180192 PJ+SE Project seminar in Cognitive Science (2023W)

Particular attention will be placed on viability (including epidemiological prospects) of the individual research projects within the boundaries of the course. In particular, the practicality of involvement/participation of students in ongoing team/group research activities will be evaluated in due care. This is why no specific topics/domains are stated on this page (but see also below). While the course should be implemented on-site, tele-collaboration may be used when indicated and effective use of electronic means of collaboration will be promoted.

Aims and content:

This PJ+SE offers the opportunity to productively apply and thereby validate, and extend one's knowledge and skills in cognitive science — in particular as required for the specification and management of a valid scientific undertaking in line with one's individual interests in the field of Cognitive Science.

The scope of the project seminar thus comprises all of:

* the shaping (motivating and planning);

* the management; and

* the implementation

of a valid scientific undertaking of personal curricular relevance, commensurate to the candidate's competence and the available resources (including the work-hours budget). That is, the forms and aims of the individual projects will necessarily reflect the (differences in) qualification and experience, whether a first peek into a domain, or a more advanced investigation building on prior results.

While the relative emphases placed on the three components differs from case to case, all activities coordinated by the learning contract will be explicitly addressed and discussed rather than "just executed” – as a glimpse at these realities of scientific work.

Concerning the actual topic to be researched:

While this PJ+SE may in particular be combined with the VU and SE, "Models of Personality and Emotions" offered through MUW (the Medical University of Vienna: VU 901.967 and SE 901.968), students are encouraged to submit expressions of interest and individual proposals of other, also: "very different", topics (i.e., matching of their specific interests) at their earliest opportunity: the possibilities to accommodate these proposals will be clarified in individual meetings.

Available extended domain expertise includes, but is not limited to:

* Artificial Intelligence (theoretical, scientific, engineering, policy-making, ethical facets) and computationalism;

* Computational cognitive architectures;

* Computational modeling and simulation;

* Human-Computer interaction and collaboration;

* The interplay of theory; modelling; empirical research; engineering; application design and deployment; and society;

* Multi-agent systems: computing as interaction;

* A range of further specific topics, including educational, medical, industrial, organisational, social contexts.

All project activities will be complemented by discussion and reflection — of ethical dimensions; of motivations and aims; of the contextual embedding (identification of stakeholders and contributions of different disciplines); of the (choice of) particular implementation schemes; of the significance of particular outcomes obtained or difficulties encountered; of relevant established cultures, conventions, and best practices.

Method:

The course will be supported by electronic collaboration platforms and tools and take place as a mix of three kinds of sessions:

* Weekly individual “Jour Fixe” meetings, in which individual progress and project matters are addressed;

* Plenary sessions, addressing overarching topics of general relevance and exchanges across the project activities;

* Topical (joint) work sessions, addressing specific matters.

The possibility of collaborations among participants will be assessed in the light of critical inter-dependencies and clarification of credit assignment; any such collaboration shall be duly documented in the learning contract.