ENTREP 5029 - Project in Entrepreneurship (6 units)

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2016

The Project in Entrepreneurship (6 units) offers scope for candidates to pursue their own business related research interest in three broadly defined areas, namely; the new enterprise creation process or, the strategic management of innovation relevant to established or growth oriented SMEs and other organisations. A candidate will present their proposed topic to the Coordinator for approval prior to commencement of the work. The project will therefore allow a candidate to pursue research into an area or topic related to their personal entrepreneurship endeavours. Previous candidates have used the Project as a vehicle for undertaking research that leads to a business plan documenting the means by which a new venture may be established should it implement strategies designed to introduce innovation through entrepreneurial management.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ENTREP 5029
    Course Project in Entrepreneurship (6 units)
    Coordinating Unit Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation & Innov Centre
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact 70 hours minimum
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
    Assumed Knowledge Completion of all core courses for this Masters Program
    Course Description The Project in Entrepreneurship (6 units) offers scope for candidates to pursue their own business related research interest in three broadly defined areas, namely; the new enterprise creation process or, the strategic management of innovation relevant to established or growth oriented SMEs and other organisations. A candidate will present their proposed topic to the Coordinator for approval prior to commencement of the work.

    The project will therefore allow a candidate to pursue research into an area or topic related to their personal entrepreneurship endeavours. Previous candidates have used the Project as a vehicle for undertaking research that leads to a business plan documenting the means by which a new venture may be established should it implement strategies designed to introduce innovation through entrepreneurial management.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Allan O'Connor

    Program Director Contact Details:
    Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PG)
    Name: Dr Allan O’Connor
    Email: allan.oconnor@adelaide.edu.au
    Phone: +61 8 8313 0188


    Trimester 1 and Semester 1

    Teaching Staff: 
    Dr Scott Gordon

    Short Bio:
    Scott is the PhD program director and lecturer in entrepreneurship at the Entrepreneurship Commercialisation & Innovation
    Centre (ECIC). Originally trained in Electrical Engineering he spent more than a decade as a practicing professional engineer with the Commonwealth Scientificand Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

    Since 2005 Scott has been actively engaged as an entrepreneurship scholar and academic. He holds a MBA with First Class Honours, and a PhD in Management, for which he received an Outstanding Doctoral Thesis citation. He joined ECIC in January 2015 from the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research (ACE) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

    Scott's teaching interests lie at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation and strategy. His research explores dimensions of entrepreneurial action and organisational emergence, and has appeared in leading outlets including Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice; Small Business Economics; and Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence & Growth.

    Email:
    scott.gordon@adelaide.edu.au

    Phone: +61 8 8313 7493


    Trimester 2, 3, & Semester 2

    Teaching Staff: Dr Allan O'Connor


    Short Bio:
    Dr Allan O’Connor is the postgraduate Academic Director for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation. Allan combines his extensive experience in confronting the growth issues of small and medium enterprises and business start-up to inform and guide his teaching and research. Entrepreneurship and innovation have many components and Allan's main teaching interests are in the assessment of business opportunities, entrepreneurial strategy and developing research skills. Since 2012 he has co-authored the leading Asia Pacific text, 'Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process and Practice', with Professors Howard Frederick and Donald Kuratko.  His research examines the intersection between entrepreneurship, innovation and socioeconomic development which has led to the development of the Australian Cluster Observatory and an in-depth study of entrepreneurial ecosystems. His growing portfolio of research publications in international peer reviewed journals is testament to the significance of Allan’s research agenda to his research field. In application, his research is designed to inform policy-makers, regional development agencies and the practicing entrepreneur with respect to creating and managing the resources necessary to foster and develop innovation and entrepreneurship in response to the strategic challenges of economic change.


