Work integrated learning is the core component of the Special Industry Project course. The course provides a select group of undergraduate students across the university with the opportunity to work in a small cross-disciplinary team setting and solve a business problem presented by a live business client. The academic component of the course is comprised of a series of master classes delivered by academic experts and industry professionals. Under the supervision of the course convenor and support of a designated industry mentor, students will apply their theoretical knowledge into practice by working on innovative solutions that address the specified business issue from the live business client that is located in Australia or overseas. The Special Industry Project course facilitates undergraduate students’ development of professional skills important for their job market readiness.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Apply relevant theoretical knowledge and skills to solve a specified business problem; 
   
2. Research, analyse, evaluate and propose practical solutions to the business problem encountered by the client organisation;
   
3. Work effectively and professionally within a team to develop practical solutions to a specified business problem;
   
4. Communicate effectively with peers and business professionals;
   
5. Construct a professional industry report; and
   
6. Critically reflect upon the value of lifelong learning processes provided through the project experience.

Research-Led Teaching

Students will be wearing the hat of the “consultant” in this course and will be addressing an issue with the support of a private sector mentor industry. When working with a client it is critical to have a thorough understanding of the client’s problem, business operations, requirements, stakeholders, risks, potential solutions, needs and strategy. This requires a blend of both primary and secondary research methods and data. It also requires the synthesis of said research into practical application, ultimately leading to desired business outcomes.

Such skills are necessary when entering or working in the current job market. The learning both in and out of the classroom will further support the development of professional skills and ultimately students’ employability.

Field Trips

There are no field trips in this course

Additional Course Costs

There might be discretionary offsite meetings with the client and/or the mentors which may or may not present the option of non-compulsory purchase of food or beverages.

Students are not required to financially contribute to any meetings but are permitted to do so at their own discretion.

Examination Material or equipment

There is no exam in the course.

Required Resources

There are no required resources for the course

Recommended Resources

Mark Thomas, 2003. High Performance Consulting Skills. Thorogood. Students can read the book online or download pdf chapters from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.virtual.anu.edu.au/lib/anu/detail.action?docID=308966

Leonard, K., & Yorton, T. (2015). Yes, and: How Improvisation Reverses" no, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration--lessons from the Second City. Harper Collins. Hard copies or soft copies of relevant chapters will be provided.

HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations, Nancy Duarte, 2012. (available in the library on short-term loan)

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

·       live verbal feedback from the course convener during class

·       verbal feedback during mentoring sessions with industry partner

·       written feedback on all assignments

·       peer feedback

·       feedback from presentation panels

·       individual feedback on student performance in assessment tasks is available on request from the lecturer; please make an appointment to request this.

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). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Prizes

Prize from the client (if any) to be confirmed before final presentations.

Support for Students

The University offers a number of support services for students. Information on these is available online from http://students.anu.edu.au/studentlife

Class format

Pending on the public health advice, lectures will be live, either in-person or virtual. Tutorials are integrated into the 3-hour session block and pending on the public health advice, tutorials will be face-to-face or via zoom.

Academic requirements

As a further academic integrity control, students may be selected for a 15 minute individual oral examination of their written assessment submissions.

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.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to Consulting – What is it? What does it Require? What not to do?
2	Meet your client and understand the case study	Client speaker session
3	Aligning Business Solutions to Strategy	Strategic business models Networking/Meet and Greet with Industry mentors
4	Teams – Setting yourself up for success	Guest Speaker
5	Moving Beyond the ‘Comfort Zone’	Guest Speaker – Professor Vinh Lu Mid-Term Progress - Report Due
6	Mid-Term Progress - Presentation	Mid-Term Progress - Presentation Due Peer Evaluation Due (In class)
7	Project Review – 60 minutes per team	NO LECTURE
8	Tips and tricks for effective presentations	Guest Speaker
9	Project Review – 60 minutes per team	NO LECTURE
10	Strategy and planning	Peer Evaluation Due (In class)
11	Managing Stakeholders	Guest Speaker – Associate Professor Ying-Yi Chih Project management NB: Date could be changed
12	Practice Final Business Presentations	Final Business Proposal - Report Due
13	Final Business Proposal - Presentations	Reflection Due Final Business Proposal - Presentations Due

