Fundamentals of Innovation Practice
Overview
The unit aims to introduce students to the key models, frameworks and concepts relevant to innovation and creative problem solving in an interdisciplinary environment. It provides the fundamental knowledge base and skills for students to implement innovation. Students will be introduced to principles that relate to innovation, including; opportunity discovery, value creation, creativity and ideation, as well as the mindset, culture and interdisciplinarity required for innovation to succeed. Students will be prompted to reflect on the role on innovation in their disciplinary domain and critically evaluate the appropriateness of different innovation approaches.
Requisites
31-May-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Explain innovation concepts and typologies using practical examples.
- Explore a range of innovation frameworks and processes relevant to innovation practice.
- Apply an innovation process in practice.
- Use knowledge of culture and mindset required for innovation practices to explain how innovation can be successfully fostered in industry.
- Articulate the value of interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Consider and discuss opportunities to implement innovation practice in their own discipline and careers.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Activity Type | Activity | Total Hours | Number of Weeks | Hours Per Week | Venue Type and Activity Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus | Studio | 36 | 12 weeks | 3 | or equivalent |
| Specified Activities | Various | 72 | 12 weeks | 6 | or equivalent |
| Unspecified Activities | Independent Learning | 42 | 12 weeks | 3.5 | or equivalent |
| Total Hours: | 150 | Total Hours (per week): | 12.5 | ||
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Study | Individual/Group | 30% | 1,2,3 |
| In-Class Exercises | Individual/Group | 30% | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
| Reflective Journal | Individual | 40% | 4,5,6 |
Content
The unit may include:
- Radical, incremental, and disruptive innovations
- Innovation typologies and formats
- Design innovation processes
- Intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship in different contexts
- Human-centred design and design thinking
- Opportunity discovery and problem definition
- Developing and delivering innovation projects
- Value creation (value proposition, business model and value chain)
- Interdisciplinary collaboration practices
- Innovation cultures and mindsets
- curiosity
- Careers in innovations
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.