    Email: allan.oconnor@adelaide.edu.au

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Semester 1
    Thursday: 3 March to 7 April 2016
    Thursday: 28 April to 9 June 2016
    Time: 1-4pm
    Location: Seminar Room 5.01 (opposite lifts), Level 5, Nexus 10 Building, Cnr Pulteney St and North Terrace.
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    The overall aim of this course is to consolidate a student’s understanding of entrepreneurship practice and its relationship to entrepreneurship theory and research. A candidate should be aiming to become a subject matter expert in a particular area related to implementing an innovative or entrepreneurial project. The course contains a student driven research based project and therefore the nature of each project is negotiated with the lecturer/supervisor. A major objective is for candidates to integrate the knowledge gained through other courses and demonstrate mastery of their chosen subject domain.
    1 Understand and communicate the nature and purpose of innovation and entrepreneurship research and its relationship to innovation or entrepreneurship practice
    2 Generate a database of related articles and reports from academic journal databases, industry, government and general media
    sources
    3 Examine in-depth a selected and agreed area of entrepreneurship that relates to, influences and/or underpins the entrepreneurial practice.
    4 Apply effective communication skills in the development and presentation of business and research papers, reports, and plans.
    5 Construct a Major Project Output (plan, report or paper) that produces evidence of an integrated and self-directed research and practical learning experience that synthesises a range of course material acquired throughout the entrepreneurship program.

    To achieve these goals, you will need to demonstrate as a minimum:

    • A comprehensive understanding of the relevance of entrepreneurship research for arriving at intended practical entrepreneurship outcomes.
    • A comprehensive understanding of the nature and purpose of written and oral communications in achieving project outcomes.
    • The integration of relevant knowledge from other courses into the Major Project Output (plan, report or paper).
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1,2,3
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    2,3,5
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    4
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    2,3,4
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    3,4,5
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    5
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Text book:
    No text required

    A set of articles will be provided on the MyUni site to assist students with the content and conduct of this course. Students are required to expand their search and reading by sourcing their own articles etc because this course is aimed at doing independent self-driven research.

    Entrepreneurship and Research
    1. Bygrave, William c2007, 'The entrepreneurship paradigm (I) revisited' in Ulhøi, John P. & Neergaard, Helle (eds.), Handbook of qualitative research methods in entrepreneurship, Edward Elgar, Northampton, MA, pp. 17-48.

    2. Davidsson, Per 2002, What entrepreneurship research can do for business and policy practice, International Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 5-24.

    3. Alvarez, Sharon A. & Barney, Jay B. 2006, 'Can organizing a firm create new economic value?' in Cooper, Arnold C. (ed.), Entrepreneurial strategies: new technologies in emerging markets, Blackwell Pub., Malden, MA, pp. 11-25.

    4. Hall, J.K., Daneke, G.A. & Lenox, M.J. 2010, 'Sustainable development and entrepreneurship: Past contributions and future directions', Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 439-448.

    5. Isenberg, Daniel J. 2010, How to start an entrepreneurial revolution, Harvard Business Review, vol. 88, no. 6, pp. 40-50.

    6. Short, Jeremy C., Moss, Todd W. & Lumpkin, G. T. 2009, Research in social entrepreneurship: past contributions and future opportunities, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 161-194.

    7. Sarasvathy, Saras D. 2001, Causation and effectuation: toward a theoretical shift from economic inevitability to entrepreneurial contingency, Academy of Management Review, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 243-263.

    8. Zott, Christopher, Amit, Raphael & Massa, Lorenzo 2011, The business model: recent developments and future research, Journal of Management, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 1019-1042.


    Research Methods and Practice
    1. Leedy, Paul D. & Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis. 2001, 'Planning your research design' in Leedy, Paul D. & Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis, Practical research: planning and design, 7th ed., Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J., pp. 91-106, 107-121.

    2. Johnson, R. Burke & Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. 2004, Mixed methods research: a research paradigm whose time has come, Educational Researcher, vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 14-26.

    3. Knight, Peter 2002, 'Research at a distance' in Knight, Peter, Small-scale research: pragmatic inquiry in social science and the caring professions, SAGE, London, pp. 80-113.

    4. Neuman, William Lawrence c2003, 'The meanings of methodology' in Neuman, William Lawrence, Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches, 5th ed., Allyn and Bacon, Boston, pp. 63-88.

    5. Sharp, John A. & Howard, Keith c1996, 'Literature searching' in Sharp, John A. & Howard, Keith, The management of a student research project, 2nd ed., Gower, Aldershot, Hampshire, England, pp. 72-102.

    6. Diamantopoulos, A. & Schlegelmich, B. B. c2000, 'It's all over...or is it?' in Diamantopoulos, Adamantios & Schlegelmilch, Bodo B., Taking the fear out of data analysis: a step-by-step approach, Business Press, Thomson Learning, London, pp. 219-225.

