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Unit of study_

OPMG6896: Sustainability and Innovation

Semester 1a, 2024 [Online] - Online Program

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Unit details and rules

Unit code OPMG6896
Academic unit Project Management
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
PMGT5896
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Petr Matous, petr.matous@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Petr Matous, petr.matous@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Online task Peer review feedback and content reflection
Feedback on work of other students and reflection on course content
16% Multiple weeks 300-400words /submission/graphics/quiz
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Professional Blog Post
Professional blog post on sustainability and innovation management
33% Please select a valid week from the list below
Due date: 14 Apr 2024 at 23:59
700-1000 words+graphic+video+highlights
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Presentation Project culminating in presentation
Live presentation (with pre-recorded submission) of a project
33% Week 04
Due date: 17 Mar 2024 at 23:59
10min
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Participation Top participant bonus
For most active contributions in live classes and on Canvas
18% Weekly 90 min during workshops and beyond
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2

Assessment summary

  • Project culminating in presentation: Students describe, critically analyse, and present their assessment of recent studies related to sustainability and innovation and onduct a case study of a real project. The outcomes are communicated as oral presentation with slides.
  • Professional blog post: Each student writes a professional blog post on a topic of project innovation management and creates visuals to communicate the main message.
  • Peer-review feedback and content reflection​: Via-online discussion boards, students provide constructive written feedback on other students’ work and, using visual communication tools, reflect on main point of the core content. The quality and timeliness of the students’ contributions to online interactions during the semester will be assessed.
  • Top participant bonus: Based on lecturers’ assessment, a small number of points will be allocated after every workshop to a small proportion of top participants who invested extraordinary effort into positive in-class contributions and to lifting the collaborative spirit of the sessions. Student will also have an oportunity to gain additional fractional points in live-classes by participating in small real-time quizzes.

Study Commitment:

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6-credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

 

*Attendance Requirements:

Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90 percent of timetabled activities for a unit of study unless granted exception by the Dean or Head of School most concerned. A student may be determined to fail a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items where attendance is lower than 90 percent.  Please see the Resolutions of the Faculty - Faculty of Engineering - The University of Sydney for further details.

 

Text-matching software for Assignment Submission:

As part of the assessment process, text matching software such as Turnitin may be used to identify plagiarism and/or be used for providing feedback.

 

Confidential Peer Evaluation:

As part of the group contribution assessment process, collaborative & self-peer evaluation tools (e.g. SparkPlus, CATME, etc.) may be used, either on a confidential or non-confidential basis, to understand contributions and interactions amongst group members. Marks may be adjusted for an individual team member, following on from the peer evaluation process.

 

Reliability of Canvas Marks:

Canvas will be used in this unit and while key assessments may be submitted via Canvas, it cannot be used to determine/ predict a student’s final marks in this unit. Not all assessment results may be visible to students and group/team marks can change for each individual team member based on the peer-evaluations conducted at the end of the semester.

 

Recycling Assignments Not Allowed:

Recycling involves submitting (or resubmitting) your own work that has already been assessed without the permission of the lecturer of this unit, and for which you have already been given feedback. Recycling is a form of academic dishonesty and will be handled in line with the coursework policy.

 

Mark Moderation:

There may be statistically defensible moderation when combining the marks from each component to ensure consistency of marking between markers, and alignment of final grades with unit outcomes.

 

Workshop Participation:

It is expected that students turn on the cameras during online workshops. Failure to do so, will result in the student being requested to show cause and failure to comply could be viewed as non-participation for assessment purposes.

Assessment criteria

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Reserved for exceptional cases when students demonstrate the most outstanding performance (e.g. final written submission could be published by a top level professional PM association, presentations would be considered top quality at a major professional conference, and submissions to discussion boards demonstrate extremely good communication skills, collegiality, and in-depth understanding of the content at a level publishable in reputable magazines of the PM profession.)

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the achievement of learning outcomes at a very high standard but not quite at the internationally top-class publishable levels described above.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes at a high standard.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes at an acceptable standard. This is the range of marks you receive for assignments in which all prescribed requirements have been met but not significantly exceeded.

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard. This is the range of marks for assignments in which you do not fulfill the prescribed requirements.

