ENG8011 Assessment of Future Specialist Technology

Staffing

Examiner: David Thorpe
Moderator: Andrew Maxwell

Rationale

The uptake and application of technological advances is often surprising, differing widely from the expectations and intentions of the inventor. An attempt is made to extrapolate from current information to gain insight into future technological resources, markets, products and consumer expectations.

Synopsis

An overview is made of products and markets: Food and subsistence, travel, entertainment and spectator sport, health and healing, participation sport, conflict, functions of government, information and enforcement. Changes that shape our surroundings are traced back to their original invention - eg. the invention of the lift underpinned the possibility of the high rise building. Routes to innovation are considered, including product convergence, cross fertilisation - as with the effect of computing power on biotechnology, inventing by analogy. The nature of product stagnation is reviewed, as well as means whereby novelty can be introduced. Fashion in innovation is observed - the tendency for leapfrogging sequences of advances in a narrow field. Advantageous deficiency is mentioned - the deliberate introduction of defects to induce sales of replacements.

Objectives

Topics

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

Reference materials

Student workload requirements

Assessment details

Important assessment information

1. Attendance requirements:
   There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
   
   
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To satisfactorily complete an assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to be awarded a passing grade in this course. Refer to Statement 4 below for the requirements to receive a passing grade in this course. Furthermore, at least 20% of the total marks for the course is allocated to explicit assessment of good communication skills.
   
   
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
   
   
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade in a course a student must obtain at least 50% of the total weighted marks for the course.
   
   
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
   
   
6. Examination information:
   There is no examination in this course.
   
   
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Not applicable.
   
   
8. University Student Policies:
   Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au/portal/custom/search/category/usq_document_policy_type/Student.1.html.
   
   

Assessment notes

1. The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner.
   
   
2. Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to USQ within 24 hours if required by the Examiner.
   
   
3. In accordance with University Policy, the Examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.
   
   
4. If electronic submission of assessments is specified for the course, students will be notified of this in the course Introductory Book and on the USQ Study Desk. All required electronic submission must be made through the Assignment Drop Box located on the USQ Study Desk for the course, unless directed otherwise by the examiner of the course. The due date for an electronically submitted assessment is the date by which a student must electronically submit the assignment. The assignment files must be submitted by 11.55pm on the due date using USQ time (as displayed on the clock on the course home page; that is, Australian Eastern Standard Time).
   
   
5. If the method of assessment submission is by written, typed or printed paper-based media students should (i) submit to the Faculty Office for students enrolled in the course in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail to the USQ for students enrolled in the course in the external mode. The due date for the assessment is the date by which a student must (i) submit the assessment for students enrolled in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail the assessment for students enrolled in the external mode.
   
   
6. The Faculty will NOT normally accept submission of assessments by facsimile or email.
   
   
7. Students who do not have regular access to postal services for the submission of paper-based assessments, or regular access to Internet services for electronic submission, or are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements prior to the submission date.
   
   
8. Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide. http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/default.htm
   
   

Other requirements

1. Students will require access to e-mail and internet access to UConnect for this course.