    7. Veal, Anthony James 2005, 'Questionnaire surveys' in Veal, Anthony James & Ticehurst, G. W., Business research methods: a managerial approach, 2nd ed., Pearson Addison Wesley, South Melbourne, Vic., pp. 142-168.


    Planning and Strategy
    1. Dollinger, Marc J. 2008, ‘Entrepreneurial strategies’ in Dollinger, Marc J., Entrepreneurship: strategies and resources, 4th ed., Marsh Publications, Lombard, Ill., pp. 110-152.

    2. Hamel, Gary 2000, 'Business concept innovation' in Hamel, Gary, Leading the revolution, Harvard Business School, Boston, Mass., pp. 59-113.

    3. Mintzberg, Henry c1994, 'Models of the strategic planning process' in Mintzberg, Henry, The rise and fall of strategic planning: reconceiving roles for planning, plans, planners, Free Press, New York, pp. 35-90.

    4. Stutely, Richard 1999, 'What's it all about?' in Stutely, Richard, The definitive business plan: the fast-track to intelligent business planning for executives and entrepreneurs, Financial Times Management, London, pp. 3-19.

    5. Timmons, Jeffry A. & Spinelli, Stephen 2004, '[Extracted from] The business plan' in Timmons, Jeffry A. & Spinelli, Stephen, New venture creation: entrepreneurship for the 21st century, 6th ed., McGraw-Hill, Boston, Mass., pp. 397-420.

    Recommended Resources

    A worthwhile reference text (sourcing and purchasing is optional) that discusses various emerging viewpoints on entrepreneurship theory and its practice is:

    Welsch, Harold (2004) Entrepreneurship: The Way Ahead, Routledge, New York.

    Library Resources
    The University of Adelaide’s Barr Smith Library provides a range of learning resources including texts, journals, periodicals, magazines, and access to online databases and information services. It also offers a virtual library which is accessible via the University’s website. The University Library web page is: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/ 
    From this link, you are able to access the Library's electronic resources.
    Online Learning
    MyUni is the University of Adelaide's online learning environment. It is used to support traditional face-to-face lectures, tutorials and workshops at the University. MyUni provides access to various features including announcements, course materials, discussion boards and assessments for each online course of study (see: https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au)
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course is a self-directed learning course supervised by your teaching staff. Support is provided both on-campus and online.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    As a guide, a 3 unit course comprises a total of 156 hours work (this includes face-to-face contact, any online components, and self
    directed study). You can expect to commit 312 hours to this 6 unit  course.
    Learning Activities Summary

    This is a draft schedule and session dates are a guide only. The timetable may be changed during the course delivery if necessary.

    Class
    Content Readings Activities
    1 Introduction To be provided as required Discussion

    The Project in Entrepreneurship is a self-directed study program that offers scope for candidates to pursue their own entrepreneurship related interest in three broadly defined areas, namely; innovation and the new enterprise creation process, the strategic management of entrepreneurship or innovation in the context of established organisations, communities or economic regions. The project will require a research element however it may be either an applied research activity or a more theoretical/academic project that targets a specific topic or issue relevant to entrepreneurship and innovation. A candidate will complete the proposed topic submitted to the Course Lecturer for approval prior to commencement of any project work.

    The Project in Entrepreneurship course is therefore designed for a candidate to pursue research into an area or topic related to their entrepreneurship career that holds personal interest or value. Previous candidates have, for example, used the Project as a vehicle to prepare a business plan and undertake a literature review of a critical component of the business proposition that will influence the plans outcome. Alternatively, a candidate may consider preparing an implementation report with a literature review on a single aspect of the implementation. The report could for instance document entrepreneurial strategies adopted by an established organisation to improve its specific innovation or general performance. The literature review could examine a key management issue encountered by the organisation during the implementation of these strategies.

    This course is designed to integrate much of the course work undertaken to date. The decision about what project to undertake is made by the candidate in consultation with the lecturer and/or supervisor. It is expected however that any project will have sufficient challenge and stretch to constitute 20-24 hours per week.

