The Evidence-based Management (EBM) course aims at providing students enrolled in programs at RSM with different levels of competencies centered around evidence and that they are expected to develop and maintain throughout their studies and ultimately translate into their working life.  EBM involves the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of the best available evidence about and within business organisations for decision-making. This course is divided into two sequential modules. The first module will equip students with knowledge about EBM and how it strengthens decision-making and practice in business and organisation. In module two, students will learn how to appraise evidence quality before applying it to support decisions and actions. Students will thus be able to not only translate principles from best evidence to management practice and ethical decision-making, but also to reflect on how to use evidence and their position to improve on their learning experience.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Describe Evidence-based practice (EBP) in Management and its basic principles and its core and functional capabilities.
2. Identify problems that require decision-making based on knowledge of research fundamentals and EBP principles and capabilities (ASK)
3. Establish the search strategy to acquire the best available evidence relevant to the problem (ACQUIRE)
4. Ascertain the methodological appropriateness, quality, and trustworthiness of evidence (APPRAISE)
5. Integrate different types of relevant evidence towards finding solutions to the problem (AGGREGATE)
6. Generate and implement best solutions to the problem with due consideration of their social and ethical implications (APPLY)
7. Evaluate feedback obtained on applied solutions for necessary adjustment (ASSESS)
8. Generate insights and decision-making awareness through self-reflection (ASSESS)

Research-Led Teaching

Evidence-based Management education is itself research-based. The approach to learning in this course is grounded in cognitive theories of learning which best support the development of critical thinking and meta-cognitive skills. The content is based on robust research, and in turn decision-making skills are developed. Managers and leaders taking this course will be positioned to ask the right questions, think critically, and acquire the best possible information with which to make management decisions. In this course students will learn to think critically about management problems and their solutions in terms of research findings published in academic journals in addition to other sources of evidence.

Field Trips

Not Applicable

Examination Material or equipment

There is no formal examination for this course.

Required Resources

Text book: The text book for this course is:

Barends, E & Rousseau, D M, 2018, Evidence-based management: How to use evidence to make better organizational decisions, Kogan Page, UK.

It is available through the campus bookshop, and as well a copy of the text book will be held in the ANU library reserve & short loan collection. The ANU Library e-book copy can be found at: https://library.anu.edu.au/record=b5803516 . Please contact the Course Convener if you have difficulty getting access to the book.

Other required resources: All other required reading materials will be provided on Wattle.

Recommended Resources

Any recommended resources or readings will be advised on Wattle.

Staff Feedback

Feedback: Rubrics are provided for all assessment items so that students can plan their work and can identify areas for improvement. Students may receive feedback in any of the following ways:

1. Written or rubric-based qualitative feedback on their online discussion forum contributions.
2. Synchronous live feedback as part of occasional live online classroom discussion as set up by the teaching team.
3. Feedback on the assessment pieces in in numeric, tabular, and graphical formats, and/or written or audio qualitative comments; feedback can be both to individual learners and consolidated for the whole online class.
4. Peer feedback during workshops or in online Discussion Forums.
5. Individual feedback can be provided to students in consultation with the teaching team by email or by appointment. If an appointment is required for a telephone, online chat, or online visual meeting, please email the tutor, lecturer, or Convenor to make an appointment.

Disagreement and dispute of assessment marks and feedback: ANU has policies and procedures to be followed in respect of disagreement with assessment marks or feedback (see under EDUCATIONAL POLICIES). However, in view of the circumstances of online learning it is suggested that any disagreement with assessment marks and feedback be addressed initially by email to the Convenor, including a clear description of the area(s) of dispute.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Important: Updates and announcements for this course will be circulated via emails and/or Wattle site. Students should ensure that their official ANU email address is effective and that they have access to Wattle. Students should check their ANU email address daily during teaching periods.

