Overview
This is a project unit that draws upon your area of specialisation and wider knowledge of innovation in business and applies what you have learned in a practical context. This unit enables you to demonstrate the synthesis of knowledge, business research methodologies and professional skills that you have acquired in your course of study. Under the guidance of the unit coordinator you will plan and complete a report on an original research project or a work integrated learning project which will address a significant issue in business and social environments, both locally and globally.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
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 Postgraduate 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 feedback during the term, both in Zoom sessions and by email and phone.
Students struggle with designing and implementing even a basic research project when entering this unit.
In future terms a more structured approach to the research project possibilities will be required.
- develop and conduct a planned research project and manage any practical problems in its implementation
- critically evaluate published academic research, identify secondary data sources, and review extant literature, to develop a business case for a business problem or opportunity;
- set benchmarks and critically analyse the findings of the research project in the context of the defining objectives
- demonstrate the ability to develop a practical action plan for implementation including consideration of ethical issues
- communicate the findings and results from the research project in a professional document and critically reflect on outcomes
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Presentation and Written Assessment - 40% | |||||
| 2 - Presentation and Written Assessment - 60% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 9 - 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 | |
| 1 - Presentation and Written Assessment - 40% | |||||||||
| 2 - Presentation and Written Assessment - 60% | |||||||||
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.
s.lancaster@cqu.edu.au
o.muurlink@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2020Module/Topic
Research planning. This unit offers the student the opportunity
to do a guided research or work-integrated learning project with the
support of a supervisor, in the field of social innovation.
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator either prior to this week, or during this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Preferably prior to the semester commencing, but no later than Week 1, you should make contact with the unit co-ordinator, and work out a plan for the semester, including a feasible project, likely sources of data, and a methodological approach. This initial meeting will take place by Zoom, so that your unit coordinator can demonstrate and discuss research strategies.
Week 2
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 3
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 4
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your supervisor/unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 5
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
PRELIMINARY PROJECT PROPOSAL SUBMISSION Due: Week 5 Thursday (9 Apr 2020) 11:59 am AEST
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2020Module/Topic
Vacation Week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Week 6
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 7
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 8
Begin Date: 04 May 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 9
Begin Date: 11 May 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 10
Begin Date: 18 May 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 11
Begin Date: 25 May 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your unit coordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
Week 12
Begin Date: 01 Jun 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
No fixed readings. A reading plan will be developed and executed in consultation with your supervisor/unit co-ordinator.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Regularly consult with supervisor/unit coordinator on progress of project.
FINAL PROJECT SUBMISSION Due: Week 12 Friday (5 June 2020) 11:59 am AEST
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 08 Jun 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Presentation and Written Assessment
This project is an opportunity for students to develop and submit a relatively substantial 'mini thesis' or develop and document an applied social innovation project under the supervision of the unit coordinator.
The project topic will be developed in consultation
with the unit coordinator, but the unit is primarily
designed to enable the development of a topic in the field of social
innovation. Each project should include a literature review that
provides a comprehensive introduction to the topic proposed, and
indicates an area in which further research is required (the research
gap).
If the project is designed as an original research project, then this literature review should be followed by a description of the research methodology, and then a presentation of results followed by a discussion and references. The results can include, where appropriate, visual presentation of findings (e.g. in tables, diagrams or figures), but as a guide, the final submission should be presented in the manner of a formal journal article.
If the focus is on a
applied social innovation project, the project should be developed as a
report that includes a description of the context, the work undertaken,
and the learnings/deliverables/recommendations that emerged from the
process. In submitting the project for assessment, students are able
(on consultation with their unit coordinator) to submit a
blend of multi-media elements, face-to-face reports and written
material.
This initial Assessment is merely a milestone that enables the student to gain some formal feedback that will enable them to refine and develop the project. Students are expected to prepare a two page brief describing their progress, and have an in-person or Zoom meeting with their unit coordinator to discuss their progress.
Note that projects that require the collection of new data from
either human or animal participants requires ethics approval. Low risk
ethics approval processes usually take around 2 to 4 weeks to process,
and students need to take this timescale into account in choosing a
project. The unit coordinator will provide guidance on
ethics application processes if required. Students planning a project
that includes primary data collection should contact the unit
coordinator in advance of the term commencement.
Week 5 Thursday (9 Apr 2020) 11:59 am AEST
Week 7 Friday (1 May 2020)
Feedback will be emailed to students, and uploaded to Moodle.
See details in Assessment 2.
- develop and conduct a planned research project and manage any practical problems in its implementation
- critically evaluate published academic research, identify secondary data sources, and review extant literature, to develop a business case for a business problem or opportunity;
- set benchmarks and critically analyse the findings of the research project in the context of the defining objectives
- communicate the findings and results from the research project in a professional document and critically reflect on outcomes
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
2 Presentation and Written Assessment
See details in Assessment 1. Previous student projects have included small research projects, the description of grant application processes for a start-up, the creation of a small social innovation, and systematic literature reviews. As a general guide, total word count should not exceed 6,000 words for purely written submissions.
Week 12 Friday (5 June 2020) 11:59 am AEST
Please submit through the Moodle site. Emailed submissions will not be accepted for the final project. The date of return for the Final Project Submission is 10 July 2020
Feedback will be released through Feedback Studio on release of grades.
Assessment Criteria
Impact (25%) Does the topic address an area of significant interest (e.g. a research gap or a wicked problem)?
Innovation (25%) Does the student demonstrate the ability to add something novel to the
project? Does the project offer new ideas, original analysis or add new
knowledge?
Research (25%) Does the student show sufficient familiarity with, and understanding and critical appraisal of, the relevant literature? In particular, does the student show sufficient depth and breadth of understanding of social innovation, and how it applies to their topic?
Does the submission provide a reasonably comprehensive investigation of the topic?
Has/have the recommendation(s) and conclusion(s) been persuasively linked to the scholarly and other evidence provided?
Does the student show sufficient familiarity with, and understanding and critical appraisal of, the relevant sources on which the project is built? In particular, does the student show sufficient depth and breadth of understanding of either social innovation or another disciplinary background on which the project is based?
Has the student used (and demonstrated) appropriate methods in answering the research or project aims?
Quality (25%)
Is the submission suitably and professionally set out and accompanied by adequate exposition and interpretation?
Are conclusions and implications appropriately developed and clearly linked to the nature and content of the project?
Is the quality of communication and general presentation of the submission of a suitably high standard? This criteria includes referencing.
Are the sources of information/evidence credible, and have they been accurately represented in the delivered assessment materials?
Has/have the research or project question(s) or aim(s) or been responded to in a persuasive (or in the case of a research report) scholarly manner?
- develop and conduct a planned research project and manage any practical problems in its implementation
- demonstrate the ability to develop a practical action plan for implementation including consideration of ethical issues
- communicate the findings and results from the research project in a professional document and critically reflect on outcomes
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
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?
