Course Title: Researching Issues in Consumer Science

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Researching Issues in Consumer Science

Credit Points: 12.00


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

BESC1398

City Campus

Undergraduate

135H Applied Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2006,
Sem 1 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012

Course Coordinator: Anne Sibbel

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2718

Course Coordinator Email: anne.sibbel@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 39.4.9


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Students must complete ONPS 2172 Integrated Consumer Research 2, an equivalent course or provide evidence of equivalent capabilities.


Course Description

In this course, students  develop skills which can be applied to address a real issue associated with design or delivery of a consumer product or service by a commercial, government or community organisation. Students develop a proposal for research, including establishing the aim and objectives of the project, completing a literature search and review, and designing an appropriate methodology and applying for ethics approval.

 BESC1398 will articulate directly with the core consumer studies strand within the program but will relate to other strands to varying extents, depending on the research topic explored. Particular emphasis is placed on developing general capabilities in responsible and ethical professional practice, including the implications of sustainability for professional practice, reflective abilities and self management, critical analysis and problem solving, and in communication and presentation. Students will develop these through direct participation in prescribed tasks, undertaken during seminars and online discussion, in writing, and through oral presentations.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Students will develop capabilities in:
• recognising and analysing local and global consumer issues
• understanding the role of regulatory bodies in protecting the consumer and directing the activities of organisations
• planning primary research, specifically consumer research for development of consumer products and services.
• assessing the validity and reliability of various research strategies in different contexts
• recognising the social, environmental and economic responsibilities of organisations, and ways they can achieve sustainbility objectives 
• dealing directly with consumers, organisations and workplaces 
• locating, evaluating and transforming data on which informed decisions are based.
• assessing the validity and reliability of information reported in the professional literature 



Overview of Learning Activities

The learning activities include seminars, workshops, computer based tutorials, and individual and group meetings with teaching staff and external consultants


Overview of Learning Resources

Students will be provided with lists of relevant texts, library resources and freely accessible Internet sites. Other material will be provided in class. Students will be able to access course information and learning material through the Learning Hub (also known as online@RMIT).


Overview of Assessment

Students are assessed based on their timely completion and submission of all prescribed activities involved in preparing a research proposal