Class formats: Resources including core content, academic research articles, and other audio, visual, or textual resources will be made available online through Wattle. While lectures are not offered there will be regular workshops held with the teaching team that include small group work, supplemented by some academic guests speaking on their research areas. To gain the greatest effect from these workshops students are expected to study the weekly prescribed chapter/content and readings prior to the workshops, and work on the related assessment tasks online through Discussion Forum posts on Wattle over the following weeks as well as through online workshop participation. The optional weekly seminar/workshop will be held synchronously on ZOOM. See the Wattle page for details of the scheduled day and time.

Student consultation:  

• Consultation requests to students will be circulated by Course Announcements or by email.
• Every effort will be made to respond to student queries as soon as possible, and within 2 business days unless there are special circumstances. The preferred initial method of contact is email, with other forms of telecommunications (such as online consultation, chat, or phone) used where appropriate.
• Students located in time zones that make standard consultation times difficult are encouraged to email to arrange a more appropriate time for personal consultation.

Online learning: This course is delivered in an online mode. Online teaching and learning does not mean that students are isolated from their instructors or tutors. In fact, it opens up new ways through for intensive, interactive and engaging communication that facilitates students' learning experiences and achievement of learning outcomes. Detailed guidance on assessment requirements, marking criteria, assessment submission standards, navigating the teaching facilities, and how to study online as well as detailed course notes are all available on the Wattle page.

• Refer to the QUICK GUIDE near the top of the page for an overview of online learning through this course,
• Then read, watch, or listen to the other resources it identifies for more details.

Differences from other modes of teaching: Online courses may differ in some aspects of delivery, assessment details, and weightings from on-campus classes. These changes are designed to adjust for the different delivery modes and ensure that all students achieve the same learning outcomes, regardless of delivery mode.

Personal portfolio: As an online student you may benefit from a different range of learning tools. Consider keeping a personal journal throughout the course to record the thoughts, issues and dilemmas that arise for you. Such a journal may be electronic, using tools such as e-Portfolio on Wattle, or maintained in any other format that suits you. The journal is used to record insights gathered from course reading and other sources, as well as for noting personal reflections as the course proceeds. Students should reflect on the skills, resources, capabilities, thinking and learning styles and consider how they will prepare themselves for working in a management role deploying the skills and knowledge gained in this course.

Submission size: A maximum submission size is specified for all assessment items other than weekly forum posts. The specified sizes are adequate to cover the requirements to a high standard and they encourage focused and business-like writing and presentation. Note that words, slides, pages, or time in excess of the specified maximum submission size will not be marked.

Assessment submission standards: Advice on assessment submission standards, including detailed guidance on what is counted towards submission size, is provided on the Wattle page.

Procedure for extensions: The procedure for obtaining an extension of time for an assessment item is advised in the section on LATE SUBMISSION (above).

Academic Integrity: As a further academic integrity control, students may be selected for a 15 minute individual oral examination of their written assessment submissions. Note that any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghost writing services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Integrity Rule.

Scaling: Your final mark for the course will be based on the raw marks allocated for each of your assessment items. However, your final mark may not be the same number as produced by that formula, as marks may be scaled. Any scaling applied will preserve the rank order of raw marks (i.e. if your raw mark exceeds that of another student, then your scaled mark will exceed the scaled mark of that student), and may be either up or down.

Applicable timezone: The Australian National University is situated in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory and all references to times and dates refer to time in the Australian Capital Territory. Be aware that the Australian Capital Territory observes Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time in summer months; the effect of this is to shift the time by one hour from Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) to Australian Eastern Daylight-saving Time (AEDT). This shift is taken into account in setting times for submission of assessment items or other activities so the set time will be as specified, but AEST or AEDT will apply depending on the time of year. To avoid confusion in converting the specified times to your local time, consider using a time converter such as this: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/australia/canberra

