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IA40460

Academic Year 2026/2027

Design your Purposeful Life (IA40460)

Subject:
Innovation Academy
College:
VP - Research, Innov & Impact
School:
Innovation Academy
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Jakub Urbaniak-Ndlovu
Trimester:
Autumn&Spring&Summer(separate)
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

OVERVIEW

The aim of this module is to support students in reflecting on their learning, career and life aspirations through a Design Thinking approach.

Design Thinking is a human-centred, creative approach to problem-solving. It provides a practical and repeatable process for identifying opportunities, exploring possibilities and developing innovative solutions. While it is often used to design products and services, this module applies the same approach to one of the most important design challenges: shaping a meaningful life and career.

Over the course of the module, students will reflect on their life so far, their values, strengths and sense of purpose. Through a combination of creative and analytical tools, they will develop deeper insight into themselves, explore possible futures and begin to map out the next steps in their personal and professional journeys.

Students will also be introduced to a range of stories and testimonies that may inspire their own life-shaping choices. Alongside this individual reflection, they will build a supportive peer community in which to share ideas, hear different perspectives and learn from how others are approaching similar questions.

By the end of the module, students will have gained a practical toolkit that they can return to at different points in life when making informed, creative and purposeful choices about their future.

*** Please note that assessment for this module largely takes place during class time, with the exception of a small amount of pre-work and an individual reflective report, which is typically due within two weeks of the module finishing.


UCD INNOVATION ACADEMY

At the UCD Innovation Academy, we are Educator Practitioners with extensive real-world experience as academics, business and social entrepreneurs, tech thinkers, creative professionals, and design thinking practitioners.

Our teaching is grounded in academic rigour. Our focus is on ‘learning by doing’ in a real-world context. Classes include a combination of individual and team tasks and activities, along with discussions, presentations, and reflection.

Enrolment in an Innovation Academy module means a commitment to active participation and engagement, which necessitates attendance at all scheduled classes.

www.innovationacademy.ie

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

(1) Critically engage with the five stages of Design Thinking and apply them reflexively as a framework for designing a purposeful personal and professional life.
(2) Examine their core values in relation to identity, wellbeing, relationships, work, decision-making, and future life choices.
(3) Articulate personal meaning and success by recognising their strengths, aspirations, and evolving life narrative.
(4) Generate and evaluate creative possibilities for alternative future scenarios, including but not limited to personal and professional pathways.
(5) Prototype multiple possible futures by exploring career options, life choices, networks, and practical next steps.
(6) Communicate effectively with peers and wider networks to share ideas, build supportive relationships, and develop purposeful collaborations.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Advanced Beginner

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Not addressed

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Not addressed

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 2

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 2

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 2

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

5
Small Group

20
Conversation Class

10
Practical

5
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Total

120

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
All Innovation Academy modules take a learning by doing approach, combining, individual, group and team activities, tasks and projects including presentations, discussion and reflection:

• Active/task-based learning
• Peer and Group work
• Reflective Learning
• Enquiry & Problem-based learning
• Student Presentations
• Case Study Learning

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
IA20090 - Design Your Life


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Participation including but not limited to: in-class presentations, online assignments, etc. Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
30
 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: This module requires active participation and engagement in all class activities. Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
40
 Yes
Reflective Assignment: Reflection Report at the end of the Module. Note: ‘Schedule Details’ will adjust based on the length of the module. E.g., for a 5-day intensive module, the final assessment is due 3 weeks afterward. Week 15 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
30
 Yes

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual feedback is available upon request.

Name Role
Anh Nguyen Quoc Tutor
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