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ASC250 - Contemporary Social Research

Year

2025 unit information

Enrolment modes:

Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)*

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 2: Kiran Pienaar
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: ASC161, ASC350, ASC450, ASC461
Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week

1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided)

1 x 1-hour online seminar per week

Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Note:

*Community Based Delivery (CBD): only for students of the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute (located at the Waurn Ponds campus)

Content

The unit enables students to explore different modes of social science research. It comprises:

  1. Key concepts in social research, including research design, ethics and sampling
  2. Qualitative and ethnographic approaches, including in-depth interviews, participant observation and data analysis
  3. Social surveys, including survey design, sampling, data analysis and reporting

Learning Outcomes

ULO These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can:

Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs)

ULO1

Understand different research methodologies and the part these play in interpreting and understanding social life

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO2

Evaluate a range of research methodologies and be able to present arguments on the pros and cons of each research method

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO3: Digital literacy

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

ULO3

Apply basic skills in qualitative data analysis and be able to design, collect and analyse these kinds of data

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO3: Digital literacy

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO6: Self-management

ULO4

Apply basic skills in quantitative data analysis and be able to design, collect and analyse these kinds of data, and demonstrate basic competencies in computer-assisted data analysis

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO3: Digital literacy

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

ULO5

Evaluate different research designs and be able to select the appropriate method to solve research problems

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

ULO6

Engage constructively with wider communities and apply different research methods to offer solutions to social issues

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

GLO7: Teamwork

GLO8: Global citizenship

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1: Qualitative research report 1600 words
or equivalent
40% Week 7
Assessment 2: Quantitative research report 1600 words
or equivalent
40% Week 11
Assessment 3: Online exercises 800 words
or equivalent
20% Information not yet available

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning resource

The texts and reading list for ASC250 can be found via the University Library.

Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

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