Overview
What makes a great TED talk or a great crowdfunding campaign and how do you write a winning grant application? How do you sell an innovation to investors who are worried about market resistance to new ideas? How do you sell an “idea” to an audience, if ‘all’ you want them to invest is enthusiasm and time rather than money? These are some of the questions that entrepreneurs and social innovators face in doing their work, and this unit will take you into the ‘art’ and ‘science’ of pitching, including how to craft a message that takes into account resistance, using all the senses to gain maximum engagement, and using social media not just to get the message out, but to improve the message. Pitching and grant writing are key skills of the social innovator and the entrepreneur. You will also be introduced to current thinking on crowdfunding and crowd-sourcing, drawing on the social psychology of persuasion, as well as marketing science, to hone messages that elicit action.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Completion of MGMT11167 Foundations of Social Innovation is encouraged. Students will be required to have completed 8 units at first or second year level.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2020
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student evaluation survey
Speed of feedback was much appreciated
Continue to provide prompt support to students
Feedback from Student evaluation survey
Students appreciate the ability to interact with other students
Continue to provide opportunities for students and unit coordinator to interact.
- Articulate key theoretical and empirical underpinnings of persuasion in a social innovation and entrepreneurship context
- Critique social innovation and entrepreneurship pitches and marketing campaigns, and anticipate paths of resistance
- Create sustainable campaigns around innovations, taking advantage of traditional and new media pathways
- Write a grant application that follows current 'best practice'.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Presentation - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Presentation - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
Additional Textbook Information
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
l.e.baker@cqu.edu.au
o.muurlink@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to the unit: exploring the relationship between persuasion and pitching, and finding the funding.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Attend an introductory Zoom session with the unit-coordinator.
Module/Topic
Financing innovations including social enterprises, not-for-profit ventures, creative projects and research projects: basic principles of financing as it pertains to the sector and sources of funding.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
Module/Topic
Starting the grant-getting process: finding funding, and beginning to gather evidence to make the case.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
At the end of this week, contact the unit co-ordinator by email indicating the target of your Assessment 1 grant application.
Module/Topic
Budgets: tips on putting together persuasive budgets, including how to demonstrate and measure impact.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
Module/Topic
Writing and proofing your application for funding: big picture and fine detail elements to focus on.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Basics of persuasion: resistance, the power of the story, crafting an anecdote.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assignment 1 is due this week.
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
Grant Application Due: Week 6 Wednesday (22 Apr 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Where social media fits in and the role of traditional marketing: using all the senses.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
Module/Topic
Pitching to investors versus pitching to potential believers: donors, big donors, and enthusiasts.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Understanding international and indigenous perspectives, and the role of traditional media.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
Module/Topic
How social innovation thinking forms part of the puzzle of change: understanding resistance from a social innovation perspective.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ethics in the world of pitching and grant writing.
Chapter
Readings and audio-visual material will be presented on the Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assignment 2 is due this week.
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
The pitch Due: Week 12 Thursday (4 June 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Practical Assessment
Students will be expected to, with guidance, identify a funding target for this assignment. This choice of grant-giving source will require prior approval from the unit co-ordinator (by the end of Week 4).
You will then be expected to complete the grant application to the point of submission. You are not expected to submit the application (unless you are planning to go through with the project that is the subject of the grant application). The grant application can be for either a social innovation, social enterprise, community project, a research project or a creative project. If the student is unable to identify a suitable target grant, you will be guided by the unit coordinator to a current or previous grant round.
Students should provide a separate document in their submission that pastes verbatim (here plagiarism is NOT an issue) what the assessment criteria given by the grant-giving body for the grant are. This aspect of your submission does not add to the overall word count.
See the Assessment Criteria for further guidance.
Week 6 Wednesday (22 Apr 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 8 Wednesday (6 May 2020)
Marks and feedback will be available in the Feedback Studio on the unit Moodle site.