Tutorial Registration

There are no tutorials

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Participation (10%)	10 %	26/05/2023	20/06/2023	2, 3, 5, 6, 7
Mid-Term Progress - Report (10%)	10 %	21/03/2023	28/03/2023	1, 2, 3, 5
Mid-Term Progress - Presentation (10%)	10 %	28/03/2023	04/04/2023	1, 2, 3, 5
Peer Evaluation 1 (5%)	5 %	31/03/2023	07/04/2023	6, 7
Peer Evaluation 2 (5%)	5 %	06/06/2023	29/06/2023	6, 7
Final Business Proposal - Report (30%)	30 %	26/05/2023	29/06/2023	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Final Business Proposal - Presentation (20%)	20 %	30/05/2023	29/06/2023	1, 3, 5, 6
Reflection (10%)	10 %	02/06/2023	29/06/2023	7

* 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 Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

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 Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

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

Participation is essential; the rubric for participation is available on Wattle in week 0 of the semester.

Examination(s)

There is no final exam in this course.

Assessment Task 1

Participation (10%)

Value: 10%

Participation will be based on a number of components.

The marking criteria is available on Wattle.

Participation is linked to achievement of the learning outcomes (LO4, LO5 and LO6), demonstrated by:

• frequency of participation in class: Weight 10%
• attendance of guest lecturers presentations and engagement in Q&A: Weight 20%
• quality of in-class comments (demonstrate insight and a constructive approach): Weight 50%
• listening skills (to others in class and teams, and to guests): Weight 20%

Participation is expected across the 12 weeks of classes. The completion of the group project (approximately 5 students per group) depends on every team member doing their best work, for all 12 weeks. Groups are self-selected during the first two weeks of the semester, with group selection activities run in class. Group conflict will be handled transparently through meetings with the convener.

Progress feedback on participation component will be provided in week 6 of term.

Assessment Task 2

Mid-Term Progress - Report (10%)

Value: 10%

Type: Group

Purpose of Assessment: Students will provide a status report of progress on their final proposal. This will provide a focus for the final reports and give students an opportunity to practice the professional presentation of a business report.

Length: 1,500 words

Content:

• Critical components of business unit’s issue/problem are identified
• Research strategy – what is driving where, how, why, what data has been gathered?
• Research acquired and evidence compiled (highlights)
• Summary of potential solutions for the Final Project Proposal (what are the big ideas?)

Assessment: By Katerina Kormusheva (Marking rubric will be posted on Wattle no later than Week 2 of the semester.)

Reference: If relevant; end notes and Harvard style

Submission: Wattle

Assessment Task 3

Mid-Term Progress - Presentation (10%)

Value: 10%

Type: Group

Purpose of Assessment: Students will provide a presentation of their midterm report. This will provide an opportunity to practice delivering persuasive, informative presentations: a critical skill in the business world.

Length: 10 minutes

Content: Provide the highlights (most important elements) from the mid term progress reports. The purpose is to convince the lecturer, unequivocally, that the team's thinking and reasoning is evidence-based and compelling. You must tell a story and take the audience on a journey, as if the audience was the client.

Assessment: By Katerina Kormusheva (Marking rubric will be posted on Wattle no later than Week 2 of the semester.)

Reference: If relevant, end notes and Harvard style

Due: Week 6 - In Class.

Submission: Presentation slides are submitted on Wattle. Presentations are done in person during class and the sessions are recorded.

Video recording: Student presentations will be recorded to allow subsequent validation of the assessment and stored until the official assessment appeals date has passed.

Assessment Task 4

Peer Evaluation 1 (5%)

Peer Evaluations will be conducted during week 6 and are compulsory.

They are intended to be an exercise in providing constructive feedback, giving teammates clear ideas of what to change (and how) as well as what to keep doing.

