Germany (July - August)

CSC396Y0 Designing Systems for Real World Problems

Human Centred Design results in robust solutions that successfully address real human problems. Summer Abroad provides students with an opportunity to explore new environments, be inspired with new design ideas, and improve their ability to see their own world with increased awareness. In this course, students will identify a real-world problem and work in groups on projects addressing this problem. Students will explore their problem space and the people within that space, identify needs, constraints and requirements, and ultimately design solutions. Their designs will be iterated with their target users by gathering feedback and usability testing their low-fidelity paper prototypes. The projects will culminate with the development and testing of an interactive hi-fidelity prototype of the technological solution that addresses their identified problem. Final project presentations will take place at the end of the course.

Unlike most CS courses this course counts as a full credit for Arts & Science, including a half credit towards Computer Science degree requirements. 

Prerequisite: Any Computer Science half course.
Breadth Requirement = The Physical and Mathematical Universes (category 5)
2025 Draft Course Outline

Field Trips

Students will have many field trips related to the course material.  Local visits to museums around Berlin including German Museum of Technology, Musical Instruments Museum, and Futurium. Human Computer Interaction Laboratory in the Hasso Plattner Institute at Potsdam University. A highlight of the field trips will be the overnight trip to Wolfsburg to visit the Volkswagen Factory, Autostadt, and the world renowned Phaeno Science Museum.

The cost of these trips is CAD $395, paid to UofT for return train transportation, accommodation in Wofsburg, guides, and most entrance fees.

Instructor

Ilona Posner is a User Experience (UX) Consultant and educator. Starting in the field more than 25 years ago, she has seen it evolve significantly. She is constantly striving to improve experiences with technology by focusing on human needs and business goals, while accommodating technological constraints. She has consulted in large corporations and startups, in different verticals including finance, telecom, healthcare, transportation, and education. 

An experienced educator Ilona Posner has been teaching User Experience since 2000 to hundreds of students, through project based design courses, at University of Toronto, OCAD University, and the Media Lab at the Canadian Film Centre. Teaching in both the graduate and the undergraduate programs, plus developing and delivering custom UX training courses for industry. 

Ilona Posner has been volunteering with TorCHI the Toronto Chapter of the CHI professional interest group for over a decade and running international Student Design Competitions at  Conferences. Ilona holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from the University of Toronto.

She enjoys taking breaks from consulting in order to travel and teach this course, which will run for the 6th time in 2025.

What Students Said about the course:

“I learned many skills that are very likely to be useful in my future career. My presentation skills have improved a lot.”

“It is a very intersecting course that I think everyone should take.”

 “Berlin is a great place to see and this course taught an important way to look at creating projects.”

“I'll say that if the students want to enjoy their study in Berlin, I'll highly recommended this course. But if the students want to only have fun and experience an easy course, then I'll not recommended.”

 “This course is very beneficial. For people who want to learn about user experience, this course is super helpful.”

Student Video Testimonials

Tianjin Elina Duan is a 4th-year student in Mathematics & Statistics, University of Toronto. Elina took CSC396 in Berlin in the Summer of 2024. She enjoyed the many field trips during the course. Elina gained a new perspective on design, learned to apply UX research methods, and enhanced her teamwork and presentation skills. She hopes to continue exploring this area in future studies and career pursuits. Video Link

Amanda Leiva, Student in Masters of Applied Science & Engineering, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. Bachelor of Science, Linguistics & Psychology. Amanda took CSC396 in the summer of 2019. In that class, she enjoyed conducting research & usability testing. She used information from the course to gain internship positions at TD and Lyft. Then later, she was able to apply those same skills in the workplace. Currently, Amanda is working as a UX Researcher and pursuing a Master's of Applied Science and Engineering, in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. Video Link