    Specific Course Requirements
    Consultation Schedule
    There are no formal classes for this course and instead candidates work directly with a supervisor for their chosen project. Remember this is a self-study program so it is up to you to plan and make the most of your resources (including your lecturer/supervisor) to successfully complete this course of study. Appointment times for the review and supervision sessions will be available by prior arrangement.

    Thursday 1pm to 4pm is set aside for course consultation. Specific topics to be covered will be provided throughout the course.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    An overview of the course assessment appears in the following Table. Details appear in the following section:

    #AssessmentLengthWeightingDue DateLearning Outcomes
    1 Project Proposal Typically 1,000-1,500 words 10% See MyUni 4
    2 Research Paper 3,000 - 4,000 words 30% See MyUni 1-4
    3 Major Project Output
    (Plan, report or paper)

    Typically 4,000 – 6,000 words

    50% See MyUni 3-5
    4 Participation Course duration 10% Ongoing 4
    Total 100%
    Assessment Related Requirements

    Candidates will be assessed by participation and submission of three assignments. All assignments must be completed to be eligible to pass the course. Coverage of the lecture materials and participation in the presentation sessions are compulsory. Lectures must be attended or, in special circumstances, an alternate approach to lecture attendance may be negotiated. Participation in the presentations can either be ‘in person’ or by ‘virtual’ means also by negotiation.

    It is expected that assignments will be typed, using word processing software such as Microsoft Word. The preference is for you to hand in a printed and bound assignment, and also submit the file via the MyUni Gradebook.

    Don’t cram too many words onto a page: use a line spacing of 1.5 lines, and a right-hand margin of 4cm (to enable feedback and comments). If software other than Microsoft Word is used, the file format must be one that can be read using Word, such as .doc, .docx or .rtf (rich text format). PDF (Acrobat) format is not acceptable unless accompanied by an editable Microsoft Word document or similar.

    Students should attend all classes in order to pass the course. There is considerable experiential learning in workshops during the intensive classes that build your knowledge and thus enable you to be successful in this course.

    Course results are subject to moderation by the ECIC Board of Examiners
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment 1: Project Proposal
    Weighting: 10%
    Submission Details: A hard copy version must be submitted to the lecturer and a soft copy online through MyUni

    Task:
    This assignment requires the candidate to develop the Project Proposal in consultation with the lecturer and/or supervisor. The Project Proposal will outline the practical area that the student will be working on in relation to the course objectives and demonstrate an awareness of the theoretical aspects that may inform and shape the applied project. The Proposal provides the framework for undertaking both assessment items 2 and 3.

    The Project Proposal will outline the project’s aims, rationale, focus for the research paper, time frames, milestones, and the projects resource requirements. The assignment will need to consider both practical and academic requirements and will show how the research and practical work will integrate.

    This is essentially a planning document, prepared at the outset of a project and assists the process of achieving greater focus and clarity regarding aims, objectives, tasks and desired project outcomes. It will also reflect the balance you will seek to maintain between academic/theoretical/intellectual/research-oriented tasks and the planning of practical entrepreneurship-oriented tasks.

    Scope:
    This assessment item is to demonstrate that students satisfy objective one of the course requirements.

    Length and Presentation:
    Presentation will be in a report format. The typical length will be between 1,000-1,500 words.

    Criteria by which your assessment will be marked:
    This assignment will be assessed on the basis of completeness, presentation and clarity of the project intentions. The document should reflect professional and commercial quality. The aims should be clear; the rationale well defined; the theoretical research area should be clearly justified with preliminary investigations detailed; it should be clearly programmed and scheduled with resources and contingencies fully outlined. The relationship between your chosen areas of theory and practice should be explicit, well reasoned and argued.

    The Proposal will need to demonstrate appropriate use of references. (Use the Harvard referencing system. Guidelines can be found at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/referencing_guides/).

    The Proposal will also be professionally presented in class. The presentation objective is to convince your audience of the project’s merit and that it is a manageable task within the allotted time available to complete it. This presentation will contribute to class discussion on issues relating to project design.
     


    Assessment 2: Research Paper
    Weighting: 30%
    Submission Details: A hard copy version must be submitted to the lecturer and a soft copy online through MyUni

    Task:
    This assignment is designed for the candidate to demonstrate a capacity to identify and use academic, government, media or general reference sources to expand their knowledge of particular issues encountered in entrepreneurship. Often, students who are in the process of planning and establishing new businesses are understandably pre-occupied with the concrete, practical thinking and doing. As a result the stored and accumulated knowledge of other resources can easily be overlooked. This assignment requires the candidate to stop and consider other valuable resources and inquire into the learning these resources may be able to offer.

