Course Title: Property, Construction and Project Management Research Methods

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Property, Construction and Project Management Research Methods

Credit Points: 6


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

OMGT1135

City Campus

Undergraduate

325H Property, Constr & Proj Mgt

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2006

Course Coordinator: Ric Lombardo

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3905

Course Coordinator Email:r_lombardo@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 8.8.72

Course Coordinator Availability: To be advised


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

This course equips students with the necessary research tools with which to construct a defensible research design for a student-nominated property research project.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course cultivates in students the capability to develop coherent research proposals that are both methodologically sound and ethically based.

This important capability is fostered by pursuing various objectives/learning outcomes. Namely, that students:

  • Gain a broad understanding of the main research methodologies employed in applied property research.
  • Gain proficiency in accessing and making effective use of library collections, archives, databases, and other electronic media.
  • Acquire the necessary skills to acquaint themselves with the current body of knowledge in respect of a specific property related research issue.
  • Harness the necessary tools to construct a defensible research design (i.e. a plan that outlines how and for what purpose(s) a proposed research project is to be conducted).
  • Know how to obtain data relating to property titles, planning ordinances and related matters.
  • Know how to accurately observe, measure and record conditions in the field.
  • Know what is involved in gathering, presenting and analyzing data – either primary or secondary, internal or external - with the purpose of evaluating or testing propositions, drawing a conclusion or shaping an opinion.
  • Defend a position under the challenge of peers.
  • Critically evaluate research articles written by others in the form of a literature review.
  • Be well apprised of all ethical research practices in respect of: the researcher-respondent relationship, the researcher-researcher relationship and the proper interpretation of data.



Overview of Learning Activities

Learning in this course takes place at four different levels:

  • Learning by doing (i.e. developing all the important elements of a coherent self-initiated research  plan)
  • Learning by reading (recommended textbooks as well as additional resources made available in the on-line class-room for this course) 
  • Learning from listening  to instructors during mini-lectures conducted in scheduled workshops
  • Learning from actively participating in various interactive activities conducted in the workshops

This course involves two full-day workshops, with one follow-up half-day session with an opportunity for small face to face discussions with the course coordinator in the second half of the day . Each workshop comprises a number of modules that prepare students for the sole major assessment and learning task for the course. Some modules involve group discussion, brainstorming exercises, reflective thought, the sharing of ideas and note taking.




Overview of Learning Resources

An on-line classroom is available for this course in the university’s distributed learning system (DLS). In this on-line classroom, one may find the learning guides for each of the workshops. These learning guides have numerous links to valuable resources both within and beyond the electronic confines of the university as well as lecture handouts and other useful material. The url for the DLS is: http://www.rmit.edu.au/online

Apart from these resources a number of other texts are recommended to students. 


Overview of Assessment

Students demonstrate their learning in this course by satisfactorily completing a research design. Such a design may be viewed as a ‘road map’ or plan for the research project nominated by the student.

The research project described in the research design is not undertaken in this course. Instead, it is completed in its sequel: OMGT1136 Property Research Project. It follows, that the research design must normally be passed (by obtaining a mark in excess of 50%) before one is allowed to enrol in OMGT1136.

Whilst attendance of the workshop series is not a requirement, students need to be aware that significant non-attendance may seriously jeopardise their chances of success in the course. The educational experience provided in classes is an essential component of the course and may be difficult to obtain other than by attendance.