| Unit name | Innovation in Practice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | INOVM0020 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Mr. Dave Jarman |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
n/a |
| School/department | Centre for Innovation |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
The ambition to innovate and succeeding in doing so are quite different things. Many individuals and organisations struggle to make change happen, to create value, or to do so efficiently and sustainably. This unit provides a contextual understanding of how innovation has happened, is happening, and how it may happen in the future.
Using relevant academic theory, professional case studies, and examples of practice the unit explores the factors that both accelerate and hinder the process of innovation and change management. The unit will also consider the impact of historic and future trends impacting the sector and driving organisational behaviour.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
In this unit you’ll gain the critical contextual understanding to innovate in the ‘real world’. It provides your distinctive ‘pathway’ thread for your Masters programme, in this case retaining a level of generalised practice by drawing from a diverse set of innovation case studies from a range of disciplines, industries, and contexts. This should provide both inspiration and understanding vital to your future academic and professional projects. The unit will also develop presentation skills, teamwork, and critical analysis and writing skills useful to your academic projects and professional career.
An overview of content
This unit uses a series of diverse but illustrative case studies of innovation in practice to develop your understanding of how problems are solved and opportunities realised in professional practice. By showcasing how innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers are enabling innovation in different industries and contexts you’ll see how your emerging design and venture-creation skills can be levered for effect. You will also develop a deeper understanding of relevant academic work that seeks to understand and codify these processes of innovation into repeatable patterns for effecting change.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will have gained an understanding of the specific contexts in which you might work in the future to create impact and change. This will enhance both your competence and confidence in the process of innovation and an understanding of when, where, how, and with who different processes might be best used. You will be able to articulate the value of really understanding the context in which you are innovating before developing solutions. You will be able to critically discuss how innovation takes place.
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of this unit students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key theories and professional practices of innovation.
2. Apply, analyse, and critically evaluate the practice of innovation using domain-relevant tools and approaches.
3. Reflect critically on current and future contexts and trends in innovation.
4. Present analysis and recommendations on the practice of innovation in a persuasive and professional manner.
Teaching will be focused on interactive studio-style workshop sessions based on a series of case studies and small-group project work supported by in-person and online lectures. This simulates the group-based professional context of design practice and allows for the kind of discussion, debate, and diversity of perspective that really stimulates transformative creative learning.
Teaching and assessment are focused on real-world case studies to add to the authenticity of what is being learnt and why.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Case Study Samples, up to 500 words (0% Not Required for Credit)
Students will take turns to present in class.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Case Study, 5,000 words (100%) [ILOs 1-4]
Individual assessment.
When an assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. INOVM0020).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
