Future Students - Courses

Strategic Foresight and Holistic Thinking

Unit Code: HEI871

Duration	Contact Hours	Campus	Prerequisite	Corequisite
One Teaching Period	36 hours	Hawthorn	All Stage 1 MEI units	Nil

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Aims & Objectives:

This unit will introduce the concept of systems thinking and design and how it is important to Future Studies and Foresight Capabilities. The purpose is to build student capabilities in the use of a suite of systems thinking and design methodologies, and apply these methods in entrepreneurship and foresight implementation. The unit forms part of stage 3 of the MEI, integrating interdisciplinary approaches.

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

Have developed sufficient skills in holistic and systems thinking and design to enable their use to complement entrepreneurial endeavours
Be familiar with some of the tools of systems and holistic thinking and design and how those tools can improve foresight and entrepreneurship practice
Understand what is systems thinking and design and how is it important to Future Studies and Foresight Capabilities.

Teaching Methods:

Classroom, and online delivery, via a combination of presentations, discussions, case studies, practical activities and, where appropriate, experiential activities. Incorporating ongoing innovative entrepreneurship teaching pedagogies.

Assessment:

Participation (in class graded activity) 10-15%
Individual project 35-45%
System map 15-25%
Group Project 25-35%

Generic Skills Outcomes:

Swinburne University of Technology works to produce higher education graduates who are capable in their chosen profession. Learners bring to Swinburne University of Technology a diverse wealth of experiences and graduate with individual understandings, abilities and attitudes.

Within this context it is the intent of unit HEI871 Strategic Foresight and Holistic Thinking that students develop the following key generic skills:

Leadership skills
Teamwork skills
Analysis skills
Problem solving skills
Communication skills
Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
Ability to work independently

Content:

Intervention as Action Inquiry and Foresight
Systems Mapping and Diagramming Techniques
Soft Systems and Design Methods
Causal Analysis and Causal Mapping
Hard Systems Design
Large Systems Facilitation Methods
Searching and Designing Ideal Futures
Advanced Concepts in Systems Mapping

Textbooks:

Appropriate texts are being evaluated

References:

A set of current and relevant readings will be developed