These will be done confidentially by email in week 6.

Guidance is provided in class in week 1, week 6 and week 11, and in writing on Wattle at the start of week 1.

Assessment Task 5

Peer Evaluation 2 (5%)

Peer Evaluations will be conducted during week 12 and are compulsory.

They are intended to be an exercise in providing constructive feedback, giving teammates clear ideas of what to change (and how) as well as what to keep doing.

These will be done confidentially by email in week 12.

?Guidance is provided in class in week 1, week 6 and week 11, and in writing on Wattle at the start of week 1.

Assessment Task 6

Final Business Proposal - Report (30%)

Value: 30%

Type: Group

Purpose of Assessment: This assessment is to showcase the student's ability to perform as a team to successfully address the client's issue and/or business problem. Ultimately the client will influence the final mark of this assessment item. Further explanation of the criteria and weighting can be found on Wattle.

Length: 8000 words (+/- 10%) not including Appendices, References List, Cover Page, TOC, TOT/TOF

Content: The Final report must include the following content, additional content could be added (as long as it provides value to the overall proposal and aligns with the story being told):

1)   Cover page

2)   Table of Contents

3)   Table of Tables/Figures

4)   Executive Summary

5)   Purpose of report

6)   Background

7)   Problem Statement

a)   Identify critical components of business unit’s issue and/or problem

b)   Evidence and Research (make it compelling)

8)   Identification of Solution

a)   Implementation Approach 1

i)     Strategy

b)   Implementation Approach 2

i)     Strategy

Suggested content for these sections include:

SMART goal

• Key Stakeholders
• Key activities
• Cost/Benefit Analysis
• Timeline
• Risks (or risk identification)
• Recommendations (need to be easily actioned)

o  Short-term

• Tactical
• Operational

o  Long-term

• Strategic

9)   Conclusion

10) Appendix

11) References

Assessment: By Katerina Kormusheva (Marking rubric will be posted on Wattle no later than Week 2 of the semester.)

Reference: If relevant; end notes and Harvard style

Submission: Wattle         

Assessment Task 7

Final Business Proposal - Presentation (20%)

Value: 20%

Type: Group

Purpose of Assessment: Students will pitch their business case to the course convener, client and industry mentors. This provides the opportunity to experience the difference between building a strong business case in writing and presenting/communicating it to stakeholders.

Length: 15 minutes (plus 10 minutes Q&A)

Content: A summary of the highlights of the final report. The Final presentation must:

• Create a compelling value proposition
• Tell a story
• Engage the stakeholders in the room
• Sell the proposed solutions.

Assessment: By Katerina Kormusheva (Marking rubric will be posted on Wattle no later than Week 2 of the semester.)

Reference: If relevant; end notes and Harvard style

Submission: Presentation slides are submitted on Wattle. Presentations are done in person in week 13 and the sessions are recorded.

Video recording: Student presentations will be recorded to allow subsequent validation of the assessment and stored until the official assessment appeals date has passed.

Individual students are assigned a position in the team and present their respective portfolios of the project, thus providing students with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills as individuals.

Assessment Task 8

Reflection (10%)

Value: 10%

Type: Individual

Purpose of Assessment: An opportunity for students to:

• examine their thinking and learning process thus far in this course
• identify their skill gaps and growth
• present a plan of action for improvement and
• recognize and share valuable insights.

Length: 1000 Words

Content (suggestions):

• What are your skill gaps and areas of growth? (link to learning outcomes)
• Moving forward, how do you plan to address your gaps and capitalise on your areas of growth?
• What insights have you gained about:
• yourself
• your team/teamwork
• your client
• creating solutions
• problem solving
• decision-making

Assessment: By Katerina Kormusheva (Marking rubric will be posted on Wattle no later than Week 2 of the semester.)

Reference: If relevant; end notes and Harvard style

Submission: Wattle

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

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

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 utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are 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 course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned within 2 weeks after submission date.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted 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

No re-submission of assignments will be allowed in this course.

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 Access 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