    This course is part of a postgraduate level university qualification and, while the difficulty of the practical side of entrepreneurship is not underestimated, it is also necessary for candidates to develop and exhibit good conceptual and critical thinking skills. You will need, in this assignment, to report on the thinking and intellectual aspects that inform your practical entrepreneurship career and/or pursuits. You will need to isolate and report on the knowledge, discipline, or body of research that informs the issues grounded in the practical undertaking of your chosen area of entrepreneurship. You will need to ask and answer, “What is the theory, underlying or embedded, in the areas of my interest?”

    Scope:
    This assessment item demonstrates that students satisfy objectives one, two, three and four of the course requirements.

    Length and Presentation:
    Presentation will be in a research paper format. The typical length will be between 3,000-4,000 words. A substantial Bibliography/Reference list is expected that documents your personal library of entrepreneurship related articles and resources over and above the references.

    Criteria by which your assessment will be marked:
    • The level of originality and insight, specifically demonstrating the relevance of the particular subject to the candidate’s entrepreneurship career or pursuit.
    • Demonstration of a comprehensive understanding of the issues, theories and shortcomings (where applicable) of the chosen subject area and clearly relating these to the broad and general practice of entrepreneurship.
    • Clarity of expression and good use of language.
    • Logical planning, structure and sequence of presenting your findings.
    • Evidence of wide reading, research, and of critical analysis of the issues and concepts.
    • Overall presentation including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
    • Use of resources in formulating your response, including proper acknowledgement and the appropriate use of references. (Use the Harvard referencing system. Guidelines can be found at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/referencing_guides/).
     

    Assessment 3: Major Project Output
    Weighting: 50%
    Submission Details: A hard copy version must be submitted to the lecturer and a soft copy online through MyUni
    Assessment will include a professional oral presentation of the project work to a panel that will include external participants.

    Task:
    You are required to present a professionally written report detailing the project work you have negotiated with the lecturer.

    The Major Project Output (MPO) will be the outcome of the applied or theoretical project undertaken as the basis for this course work. By practical we mean relating to practice or action and the MPO may take the form of a business plan, strategic plan, implementation report. By theoretical we mean relating to the theory of entrepreneurship and innovation and the MPO may be a research report, conference or journal article. In either case the output must relate to your entrepreneurship career or pursuit. The structure of the MPO should provide relevant information, which enables the reader to have a comprehensive understanding of the rationale, conduct and outcomes described by the MPO along with any relevant recommendations or future actions that arise as a result of the MPO. This requires smooth flow of information supported with succinctly written arguments. The MPO should be authentic and logical, coupled by sound reasoning. Any recommendations should clearly identify the resource requirements and clearly define any relevant risks and uncertainties. Future benefits in terms of, for instance, survival and growth should also be discussed with critical reasoning and support. Generally, the MPO should exhibit sound logic, in-depth thinking, and synthesis of other course materials presented throughout the program.

    Submission of your MPO includes an oral presentation that is to be professionally presented to an audience that will include external participants. Candidates are required to present and defend their MPO and should succinctly describe the MPO, the major objective(s) of the presentation, any major assumptions and decisions relevant to the MPO and seek to engage or extract commitment from their audience. This presentation will be no longer than 25-30 minutes and will include 10-15 minutes for discussion and questions.

    Candidates are expected to actively participate in questioning, commenting and discussing the material presented by peers during the final presentations. The objective is to be constructive and supportive and assist in the continual refinement and development of the ideas and the skills of each presenter.

    Scope:
    Topics one, two and three will cover the information required for you to complete this task. This assessment item is to demonstrate that students satisfy objectives four and five of the course requirements.

    Length and Presentation:
    Presentation will be in an appropriate plan, report or research paper format. The typical length will be between 4,000 to 6,000 words for the 6 unit course. In addition to the body of the document substantial Appendices should be included that exhibit your analysis, research and other calculations and contributions that support your argument and line of reasoning.