Overall, careful preparation, meticulous attention to detail, and evidence that you understand how your application will be reviewed (i.e. you have done research of the grant-giving body) are important in building a good grant application. Note that it is expected that students will not realistically be able to address all elements of the grant-giving body's application process. It is acceptable to 'make up' elements of your application (for example your experience, collaborating bodies) but these 'made up' elements should be realistic, not fanciful. Your grant application will be judged against the following criteria:
Overall Impact (30%)
This criterion relates to the impact or value of the project in terms of what the grant-giving body is looking for--and needs to be understood in conjunction with the grant-giving body's own criteria. This criteria also relates to elements such as significance. innovation or creativity if these elements are appropriate to the grant-giving body's criteria.
Approach (30%)Does the application persuasively make a case for funding, using evidence that is appropriate to the application? Does it adequately explain (for the grant assessors) included concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or intervention? Does the application suggest that the applicant is capable (in conjunction with the collaborators and context of the applicant) to complete the project? If the project has ethical implications, have these elements been recognised and addressed appropriately?
Quality (40%)
Is the application clearly, logically and efficiently laid out (e.g, sequenced correctly and without unnecessary repetition) in making its case? Is the application free of significant errors, including in the budget lay out, and are all elements required (as agreed previously with the unit coordinator) present? If evidence is presented, is this evidence clearly presented and linked to a source in a manner that enables the grant assessor to check that source?
Note that late penalties of 5% of the available marks per day or part thereof will be deducted for late submissions (without an approved extension).
- Articulate key theoretical and empirical underpinnings of persuasion in a social innovation and entrepreneurship context
- Critique social innovation and entrepreneurship pitches and marketing campaigns, and anticipate paths of resistance
- Create sustainable campaigns around innovations, taking advantage of traditional and new media pathways
- Write a grant application that follows current 'best practice'.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
2 Presentation
This project requires the student to prepare and deliver a persuasive pitch related to gaining support or funding for either a social innovation or social enterprise (not for a fully commercial idea or enterprise). A pitch is not judged on its length, but a good pitch should make use of the time available efficiently, packing information in that is sufficiently clear, sufficiently plausible or backed by evidence, and sufficiently well structured that it can appeal to the target audience. This assessment requires you to produce a pitch in video form that is a maximum of 15 minutes in length. A few guidelines: there should be no political agenda, no religious agenda, and not about meta-physics or spiritualism. The pitch, regardless of the content, should be founded on good science and good evidence--not be illogical, obscure or clouded in mystery. Further technical details will be explained on the Moodle site.
Week 12 Thursday (4 June 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Exam Week Monday (15 June 2020)
Results will be released formally as part of certification of grades.
Engagement (30%)
Is the pitch interesting, compelling, amusing or otherwise engaging for its intended audience? Does the speaker make use of audio-visual opportunities, for example by including hand movements or multi-media elements to supplement and strengthen the message and engage the senses? Does the pitch include a compelling call to action, with a clear and realistic pathway for the intended audience to respond?
Believability (30%)
Does the pitch use the evidence included in a clear and believable way? Does the content address doubts or weaknesses that an intelligent and informed judge of the content might identify?
Quality (30%)
Is the pitch developed with good pace and clarity, lack of clutter, clear and logical sequencing? Is there evidence that the presenter practiced the presentation so as to obtain optimal quality both in terms of delivery and recording? Is there evidence the producer/presenter attempted to reasonably eliminate errors, without creating a sense that the end-product is so over-produced or over-practiced as to be inauthentic?
Innovation (10%)
Is there something new, fresh, surprising, creative about your presentation? This can be in the ideas presented, the examples given, or elements of the delivery.
Note that late penalties of 5% of the available marks per day or part thereof will be deducted for late submissions (without an approved extension).
- Articulate key theoretical and empirical underpinnings of persuasion in a social innovation and entrepreneurship context
- Critique social innovation and entrepreneurship pitches and marketing campaigns, and anticipate paths of resistance
- Create sustainable campaigns around innovations, taking advantage of traditional and new media pathways
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
