Course Title: Public Policy and Research
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Public Policy and Research
Credit Points: 12.00
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
Course Coordinator: Prof. Robin Usher
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3841
Course Coordinator Email: robin.usher@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: 91.2
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
A requirements is that the student be enrolled as a HDR student for the period of 1 year before applying
Registration is by application only to Helen Lennox, Graduate Research Office, Research & Innovation
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce you to the world of public policy and specifically to raise your awareness about the complex and problematic relationship between research and public policy
This course introduces a number of themes and issues on the relationship between research and public policy; these will help you to better understand the world of public policy. You will become more confident in dealing with that world, whether that be in working within it, seeking to influence it, or trying to obtain something from it.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
On successful completion of this course you will have:
Gained a greater awareness and understanding of the nature of research/policy relationships
A greater understanding of public policy debates in Australia and you will have developed skills to better manage these relationships
The dynamics and politics of the policy making process and the extent to which research influences that process
Developed your skills in putting together research proposals and in conducting research projects.
As above
Overview of Learning Activities
You will be involved with other students on this course in:
group discussions in the online moderated discussion forum
project work through guided activities; and
tasks and reflection on what you are learning
Overview of Learning Resources
Resources for learning
This is an online course. Set texts and other reading material will be available. There are online quizzes, case studies and activities that will help you reflect on your ongoing learning.
Reference materials are provided online in the unit’s ‘Resources’ section and throughout the body of the website. They include:
Documents for download
Links to offsite websites and web pages
You will also have access to:
An online chat facility
A personal journal/blog site
Online discussion forums
Overview of Assessment
Assessment is capabilities based. You must demonstrate that the articulated capabilities for the course have been achieved.
Your assessment tasks will relate to your professional life and work needs and will require that you are able to critique and advance your understanding of your workplace and/or your research program(s). Assessment tasks will include those skills traditionally related to postgraduate study, such as critical reading and writing, and will extend to project work, online collaborative tasks, needs analyses, case study analyses. Outcomes will include project plans and reports. A range of assessment tasks will be used in each unit and all assessment tasks will be criterion referenced.
Summative Assessment
a) Online forum
Each course has an online moderated discussion forum. You must participate in the forum since part of the overall assessment will be based on your participation.
Weight: 50%
b) Workbook
You will be asked to select a field of research and public policy that can be the basis for participating in the activities presented throughout this course. You will have to locate this in an organisational context. You will complete a series of activities that will allow you to determine that public policy implication of the research; present a project proposal to management, think about how objections to the project may be overcome and prepare a funding submission.
You will be provided with an online workbook where you will be expected to summarise and reflect on what you have done.
Weight: 50%