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Monash University

FIT6021 Advanced research methods 1 - Semester 2, 2014

The aim of the unit is to prepare PhD candidates from the Faculty of IT to conduct research across the range of the disciplines that cover Information and Communication Technology (ICT) research, including computer science, software engineering, at the technical end, and organisational and social informatics, which address societal needs in ICT. This unit is compulsory for all students enrolled in the FIT PhD program.

The unit comprises five workshops, which address the broad philosophical, methodological and ethical underpinnings of conducting research in ICT, as well as classical and modern approaches to designing data collection and analysis for rigorous and sophisticated ICT research studies. Students have the option to choose from a list of available workshops.

Mode of Delivery

  • Caulfield (Day)
  • Clayton (Day)

Workload Requirements

Each workshop has seven hours of face-to-face contact plus 24 hours of individual study time per semester.

Additional workload requirements

You are expected to spend 3.5 hours per week participating in workshop activities and 12 hours per week in reading, preparing for workshops completing learning tasks, communicating with other students and workshop leaders in discussion forums, and undertaking formal assessment work.

Unit Relationships

Co-requisites

FIT5143 or equivalent

Chief Examiner

Campus Lecturer

Caulfield

Professor Julie Fisher

Consultation hours: By appointment. Use email to arrange appointments.

Professor Frada Burstein

Consultation hours: By appointment. Use email to arrange appointments.

Clayton

Associate Professor Kevin Korb

Consultation hours: By appointment. Use email to arrange appointments.

Your feedback to Us

Monash is committed to excellence in education and regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through the Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) survey. The University’s student evaluation policy requires that every unit is evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys. The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

For more information on Monash’s educational strategy, see:

www.monash.edu.au/about/monash-directions/ and on student evaluations, see: www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/quality/student-evaluation-policy.html

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
  • design rigorous and ethical research studies;
  • conduct high quality independent ICT research;
  • assess research design across a range of research strategies and paradigms;
  • consider and evaluate appropriate data collection instruments, and sampling strategies to fit the research purpose;
  • understand the key principles of ethical and professional research conduct;
  • understand the key principles of research presentation.

Unit Schedule

Week Activities Assessment
0 The unit comprises five workshops. Each workshop runs over two weeks. Students choose from a list of available workshops. The list is available via the Moodle site for this unit. No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0
1 Introduction to the Workshops Each workshop will include an associated assessable task. Details are available via the Moodle site for this unit.
2 Workshop  
3 Workshop  
4 Workshop  
5 Workshop  
6 Workshop  
7 Workshop  
8 Workshop  
9 Workshop  
10 Workshop  
11 Workshop  
12 Review of the Workshops  
  SWOT VAC No formal assessment is undertaken during SWOT VAC
  Examination period LINK to Assessment Policy: http://policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/
academic/education/assessment/
assessment-in-coursework-policy.html

*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.

Teaching Approach

Workshops
Workshops will include presentations which address the broad philosophical, methodological and ethical underpinnings of conducting research in ICT, as well as individual and group learning activities relating to  classical and modern approaches to designing data collection and analysis for rigorous and sophisticated ICT research studies.

Assessment Summary

In semester assessment: 100%

Each workshop will include an associated assessable task, which will comprise a portfolio of results to contribute 20% to the final assessment. These will comprise written and oral presentations to be performed individually and/or in groups. To pass this unit, students must achieve at least a total mark of 70% from five workshops, and must achieve at least 50% in each workshop.

Assessment Task Value Due Date
Workshop Portfolio 1 20% Details are available via the Moodle site.
Workshop Portfolio 2 20% Details are available via the Moodle site.
Workshop Portfolio 3 20% Details are available via the Moodle site.
Workshop Portfolio 4 20% Details are available via the Moodle site.
Workshop Portfolio 5 20% Details are available via the Moodle site.

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Assessment Tasks

Hurdle Requirements

To pass this unit, students must achieve at least a total mark of 70% from five workshops, and must achieve at least 50% in each workshop.

