University of Technology Sydney

94758 Digging for Paradigms

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 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Transdisciplinary Innovation
Credit points: 9 cp
Result type: Grade, no marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This bespoke Lab invites the participants to conduct ‘field research’ to investigate the current practices and paradigms in their own organisation. Learners then explore future needs and desired states to identify gaps and opportunities in the space between the current paradigm and the desired future states. As part of the lab learners take a deep-dive into a field of thought that has sparked their interest in Fields of Thought (94711) and the paradigms under investigation. The deep dive involves a multi modal text review, including interviewing an expert/s on the topic, convening a living library-club to discuss an influential text and the production of an audio- or audio-visual recording. The recording is a reflective piece that explores the field of thought and its relevance to current practices and paradigms in their own organization along with the conditions needed to develop collective capacities to respond to global challenges.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Apply theoretical and philosophical perspectives to critically analyze values embedded in disciplines, paradigms and practices to guide thinking in academic, professional and everyday contexts.
2. Identify and critically engage philosophical thinking through multiple texts and explore its relevance to field of practice.
3. Apply creative research methods to gather, adopt, adapt, apply and synthesize concepts, practices and methods to generate new ways of thinking to spur innovation.
4. Explore and identify the conditions required to develop collective capacity between organizations, to respond to complex global challenges.

Teaching and learning strategies

This bespoke Lab offers an opportunity for participants to apply their learning within the program to develop a strategic and bold future-oriented direction for organisational transformation, tailored to the context of participants’ practice. In this subject, participants undertake ‘fieldwork’ by observing their organisational contexts and interviewing colleagues about existing innovation practices. This core subject is offered in a blended mode. Learners undertake self-paced study online to engage with research methods, scoping, planning fieldwork, gathering and grounding data. As part of scoping and grounding the fieldwork, learners conduct a text review of a relevant field of thought. They interview a subject matter expert, convene a living library-club, and make an audio recording of their findings. These insights are then evaluated against the frameworks explored in this degree and field work findings to identify practices needed to enhance organizational innovation capacity. Participants receive feedback from academics, industry mentors and colleagues in their professional contexts.

Content (topics)

  • Research methods and data gathering
  • Grounded theory
  • Text review of field of thought
  • Convene living library club.
  • Interviewing
  • Creating an audio recording/ podcast
  • Practices to enhance innovation

Participants receive feedback from academics, industry mentors and colleagues in their professional contexts.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Research plan

Type: Report
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 20%

Assessment task 2: Literature/text review

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2 and 3

Type: Literature review
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%

Assessment task 3: Summary of findings

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

3 and 4

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%

Minimum requirements

To pass this subject student must make a reasonable attempt to meet the expectations outlined in the brief of each assessment task and achieve an overall pass grade for the subject.