    Criteria by which your assessment will be marked:
    The report will be judged on its structure, presentation, content, integration and synthesis of course materials from across the program and, importantly, writing style. Please note that the academic assessment can only make judgement on the educational validity and not the actual business or project result or outcome. The mark will reflect your learning and will not be an indicator of the merit of the project.

    The standards by which the assignment will be assessed include:
    • The level of originality and insight, demonstrating clear understanding of the program materials elaborated through the chosen area of application.
    • The degree to which you have clearly communicated the aims and objectives of your MPO and succeeded in that task.
    • Clarity of expression and good use of language.
    • Logical planning, structure and sequence of presenting your findings.
    • Evidence of wide reading, research, and of critical analysis of the issues and concepts.
    • Overall presentation including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
    • Use of resources in formulating your report, including proper acknowledgement and the appropriate use of references. (Use the Harvard referencing system. Guidelines can be found at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/referencing_guides/).
    The standards by which your final presentation contribution will be assessed will include:
    • Style: Spelling and grammar on presentation slides (if applicable), fluency of expression
    • Presentation structure: Logical sequence and flow
    • Content: Relevance of material, coverage of key issues, depth/breadth of synthesis
    • Development: Convincing argument and/or detailed comprehensiveness
    • Clarity: Supporting evidence and/or data presented clearly and logically.
    • Participation: Thoughtful, respectful, constructive and concise contribution during the questions, comments and discussion opportunities offered by your peers.



    Assessment 4: Participation
    Weighting: 10%
    Submission Details: Not applicable

    Task:
    You are expected to contribute, initiate and comment upon issues relevant to the Projects, in face-to-face discussion and/or in the online forums when used. You can score high marks for this participation through:
    • Active participation,
    • Taking the initiative and raising issues,
    • Starting discussion topics and leading your supervision,
    • Sharing your thoughts, learning experiences and scholarly insights with your supervisor and other candidates as appropriate.
    Scope:
    It is requisite that each individual participant fully contributes to the group learning environment. This assessment item demonstrates that students satisfy Objective one of the course requirements.

    Length and Presentation:
    Not applicable

    Criteria by which your assessment will be marked:
    • Punctual arrival
    • Respect for the opinions of others
    • Contribution and commitment to the learning process
    • Courteous and responsible behaviour including timely and succinct communication.
    Submission
    All text based assignments must be submitted via MyUni.
    Please refer to step by step instructions: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/tutorials/files/AssignmentStudentSubmission.pdf

    There are a few points to note about the submission of assignments:
    • Assignment Submission:  Assignments should not be emailed to the instructor; they must be lodged via the MyUni Course site (unless specified to do both). Note that assignments may be processed via TURNITIN, which is an online plagiarism prevention tool.
    • Cover Sheet:  Please submit, separate to your assignment, the completed University of Adelaide Assessment Cover Sheet providing details of yourself and your team members (if applicable), your assignment, the course, date submitted, etc. as well as the declaration signed by you that this is your (your team’s) work.  Note that the declaration on any electronically submitted assignment will be deemed to have the same authority as a signed declaration.
    • Backup Copy of Assignments:  You are advised to keep a copy of your assignments in case the submitted copy goes missing.  Please ensure that all assignment pages are numbered. If your assignment contains confidential information, you should discuss any concerns with the Course Lecturer prior to submission.
    • Extensions of Time:  Any request for an extension of time for the submission of an assignment should be made well before the due date of the assignment to the Course Lecturer.  Normally, extensions will only be granted for a maximum of two weeks from the original assignment submission date.  Extensions will only be granted in cases of genuine extenuating circumstances and proof, such as a doctor’s certificate, may be required.
    • Failure to submit: Failure to submit an assignment on time or by the agreed extension deadline may result in penalties and may incur a fail grade.  Note that a late penalty of 5% of the total available marks for that assessment item will be incurred each day an assignment is handed in late (Unless otherwise stated in 'Assessment Related Requirements' or 'Assessment Detail' above) Assignments handed in after 14 days from the due submission date will fail even if a 100% mark is granted for the work.

    Resubmission & Remarking

    Resubmission of an assignment for remarking after reworking it to obtain a better mark will not normally be accepted.  Approval for resubmission will only be granted on medical or compassionate grounds.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.