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late Penalty: For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date, a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied to late work. The penalty will be calculated by first marking the work, and then subtracting 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date. Example: Consider an assignment's maximum awardable mark is 10; the assignment is submitted 2 days late, and the assignment is marked as 7/10. After applying the penalty, marks will be: 7 - (0.5 x 2) = 6/10. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero will be awarded. The marker may elect to, but is not required to, provide feedback on such work. Refer to section 7A of the Assessment procedures policy available at: http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/267&RendNum=0

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 What is innovation? What is sustainability? What are the possible relationships between these two concepts? Workshop (1.5 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 02 Systems approach to innovation and sustainability Workshop (1.5 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 03 Innovation and sustainability frameworks Workshop (1.5 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 04 Challenges in managing innovation and sustainability projects Workshop (1.5 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Innovative and sustainable culture of organisations and teams Workshop (1.5 hr) LO1 LO5
Week 06 Searching for innovation and sustainability ideas and mobilising the wisdom of crowds Workshop (1.5 hr) LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 07 Study week: professional blog post Independent study (35 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Weekly Project work culminating in presentation Independent study (35 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Study of the course content, feedback and discussion with peers Online class (50 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The most comprehensive reference for managing innovation is:

  • Joe Tidd and John Bessant, Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change (5th). Chichester, Wiley, 2013. 9781118360637.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. LO1. Stimulate and support an open, healthy, safe and creative working environment
  • LO2. LO2. Apply design thinking approaches to engage with stakeholders to develop creative and sustainable solutions
  • LO3. LO3. Assess potential contribution of projects to achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
  • LO4. LO4. Evaluate the systemic impact of decisions and actions on society, the environment and the process and end product of an endeavour
  • LO5. LO5. Interpret the societal shifts and strategic imperatives that drive the critical importance of sustainability, knowledge transfer and innovation
  • LO6. LO6. Propose ways in which data can be leveraged to drive decision making and support sustainability and innovation

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The unit will open in 2024 for the first time.

Expected Conduct:

It is every student's responsibility to behave in accordance with the values and principles of mutual ­respect between staff, students and the University – see the Student Charter. This entails respecting all members of our diverse community and racism, sexism, ageism, dishonesty or defamation will not be tolerated, and instances will be reported to the authorities.

Work, health and safety

The University is dedicated to ensuring that all students have equal access to learning. Students can register with Disability Services and gain access to the adjustments and services they need to succeed in their studies. Faculty Disability Liaison Officers (FDLOs)  can provide quick advice and support specific to your learning environment.  As a student with a disability, Disability Services Officers are your main point of contact. Eligibility for these services is determined on an individual needs basis, upon review of the recommendations made in your supporting documentation and your consultation with a Disability Services Officer.

Our students’ wellbeing is our highest priority. The University offers several support channels to help you find relief from current emotional distress, explore coping strategies and advice pathways for longer term solutions:

 

  • Wellbeing support

If you would like support or to talk confidentially about any concerns that may be impacting on your academic performance or mental health and wellbeing with the Student Wellbeing team, the first step is to fill in this form. Once your form is received, a clinician from Student Wellbeing will call you within 1-2 business days to discuss your support needs.

 

  • Sonder

All University of Sydney International Students have free access to Sonder, a 24/7 on-demand safety and wellbeing app, to get you the support you need whenever you need, wherever you are.

Learn more: sydney.edu.au/students/sonder.html

 

  • Innowell

This is free to all students at the University. It is a digital platform designed to give you 24/7 on demand access to tools that assist in self-management of mental wellbeing and health and provide information about how to seek help as needed.

Learn more: sydney.edu.au/students/innowell.html

 

  • After hours mental wellbeing support line

If you’re in Australia and require support after hours, you can contact the Mental Wellbeing Support Line by calling 1300 474 065 or by texting 0488 884 429.

The Mental Wellbeing Support Line is available after 5pm from Monday to Friday, 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday, and during University close-down periods and public holidays.

 

  • Talk Campus

Life is full of challenges, and we want you to know that however you feel is valid. Download the Talk Campus mental health support app for free and instant access to online peer support 24/7, wherever you are in the world and in your own language:

Sign up: sydney.edu.au/students/talkcampus.html

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.