CQUniversity Unit Profile
MGMT20142 Contemporary Issues in Social Innovation
Contemporary Issues in Social Innovation
All details in this unit profile for MGMT20142 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

Social innovation includes effective, efficient, sustainable solutions to social problems and aims to improve social wellbeing for society as a whole. This unit will use design thinking and collaboration to develop social empathy that create solutions for social benefit. The unit will include social, environmental and economic sustainability problems. With a focus on action learning and case study analysis, students will develop the ability to assess and design solutions for global social issues. The unit will develop problem-solving skills using critical analysis business models for social innovation and real-life local issues and will equip students with the necessary tools to create a strategy and business model for social innovation projects.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 8
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

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 2 - 2019

Online

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).

Class and Assessment Overview

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

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Group Work
Weighting: 50%
2. Portfolio
Weighting: 15%
3. Practical Assessment
Weighting: 35%

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.

Previous Student Feedback

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 Zoom sessions.

Feedback

Substantial readings with students unsure which to prioritise.

Recommendation

Improve on the structure of the unit, so that the content is less an organic guided set of readings, and has a clearer 'curriculum'

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Develop a capacity to define and investigate social change, and to identify a potential social change project.
  2. Use design-thinking and collaborative processes to consult with stakeholders and develop a social change innovation for a social change project.
  3. Research using academic and practical sources to assess the need for social change and the complexities of the social problem.
  4. Critically analyse and formulate a social innovation change strategy using business models to develop a social change project
  5. Develop a business case for implementation of your social change problem
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Group Work - 50%
2 - Portfolio - 15%
3 - Practical Assessment - 35%

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 - 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
1 - Group Work - 50%
2 - Portfolio - 15%
3 - Practical Assessment - 35%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks.

Additional Textbook Information

The textbook for this unit, Wicked Problems and Seriously Wicked Solutions is available free for download off the Moodle site.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

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.

Teaching Contacts
Olav Muurlink Unit Coordinator
o.muurlink@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 15 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

Do we have a problem?  What issues are facing society and the planet that are worthy of our attention?   The centrality of Sustainable Development Goals to global priority setting.

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 22 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

What is social innovation?  How is it currently defined?

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 29 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

The structure of social problems, the concept of 'wicked problems' and unintended consequences

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 05 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

What is change? Why do humans resist change? Taking an ecological perspective on the existence of social problems.

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 12 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Traditional/conventional approaches to changing the world. What are the key characteristics to conventional approaches to change?

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 19 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 26 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

New approaches to change: changing the world with social innovation.  How does the social innovation approach differ to conventional approaches to change?

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Understanding a wicked problem Due: Week 6 Thursday (29 Aug 2019) 12:00 am AEST
Week 7 Begin Date: 02 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Design thinking: an introduction. How do we approach a social problem, and its solution?

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 09 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

How can we generate ideas for social innovation?  Techniques designed to create new approaches to tackling old problems.

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 16 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Identifying social innovation ideas and tools.

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 23 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

The human factor: being a social innovator. Motivation and emotions in social innovation.

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Portfolio of readings Due: Week 10 Wednesday (25 Sept 2019) 12:00 am AEST
Week 11 Begin Date: 30 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Social entrepreneurship and its relationship with social innovation. Understanding ourselves.

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 07 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Bringing it all together:  revision.

Chapter

Range of readings and audio-visual material supplied. A free unit textbook will be provided.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Insight project Due: Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019) 12:00 am AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 14 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter


Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 21 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Group Work

Assessment Title
Understanding a wicked problem

Task Description

Working in a group, with a minimum of two members, you need to design and deliver a pitch about a social issue of concern to you. This assignment helps you to demonstrate your understanding of the characteristics of social problems. This will require you to engage with the specialist literature in the area of your challenge/problem, and the social innovation literature (both scholarly and applied). You should also include a brief overview of existing campaigns, policy approaches or other responses to the social problem. You will create either a 10-minute online video or a podcast, with the Moodle site for the unit providing resources that will guide production.  Information on referencing and resources (including technical resources) for this assignment will be provided on the Moodle site. To succeed in this unit you will need to interact with the discussion board, follow forums, and communicate with your peers, read the recommended cases, listen/watch/read the materials provided.




Assessment Due Date

Week 6 Thursday (29 Aug 2019) 12:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 8 Monday (9 Sept 2019)

Feedback will be emailed to students, and uploaded to Moodle.


Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

The following criteria will be used to assess the Assignment:
  1. Insight. To what degree have you explored the problem and its underlying causes? (30%)
  2. Evidence: Is this insight linked to evidence drawn from quality sources? (30%)
  3. Critical insight/thinking. Have you identified the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence, and your solutions? Have you demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of your scholarly and applied sources? (20%)
  4. Presentation and communication. Have you summed up the problem in a clear and compelling way? Does it show good communication skills? Does it show appropriate and accurate (APA) referencing?  (20%)


Referencing Style

Submission
Online Group

Submission Instructions
Upload submission materials, including a link to the cloud-based video/audio material to the assignment submission link. Late penalties will apply. Emailed submissions will not be accepted.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Research using academic and practical sources to assess the need for social change and the complexities of the social problem.
  • Critically analyse and formulate a social innovation change strategy using business models to develop a social change project


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

2 Portfolio

Assessment Title
Portfolio of readings

Task Description

It is important that you begin this assignment at the beginning of the term even though the due date is at the end of the term.  As you work through the readings in each week's modules, or do additional readings in areas of particular interest to you, keep a record of your notes on your reaction to these pieces. This assignment is similar to an annotated bibliography, or a 'diary' of readings, with the focus on showing not just that you've understood the readings, but have thought about/reflected on the readings.  Focus on six readings chosen from across the unit that particularly sparked your interest or thinking, and discuss and reflect on this material.  So select works that you found interesting, perplexing, confusing, illuminating or otherwise significant.  Your work can include more than six readings/references, if they help illustrate your thoughts, and you can use the textbook as one of the six core readings or as one of your optional additional readings.  Total word count for this assignment is 1500 words + references. 

