units

ATS3003

Faculty of Arts

Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Arts
Organisational UnitBehavioural Studies
OfferedNot offered in 2015
Coordinator(s)Dr Ana-Maria Bliuc; Dr Roseanne Misajon

Synopsis

The aims of the unit are to provide students with an overview of current relevant topics of research in behavioural and social sciences as well as of various approaches to research in the field. The unit will equip students with valuable analytical and critical skills which will facilitate transition to either postgraduate research-based degrees or workforce (in positions where social research methods are used).

Content:
The focus of the unit will be on current research conducted in Behavioural studies (BHS) and Sociology (SCY), which are pertinent to current social and political climate locally and globally. The unit will address these issues in a systematic way and students will have the opportunity to apply learning outcomes from other units (e.g., Social Research methods unit). Students will build on their existing quantitative research skills, apply these skills to a group project, and enhance their ability to critically engage with research issues.

Learning and teaching activities:
The teaching approach will be student-centred with a focus on (further) developing research skills and analytical abilities. Current topics in BHS and SCY will be introduced lectures which will be followed by sessions designed as highly interactive, inquiry-based workshops where students will have the opportunity to discuss concepts from the lectures, and then apply them by undertaking group research projects. Under the guidance of the instructors, students will conduct projects of their choice (from the topics introduced) which will familiarise them with all stages of research from framing a research question to disseminating findings. Feedback and reflective exercises will be also part of the learning experience.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students will:

  1. have a deeper understanding of current research in behavioural and social research
  2. be able to critically analyse their social world and identify issues that can be effectively addressed through a systematic, scientific approach.
  3. demonstrate quantitative research skills and to apply these methods to address a research question by analysing, interpreting and extracting meaning from social and behavioural data.
  4. reflect on own work and critically evaluate others' work
  5. develop research writing and presentation skills

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Prerequisites

Twelve credit points of second-year Arts units. It is highly recommended that students only take this unit after they have completed a cornerstone unit in Behavioural studies.