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Topic 1: An Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice in Management Reading: Chapter 1
2	Topic 2: Asking questions to identify problems and solutions (and understanding what is required to answer different types of questions) Reading: Chapter 2
3	Topic 3: Acquiring and appraising evidence from professionals Reading: Chapter 3 & 4	Assessment Task #7 Part A: Optional: Reflective Review Part A due at 23:59 on Thursday Assessment Task #3: Optional: obtain approval for own topic for Problem Definition by 23::59 on Thursday.
4	Topic 8: Acquiring and appraising evidence from stakeholders Reading: Chapter 10 & 11	Assessment Task # 3: Problem Definition (written) due at 23:59 on Thursday
5	Topic 4: Scientific evidence and how to acquire it Reading: Chapter 5 & 6
6	Topic 5: Appraising scientific evidence Reading: Chapter 7
7	Topic 6: Conducting a Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) Reading: Chapter 16	Assessment Task #4: Stakeholder Evidence Proposal due at 23:59 on Thursday
8	Topic 7: Acquiring and appraising organisational evidence Reading: Chapter 8 & 9
9	Topic 9: Aggregating evidence Reading: Chapter 12
10	Topic 10: Applying evidence Reading: Chapter 13	Assessment Task #5: CAT Report due at 23:59 on Thursday
11	Topic 11: Assessing the outcome of a decision Reading: Chapter 14
12	Topic 12: Leadership & evidence-based management in the organisation Topic 13: Being a practitioner of evidence-based management Reading: Chapter 15	Assessment Task #6: Action Briefing (written) due at 23:59 on Thursday
13	No teaching	Assessment Task #7 Part B: Reflective Review Part B due at 23:59 on the Thursday at the start of the Examination Period

Tutorial Registration

There will be no tutorials in this course.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Problem Definition	10 %	18/08/2022	01/09/2022	2
Stakeholder Evidence Proposal	10 %	22/09/2022	06/10/2022	2,3,4,5
CAT Report	45 %	13/10/2022	27/10/2022	2,3,4,5
Action Briefing	20 %	27/10/2022	10/11/2022	1,6,7
Reflective Review	15 %	03/11/2022	*	8

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Resources including core content, academic research articles, and other audio, visual, or textual resources will be made available online through Wattle. While lectures are not offered there will be regular workshops held with the teaching team that include small group work, supplemented by some academic guests speaking on their research areas. To gain the greatest effect from these workshops students are expected to study the weekly prescribed chapter/content and readings prior to the workshops, and work on the related assessment tasks online through Discussion Forum posts on Wattle over the following weeks as well as through online workshop participation. The optional weekly seminar/workshop will be held synchronously on ZOOM. See the Wattle page for details of the scheduled day and time.

Examination(s)

There is no formal examination for this course.

Assessment Task 1

Problem Definition

Description: Students individually describe a complex managerial problem, covering the following:

1. Define the problem including brief background and context

2. Justify/motivate the problem using at least one of the four forms of evidence used in Evidence-Based Management. Why is it important to focus on it?

3. Questions to focus an understanding of the problem (and its causes) through scientific and other evidence

4. Questions to focus exploration of possible solutions through scientific and other evidence

Preparation: Students with limited or no work experience from which to draw their topic are advised to select a supplied case study and if they do then they do not require further approval. Students may instead choose an individual problem but if so the problem must be approved by the teaching team by 23:59 on Thursday of Week 3. Any student who has not requested approval for a specific problem topic by 23:59 on Thursday of Week 3 will be deemed to have selected a supplied case study as their topic.

Format: A written report of no more than 500 (+10%) words. (Though there will be no penalty for going over the limit, the portion in excess of the limit will not be read or marked.)

Marking criteria: Submissions will be assessed against the Learning Outcomes shown in the ASSESSMENT SUMMARY table. Further details and marking criteria are provided on Wattle.

Due date: Written reports are due at 23:59 on Thursday of Week 4 via Turnitin on the course Wattle site.

Feedback: Up to 10 working days after submission, excluding semester breaks.

Assessment Task 2

Stakeholder Evidence Proposal

Description: Students individually prepare a business report of no more than 600 words that: plans the acquisition of stakeholder evidence in response to a complex management problem, and justifies the use of relevant validated scale/s to address that problem.