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  To reduce end-of-semester stress, it is recommended that the student complete this task as they complete weekly readings, and then polish and submit close to the due date.



Assessment Due Date

Week 10 Wednesday (25 Sept 2019) 12:00 am AEST

Submit to the link provided on the Moodle site. Late penalties will apply. Emailed submissions will not be accepted.


Return Date to Students

Week 12 Monday (7 Oct 2019)

Feedback will be released through Feedback Studio.


Weighting
15%

Assessment Criteria

The following criteria will be applied to this assessment:

  1. Insight and reflection. To what degree have you reflected on the topic? (20%)
  2. Conceptual and theoretical understanding.  To what degree does the submission represent an understanding of key terms and theories?  (20%)
  3. Imagination. Are your reflections/thoughts about the issue you’ve raised original and incisive?  (20%)
  4. Research & Critical Thinking. Are you able to demonstrate some relevant further reading on the topic? Are your sources good quality/credible/relevant? Have you used a minimum of one additional resource per module to reinforce your reflections? (30%)
  5. Presentation and communication. Have you summed up the your responses to the topic in a clear, professional and concise way? Is your referencing accurate (using APA style)? (10%)

Note in relation to assessment for this unit in general: as postgraduate students you are required to engage in research as per the Australia Quality Framework (AQF) guidelines. Two specific requirements need to be considered. 1. Students need to demonstrate "a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice, and 2. Students must demonstrate "knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work and/or learning”.

Each module in the unit has a number of readings in terms of academic texts, journals and other publications that represent the appropriate body of knowledge and recent developments referred to by the AQF. In order to demonstrate the ability to engage in appropriate research, students should read and utilise these texts and journals and publications. As postgraduate students you are expected to research beyond this minimum standard through additional texts, journals and studies to demonstrate an ability to engage in independent research. Your attention is drawn to the University's stated position on plagiarism. THE WORK OF OTHERS, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO ITS SOURCE (a full list of references must be submitted as part of the assessment).



Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Note that late penalties will apply. Emailed submissions will not be accepted.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Use design-thinking and collaborative processes to consult with stakeholders and develop a social change innovation for a social change project.
  • Critically analyse and formulate a social innovation change strategy using business models to develop a social change project
  • Develop a business case for implementation of your social change problem


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management

3 Practical Assessment

Assessment Title
Insight project

Task Description

This assessment item is designed to allow the student to become more familiar with the nature of wicked problems and the difficulties that social innovators face in designing 'solutions' to those problems. This difficulty is illustrated by taking a stubborn individual/personal issue and visually map both the problem and solution. This assignment involves a three stage process:

  • Thinking. For this stage of the assignment, you have to select a ‘problem’, understand its root causes, engineer a solution, see the shortcomings of that solution, and then address (where possible) those shortcomings.
  • Mapping. Keep notes on the thinking stage, and then create a visual ‘mind map’ of how you think the problem and its solution (including its possible hurdles) would develop 'in real life'. How would you measure 'success'?
  • Rethinking: Refining the original plan to ensure that you’ve dealt with as many of the possible hurdles as possible.

While this assignment is designed primarily around a visual presentation of a complex problem and solution, students are asked to supplement their visual presentation with written material (maximum 1000 words, referenced) to illustrate the thinking/research that went into producing the final map.

The Moodle site offers further tools and advice on how to create visual maps of problems, and advice on choosing a topic. Students should include a reference list (APA style) with their submission, although this can be submitted separately.



Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019) 12:00 am AEST

Submit to the link provided on the Moodle site. Late penalties will apply. Emailed submissions will not be accepted.


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Monday (21 Oct 2019)

Assignment feedback will be given as part of the release of grades.


Weighting
35%

Assessment Criteria

The following criteria will be used to assess the Assignment:

  1. Insight. To what degree have you explored the underlying causes of the problem? For example, is this really a problem? Or are you/others looking at it the wrong way? Are there any hidden 'advantages' of keeping this problem? (20%)
  2. Critical insight/thinking. Have you identified the weaknesses of your solutions? Have you thought through how these secondary problems could be overcome? (20%)
  3. Imagination. Have you come up with an innovative solution to the problem—something that cuts across normal ways of responding to a problem…that makes change inevitable, or offers positive side-effects while delivering the target change? (20%)
  4. Realism. Are you able to demonstrate your solutions are realistic? Like Assignment 1, formal academic referencing is not necessarily required here, but clear indications of your sources should be given. Again remember, quality of your sources is important. So find some way to indicate on your infographic (perhaps in fine print in one corner) where you got your information/evidence from (20%)
  5. Presentation and communication. Is the way you’ve summed up the problem and the solution clear and compelling? Does it show good communication skills?  Have you used correct APA style in your reference list and taken care to check for grammar, spelling and other presentation issues in your final document submission? (20%)



Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Note that late penalties will apply. Emailed submissions will not be accepted.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Develop a capacity to define and investigate social change, and to identify a potential social change project.
  • Research using academic and practical sources to assess the need for social change and the complexities of the social problem.
  • Critically analyse and formulate a social innovation change strategy using business models to develop a social change project


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility

Academic Integrity Statement

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?