Participation

Participation in five workshops and workshop-related activities is required. Participation will be judged by criteria relating to the assessments associated with each workshop.

  • Assessment task 1
    Title:
    Workshop Portfolio 1
    Description:
    Each workshop will include an associated assessable task, which will comprise a portfolio of assessable activities. These will comprise individual and group written submissions and oral presentations. Details of the portfolio activities for each workshop are available via the Moodle site.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Details of criteria for assessment are available via the Moodle site.

    Hurdle requirements:
    Students must achieve at least 50% of the marks for each workshop portfolio.
    Due date:
    Details are available via the Moodle site.
  • Assessment task 2
    Title:
    Workshop Portfolio 2
    Description:
    Each workshop will include an associated assessable task, which will comprise a portfolio of assessable activities. These will comprise individual and group written submissions and oral presentations. Details of the portfolio activities for each workshop are available via the Moodle site.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Details are available via the Moodle site.

    Hurdle requirements:
    Students must achieve at least 50% of the marks for each workshop portfolio.
    Due date:
    Details are available via the Moodle site.
  • Assessment task 3
    Title:
    Workshop Portfolio 3
    Description:
    Each workshop will include an associated assessable task, which will comprise a portfolio of assessable activities. These will comprise individual and group written submissions and oral presentations. Details of the portfolio activities for each workshop are available via the Moodle site.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Details are provided on the Moodle site.

    Hurdle requirements:
    Students must achieve at least 50% of the marks for each workshop portfolio.
    Due date:
    Details are available via the Moodle site.
  • Assessment task 4
    Title:
    Workshop Portfolio 4
    Description:
    Each workshop will include an associated assessable task, which will comprise a portfolio of assessable activities. These will comprise individual and group written submissions and oral presentations. Details of the portfolio activities for each workshop are available via the Moodle site.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Details are provided on the Moodle site.

    Hurdle requirements:
    Students must achieve at least 50% of the marks for each workshop portfolio.
    Due date:
    Details are available via the Moodle site.
  • Assessment task 5
    Title:
    Workshop Portfolio 5
    Description:
    Each workshop will include an associated assessable task, which will comprise a portfolio of assessable activities. These will comprise individual and group written submissions and oral presentations. Details of the portfolio activities for each workshop are available via the Moodle site.
    Weighting:
    20%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Details are available via Moodle site.

    Hurdle requirements:
    Students must achieve at least 50% of the marks for each workshop portfolio.
    Due date:
    Details are available via the Moodle site.

Learning resources

Monash Library Unit Reading List (if applicable to the unit)
http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html

Faculty of Information Technology Style Guide

Feedback to you

Examination/other end-of-semester assessment feedback may take the form of feedback classes, provision of sample answers or other group feedback after official results have been published. Please check with your lecturer on the feedback provided and take advantage of this prior to requesting individual consultations with staff. If your unit has an examination, you may request to view your examination script booklet, see http://intranet.monash.edu.au/infotech/resources/students/procedures/request-to-view-exam-scripts.html

Types of feedback you can expect to receive in this unit are:

  • Graded assignments with comments

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Assignment submission

It is a University requirement (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/student-academic-integrity-managing-plagiarism-collusion-procedures.html) for students to submit an assignment coversheet for each assessment item. Faculty Assignment coversheets can be found at http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/. Please check with your Lecturer on the submission method for your assignment coversheet (e.g. attach a file to the online assignment submission, hand-in a hard copy, or use an online quiz). Please note that it is your responsibility to retain copies of your assessments.

Online submission

If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.

Other Information

Policies

Monash has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and to provide advice on how they might uphold them. You can find Monash’s Education Policies at: www.policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/academic/education/index.html

Key educational policies include:

Faculty resources and policies

Important student resources including Faculty policies are located at http://intranet.monash.edu.au/infotech/resources/students/

Graduate Attributes Policy

Student Charter

Student services

Monash University Library

Disability Liaison Unit

Students who have a disability or medical condition are welcome to contact the Disability Liaison Unit to discuss academic support services. Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) visit all Victorian campuses on a regular basis.

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