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
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 Zoom sessions.
Substantial readings with students unsure which to prioritise.
Improve on the structure of the unit, so that the content is less an organic guided set of readings, and has a clearer 'curriculum'
- Develop a capacity to define and investigate social change, and to identify a potential social change project
- Use design-thinking and collaborative processes to consult with stakeholders and develop a social change innovation for a 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.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
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 | |
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
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
- 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.
o.muurlink@cqu.edu.au
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
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
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
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
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
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
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
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
Module/Topic
No classes this week
Chapter
No classes this week
Events and Submissions/Topic
No classes this week
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
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
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
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
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
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
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
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
Attend Zoom session with the unit-coordinator
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
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Group Work
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 include a brief overview of existing campaigns, policy approaches or other responses to the social problem in not more than 1500 words + references.
You will also create either a 15-minute online video or a podcast. The Moodle site for the unit will provide resources that will guide production. If you are uploading the video or podcast to an external site please provide a link to it in the 1500 word essay document.
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, communicate with your peers, read the recommended cases, and listen/watch/read the materials provided.
Week 6 Monday (20 Apr 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Please test that you can upload the files prior to this date as those of you who are working may find it difficult to get support on Monday. Please also ensure that all video or podcast files can be read.
Week 8 Monday (4 May 2020)
Every effort will be made to return your assignment by the date indicated. You will find your mark and feedback through the Feedback Studio portal on Moodle.
- To what degree have you explored the problem and its underlying causes?
- To what degree have you explored the campaign, policy approach or intervention that has been launched to overcome this problem?
- 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?
- Is this insight linked to evidence drawn from quality sources?
- Has a minimum of ten such quality sources been properly used (that is understood, discussed, and referenced)?
- Have you demonstrated the ability to evaluate the quality of the evidence?
- Have you summed up the problem in a clear and compelling way?
- Does the video or podcast show good communication skills?
- Does it show appropriate and accurate (APA) referencing in the essay?
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
- 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.
2 Portfolio
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.
By reflecting, you are able to:
- Get to know your own strengths and weaknesses
- Discover your own underlying assumptions – and challenge them
- Make connections between your own experience and what you are learning
- Learn from your mistakes – and thus become a better practitioner.
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.
Week 10 Friday (22 May 2020) 12:30 pm AEST
Please note that the time for submission is the middle of the day. This provides the opportunity for the unit coordinator and TASAC to assist students who may have difficulties submitting their assignments.
Week 12 Friday (5 June 2020)
Every effort will be made to return your assignment by the date indicated. You will find your mark and feedback through the Feedback Studio portal on Moodle.
Insight and reflection (5 marks):
- To what degree have you reflected on the topic?
- Are your reflections/thoughts about the issue you’ve raised original and incisive?
Conceptual and theoretical understanding (5 marks):
- To what degree does the submission represent an understanding of key terms and theories?
Research (3 marks):
- 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?
Presentation and communication (2 marks):
- Have you summed up the your responses to the topic in a clear, professional and concise way?
- Is your referencing accurate (using APA style)?
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).
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- 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.
3 Practical Assessment
This assessment item is designed to allow you 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 + references) 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.
Week 12 Friday (5 June 2020) 12:30 pm AEST
Please note that the time for submission is the middle of the day. This provides the opportunity for the unit coordinator and TASAC to assist students who may have difficulties submitting their assignments.
Exam Week Friday (19 June 2020)
Although exam week is indicated here, the results of Assessment Item 3 are formally released on the certification of grades. You will not be able to obtain your mark for this assignment before the certification of grades.
Insight (15 marks):
- 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?
Critical thinking (10 marks):
- 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?
- Have you identified the weaknesses of your solutions?
- Have you thought through how these secondary problems could be overcome?
Realism (5 marks):
- Are you able to demonstrate your solutions are realistic?
- 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 obtained your information/evidence.
Presentation and communication (5 marks):
- Is the way you’ve summed up the problem and the solution clear and compelling?
- Does the assignment 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?
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- 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.
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.