One Semester or Term

36 hours

Hawthorn

Students must have completed at least 175 Credit points, excluding IBL, and cannot be taken during IBL.

Nil

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Related Course/s:

A unit of study in the Psychology Major.

Aims & Objectives:

To teach students how to apply psychological knowledge to a real-world problem. The unit is project-based, designed to enhance professional skills valued by employers, such as project management, self-direction, critical and creative thinking.

• Develop and carry out a psychology project brief in collaboration with stakeholders
• Draw on inter-disciplinary knowledge in problem-solving
• Follow professional project management processes
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the project process through reflective reporting

Students are expected to develop their skills in:

• Applied research
• Problem identification, formulation and solution.
• Imagination, innovation and abstract thinking.
• Written communication.
• Working independently as an individual and team member.

Teaching Methods:

Seminars, group/supervision meetings (2 hours), independent project work

This unit is project-based, and activities and resources are designed to support the project process. Students are expected to work independently to gather materials and develop skills that help them to fulfill the requirements of the project brief. Academic staff will meet regularly with groups and individuals and provide support in developing project management and self-directed learning skills as well as undertaking more structured learning exercises aimed at developing core skills.

Assessment:

§         Participation (10%)

§         Reflective reports/project diary (10%)

§         Skills inventory and other written assessment (10%)

§         Project documentation (20%)

§         Project presentations (20%)

§         Major deliverable (30%)

Generic Skills Outcomes:

The graduate attributes which relate to this unit help to produce graduates who are: 

• Capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
• Entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community
• Effective and ethical in work and community situations
• Adaptable and able to manage change
• Aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing (eg socio-cultural, economic, natural)

Content:

Project briefs may come from a range of sources including staff interests, government, community, or industry clients, or broader research questions. The focus is on applying psychological knowledge to the resolution of issues raised by the brief and identifying and implementing appropriate methods for successfully completing a project. Areas addressed may include:

• Interpreting and responding to project briefs
• Applying discipline-specific knowledge to a real-world or applied context
• Team and project management skills
• Communication and presentation skills
• Critical and reflective practices
• Research methods
• Documenting project developments and recommendations

Reading Materials:

Bradbary, D. Herding Chickens: Innovative Techniques for Project Management. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, 2006.

Deeprose, D. Project management. [electronic resource] Capstone, Chichester , 2000.

Project Management Institute A Guide to the project management body of knowledge : PMBOK guide .[electronic resource Project Management Institute, ]Newtown Square, PA , 2004.