Marking criteria: Submissions will be assessed against the Learning Outcomes shown in the ASSESSMENT SUMMARY table. Further details and marking criteria are provided on Wattle from a fortnight prior to the beginning of the semester.

Word limit: 600 (+10%) words. (Though there will be no penalty for going over the limit, the portion in excess of the limit will not be read or marked.)

Due date: 23:59 on Thursday Week 7 via Turnitin on the course Wattle site.

Feedback: Up to 10 working days after submission, excluding semester breaks.

Assessment Task 3

CAT Report

Description: Students individually prepare a business report of no more than 1200 words that applies scientific evidence to a research question that has been developed in response to a complex management problem.

Marking criteria: Submissions will be assessed against the Learning Outcomes shown in the ASSESSMENT SUMMARY table. Further details and marking criteria are provided on Wattle from a fortnight prior to the beginning of the semester.

Word limit: 1200 (+10%) words. (Though there will be no penalty for going over the limit, the portion in excess of the limit will not be read or marked.)

Due date: 23:59 on Thursday Week 10 via Turnitin on the course Wattle site.

Feedback: Up to 10 working days after submission, excluding semester breaks.

Assessment Task 4

Action Briefing

Description: Students individually describe a pathway to resolve a complex managerial problem covering the following:

• aggregate and appraise multiple evidence for a claim that has been developed in response to a complex management problem;
• recommend action to operationalise an evidence-based decision;
• propose measures to assess the effectiveness of the intervention; and
• anticipate and ameliorate undesired consequences of implementation.

Format: A written report of no more than 600 (+10%) words. (Though there will be no penalty for going over the limit, the portion in excess of the limit will not be read or marked.)

Marking criteria: Submissions will be assessed against the Learning Outcomes shown in the ASSESSMENT SUMMARY table. Further details and marking criteria are provided on Wattle from a fortnight prior to the beginning of the semester.

Due date: Written reports are due at 23:59 on Thursday of Week 12 via Turnitin on the course Wattle site.

Feedback: Up to 10 working days after submission, excluding semester breaks.

Assessment Task 5

Reflective Review

Description: Students individually prepare responses of to a series of questions. Some examples of reflections will be provided to supplement the guidance provided on Wattle to assist students in reflective writing. Part A is optional and not assessed and this will assist students to prepare their response to Part B, which is assessed. The questions are focused on the Learning Outcomes shown in the ASSESSMENT SUMMARY table.

Format:

Part A: a written report of no more than 1100 words. (Not assessed)

Part B: A written report of no more than 1100 (+10%) words. (Assessed) (Though there will be no penalty for going over the limit, the portion in excess of the limit will not be read or marked.)

Marking criteria (for Part B): Submissions will be assessed against the Learning Outcomes shown in the ASSESSMENT SUMMARY table. Further details and marking criteria are provided on Wattle from a fortnight prior to the beginning of the semester.

Due date:

Part A: 23:59 on Thursday Week 3 via Turnitin on the course Wattle site.

Part B: Written report: by 23:59 on the Thursday of Week 13 via Turnitin on the course Wattle site.

Feedback: After grade release

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

Use of Turnitin: Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Lodgement: You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records.

Identification: On all assignments you should only give your student number as identification; your name should not be included anywhere in the file.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must be accompanied by the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of all completed tasks for your records.

Late Submission

Weekly assessment tasks: Late submissions are not accepted.

Other assessment tasks: Late submission of an assessment task without an extension is penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the Class Summary for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations or for items where this is specified in the description of the assessment task.

Procedure for extensions: All requests for extensions to assessment in RSM courses must be submitted to the RSM School Office with a completed application form and supporting documentation. The RSM Extension Application Form and further information on this process can be found at https://rsm.anu.edu.au/study/students/extension-application-procedure

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

All assignments will be marked and/or returned according to the timeline specified under ASSESSMENT SUMMARY.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

• Before the due date/time for submission students may re-upload their submission.
• After the due date/time students may only upload a submission if they have not already done so, and a late penalty will then apply.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students