative, and summative assessment, how to provide experiential online learning and how to produce online learning material including responsible use of AI to support the design and production of courses. The module will consider ways in which you can apply learning theory and pedagogy to your learning design and practice. You will learn how to support students as a tutor, how to reinforce learning, and provide for differentiation and progression across a series of lessons. Themes in the previous module will be developed further as we consider wider issues of learning design and creating a climate conducive to learning.

This practice-based module invites you to tackle complex and "wicked" global challenges using advanced design thinking, systems approaches, and iterative design methods. You will be encouraged to identify situations where the complexity of contemporary life overwhelms existing systems, services, or design responses - and to develop innovative, collaborative solutions that prioritise both people and the planet.

Engaging across artefacts, services, strategies, and experiences, you will investigate the values, goals, and needs of diverse stakeholders. You'll develop the ability to frame and communicate complex issues, recognising the social, environmental, and technological dimensions of design. Through iterative cycles of ideation, prototyping, testing, and refinement, you will produce ethically informed, professionally executed design outcomes.

Design Explorations promotes transdisciplinary collaboration and encourages co-creation with academic, civic, and industry partners. These partnerships will enrich your portfolio and equip you with the skills and experience needed for future professional pathways.

This module enables students to apply ethical, inclusive design principles through externally set projects with industry partners. Students will consider multiple stakeholders throughout the design process, testing concepts and strategies to deliver responsive, accessible, and sustainable solutions. Students develop designs that address diverse needs, taking into account factors such as age, ability, and cultural context.

Emphasising real-world collaboration, the module builds skills in research, communication, and professional practice while encouraging reflective design approaches. Technical workshops are provided to support students.

This module explores social sustainability, responsive design approaches, and meaningful engagement with society.

Students work on projects that address identified community needs, responding to feedback and change while developing sustainable, ethical, and socially responsible design solutions. Co-design approaches and design ethnography are introduced as key methods for understanding users and contexts.

Teaching methods include studio-based sessions and technical workshops and working ‘live’ on real-time issues. The module may include guest lecturers and study trips that provide immersive examples of co-design.

This module supports the development of advanced design and technological skills aligned with contemporary industry practice. Emphasis is placed on current production methods and emerging technologies, and on integrating ethical, sustainable, and inclusive considerations throughout the design process. You will learn to combine materials, manufacturing processes, and digital tools to produce innovative, feasible, and responsible design solutions.

You will explore the design of technology‑embedded products and systems thinking to address increasingly complex design challenges. The module encourages critical engagement with technology, enabling you to design intelligent and responsive products.

Building on knowledge gained in Year 1, the module deepens your understanding of innovative materials and advanced manufacturing processes. You will also strengthen your ergonomic approach by considering cognitive and perceptual aspects of user experience.

Technical workshops and lectures support learning in advanced CAD, prototyping, emerging technologies, and AI tools, while introducing key theories of technology and human–technology relationships to inform reflective and critically engaged design practice.

This module equips you with the knowledge and skills to creatively explore the role of immersive, smart, and mixed reality technologies in shaping future scenarios, products, services, and systems. A series of practical keystone projects offer you the opportunity to refine your design practice (concept, iteration, testing, and feedback) and build your portfolio. You will gain advanced skills in digital and physical prototyping, scenario planning, and critical storytelling.

Critical engagement with current global issues and creative exploration of future possibilities, will develop your understanding of the ethical implications and systemic impacts of design choices. Co-design practices, knowledge exchange, and industry insight are integral to this module. Collaboration with industry partners and peers, ensure you remain at the forefront of this fast-evolving sector and gain valuable professional experience in the creation of future-facing solutions.

In the Design Futures and Emerging Technologies module, you will gain in-depth expertise in applying smart and emerging technologies - including sensory processing, the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), artificial intelligence (AI), creative coding, and smart systems processing. The module investigates how these technologies can be applied to envision and shape sustainable, equitable, and ethical futures.

Through speculative design briefs, you'll engage with both creative and technical methods to conceptualise and prototype forward-thinking interventions. The module emphasises immersive experience design, human-computer interaction, and frameworks for responsible innovation, while encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, industry engagement, and the use of future foresight tools to address complex societal challenges.

You’ll develop an understanding of how emerging technologies systems influence decision-making, systems and user behaviour. Emphasis is placed on designing for equity and accessibility, ensuring that future design solutions respond to diverse needs and cultural contexts. As you build advanced prototyping skills using digital and computational platforms, you’ll learn how to evaluate the broader implications of your design proposals within real-world socio-technical contexts.