81539 Innovation in Complex Systems
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 8 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Anti-requisite(s): 81511 Problems to Possibilities AND 81546 Innovation in Complex Systems AND 95002 TD: Reframing, remixing, reimagining society AND 95003 TD: Sustainability in an interconnected world AND 95004 TD: Technologies reimagined in a complex world AND 95005 TD: Shaping technologies that shape us AND 95006 TD: Envisioning futures worth wanting AND 95007 TD: Pathways to societal transitions AND 95008 TD: Shaping better futures AND 95009 TD: Change-making for social impact AND 95010 TD: Reframing, remixing, reimagining society + AND 95011 TD: Sustainability in an interconnected world + AND 95012 TD: Technologies reimagined in a complex world + AND 95013 TD: Shaping technologies that shape us + AND 95014 TD: Envisioning futures worth wanting + AND 95015 TD: Pathways to societal transitions + AND 95016 TD: Shaping better futures + AND 95017 TD: Change-making for social impact +
Description
In this subject, participants engage in a creative series of practical activities that bring them to a broad understanding of creative intelligence and innovation as a field of practice. Through exploring what appear to be impossibilities, they begin to investigate and reframe uncertain and complex challenges, and experiment with emerging opportunities.
Participants are challenged to analyse problem situations from multiple perspectives and to integrate these findings in ways that lead to new possibilities. The nature of this subject embraces today's open, complex, dynamic and networked problems. Through first-hand experience, students are inspired to experiment and hone their skills through multidisciplinary collaboration, visualisation, representation and presentation.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Explore and represent relationships and interconnectedness of a complex environment. |
|---|---|
| 2. | Manipulate and communicate experiences, ideas and findings to see the problem or context differently. |
| 3. | Identify, describe and explore a range of challenges in order to discern significant opportunities. |
| 4. | Select, test and evaluate different disciplinary methods for gaining insights into a complex system. |
| 5. | Explain the thinking behind particular selections of ideas, strategies, findings and interpretations generated in multi-disciplinary teams. |
| 6. | Develop a clear and convincing rationale to support the proposal for a particular possibility. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject contributes specifically to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes:
- Synthesise a holistic larger-picture view of complex situations by analysing diverse perspectives and information. (1.1)
- Identify, evaluate, bricolage and apply methods for investigating, navigating, and gaining insights into complex challenges and systems. (1.2)
- Identify and utilise a range of appropriate creative intelligence and other methods together to identify meaningful opportunities to creatively problem-solve and generate transformative possibilities. (2.1)
- Develop, co-design, iterate, adapt and pivot proposals and initiatives to test ideas and learn about system dynamics and constraints. (3.1)
- Engage professionally with industry, community, government and other stakeholders to mobilise others and enable sustainable and entrepreneurial innovation. (3.2)
- Critically analyse Indigenous contexts across business innovation to inform professional capability and practices to work effectively with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (5.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The subject provides opportunities for you as a student to draw on various disciplinary and non-disciplinary perspectives to begin exploring and developing your own innovation practices. You experiment and play with a range of methods to discern the ways disciplines approach problem situations and apply insights to develop your own proposals for responding to complex real-world challenges. Finally, you test your ideas in practice by communicating them in experimental formats to a range of audiences.
So your experiences as a student in this subject support you to develop the following graduate attributes (GA):
- GA1 Holistic analysis
- GA 2 Transformative creativity
- GA3 Action orientation and transdisciplinary experimentation
- GA 4 Contextual and self-awareness
- IGA: UTS graduates will have knowledge of Indigenous Australian contexts to inform their capability to work effectively for and with Indigenous Australians within their profession
Teaching and learning strategies
Learning in this subject will take place in a collaborative, immersive, experiential learning environment. This subject uses problem-based learning strategies that involves students in researching and developing their own / group solutions to complex problems / scenarios. This subject is studio-based. In each studio session students receive feedback and reflection from academics and industry professionals, whilst continuing to work on the problems / feedback and reflection from academics and industry professionals, and continuing to work on the problems / projects they are preparing and completing outside studio session times. Staff, peers and invited experts will give formative feedback continually through class activities as students develop their future-oriented projects.
Content (topics)
- Different disciplinary practices
- Future science and physics of the impossible
- Innovation models
- Introduction to systems thinking and complexity
- Visualisations, provotypes and other representational techniques
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Exploring ideas worth spreading
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 2, 3 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 and 3.2 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Design/drawing/plan/sketch |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
Assessment task 2: Problems in situ
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Portfolio |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 40% |
Assessment task 3: Sense-making and communicating
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 3.1 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Reflection |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
Minimum requirements
Students must attempt each assessment task and achieve an overall pass mark in order to pass this subject.
Late penalties apply to all assessment tasks as outlined in the TD School FYI student booklet. Please consult this booklet for other useful information including Special Consideration, Plagiarism, Extension, and Student Support Services.
A minimum of 80% of attendance of classes (as outlined in the timetable) is required.
Required texts
No required texts. Readings and other resources will be provided online.
Recommended texts
Please refer to Canvas for a list of readings. These readings are an important resource for your Assignments.