Overview

This unit aims to provide students with the experience and skills to work on a real-world problem-solving project by building on Design Thinking, experiential learning and management consulting principles. Students will develop and demonstrate their career-readiness by researching, planning, and developing innovative solutions (e.g. business models and plans/marketing plan/project plan or any other strategic plan for a business/an organisation); exhibiting an ability to assess the risks and opportunities in operationalising the proposed solutions; presenting a high level of competence in comprehension of the innovation process; and communicating that knowledge to others in a collective and multidisciplinary working environment.

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Apply business management principles, concepts and theories using problem-solving techniques together with Design Thinking tools to analyse a business problem.
  • Demonstrate the ability to formulate and justify innovative plans/recommendations for achieving client’s project goals.
  • Demonstrate the skills and abilities to critically evaluate their own personal learning and development whilst working on a consulting project
  • Apply professional communication skills to effectively present innovative solutions using diverse mediums and utilise interpersonal skills to collaborate with others in order to solve business problems

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Class
3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Swinburne Online and OUA

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
12.50 12 weeks 150
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 15 - 25% 1,2 
Assignment and Presentation 1Group 40 - 60% 1,2,4 
Peer EvaluationIndividual 10 - 20% 
ReflectionIndividual 15 - 25% 1,3 

Content

  • Introduction to Consulting
  • Business Strategy Frameworks
  • Information sources and research ethics
  • Empathy as a means to innovate
  • Problem defining and analysis
  • Generating creative ideas to solve the problem
  • Solution development and creative experimentation
  • Testing your creative solutions
  • Evaluating strategic options and refining ideas
  • Developing recommendations
  • Developing Implementation plans
  • Critical reflection
  • How to pitch a brilliant idea?

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.