Brandon Cormier, Post Graduate Studies: Law School UBC. Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, University of Toronto. Brandon took CSC396 in the summer of 2019, and found it to be a highlight of his undergraduate degree. He found the course to provide hands-on experience in UX not available in any other class at U of T. Brandon worked as a Project Manager in a small software company where he learned to appreciate team leadership and that multidisciplinary teams can be much more than the sum of their parts. During the summer course in Berlin, Brandon was able to enjoy exploring the city and weekend travels in surrounding areas. After completing his Computer Science degree at the University of Toronto, Brandon continued on to study Law at the University of British Columbia. Video Link

Kelley Tai, Senior Consultant, IBM. Bachelor of Science, Computer Science & Linguistics, University of Toronto. Kelley enjoyed CSC396 in Berlin in summer of 2016. She found the course to be one of the best experiences in her whole life. She felt that concepts learned in the course can be broadly applicable to different fields, as well as to Computer Science. She appreciated the new perspectives developed by visiting a new country. Kelley still uses some of the course ideas in her work as a Senior Consultant and Product Owner at IBM. Video Link

Ryan Marten, Siebel Scholar '23, Research Intern @ Allen Institute for AI (AI2), Computer Science MSc @ UIUC
Ryan took Summer abroad course CSC396 in 2019. He learned a lot in the course and enjoyed his time exploring Berlin. Later Ryan continued to explore his interests in Artificial Intellegence through a series of research internship positions. Ryan is pursuing the Masters of Science in Computer Science at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2021-2023. Video Link

GER354Y0 Berlin Roots: Exploring Entrepreneurship and Cultural Identity in Berlin’s Creative Industries

This course will provide students with a unique opportunity to explore the dynamic intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and culture in one of Europe's most exciting cities. Participants will engage in an interdisciplinary study of Berlin’s vibrant creative industries (film & television, games, print media & publishing), that will examine the cultural, historical, and social contexts which have contributed to their development. In addition, we will look into the entrepreneurial aspects of these businesses, investigating how creativity intersects with innovation, but is also dependent on government policies and infrastructure.

Through engaging lectures, discussions, site visits, hands-on experiences, and critical analysis, students will gain valuable insights into the complexities of contemporary creative enterprises while developing a deeper appreciation for the cultural dynamics that shape them.

Several field trips and site visits will provide students with the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into how some of Berlin’s (and Germany’s) most influential media enterprises operate, as well as to personally engage with their representatives.

Prerequisites: None.
Recommended Preparation: 100-level HIS/POL/GER course/International or European Studies
Breadth Requirement = Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

2025 Tentative Course Outline

Field Trips

Visiting the Axel Springer AG and Die Zeit headquarters will allow students to peek into the operations of two of Europe’s largest digital publishing houses, highlighting the intersection of traditional and digital media. A tour of Deutsche Welle-TV will provide an understanding of global broadcasting and its role in shaping cultural narratives. At Literaturhaus Berlin, students can investigate the literary scene, gaining perspectives on the evolution of print media and its cultural impact. Finally, the Stiftung Digitale Spielkultur site visit along with a meet-and-greet at some of Potsdam’s most creative gaming startups will expose students to the burgeoning field of digital entertainment, illustrating how interactive media contribute to contemporary cultural identity and entrepreneurship in Berlin. These site visits and encounters will collectively showcase the diverse facets of Berlin's creative industries, revealing their entrepreneurial and cultural dimensions 

Instructor

Prof. Stefana Gargova moved from Cologne to Toronto in 2007, after graduating with a B.A. and M.A. in Nordic and German Studies from Universität zu Köln, Germany. After receiving her PhD in Germanic Languages & Literatures from the University of Toronto, she went on to obtain her Master of Teaching from OISE. Prof. Gargova’s research centers on the intersections of culture, identity, and language learning, particularly within the field of Second Language Acquisition and German as a Foreign Language. Her work explores how cultural identity shapes the learning process, with a special focus on multiculturalism, the concept of the third space, and the experiences of adult learners. She also examines the role of digital pedagogies in fostering cultural exchange in online learning environments. She further oversees and teaches the German Business Culture program.