CONMGNT 7000 - Research Dissertation (M)

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2021

To develop a proposal for an independent research study or project which addresses a question or topic relevant to the management of building or civil engineering projects. Students will find and refine a research topic, which is based on extensive literature review. A research proposal will be submitted to document these research ideas as well as a preliminary research design.

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Course Details

Course Code	CONMGNT 7000
Course	Research Dissertation (M)
Coordinating Unit	School of Architecture and Built Environment
Term	Semester 2
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 6 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	ARCH 7042
Assessment	Literature review, final research proposal

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Ruidong Chang

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate advanced understanding of principles of academic research.
2. Locate, evaluate and critique existing studies.
3. Identify the gap within the existing body of knowledge and research questions.
4. Demonstrate advanced understanding of common research methods and tools for construction and civil projects related studies.
5. Develop a research proposal.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1,2,3
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	2,3,5
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	5
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1,2,3,5
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	2,3,5
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	3,5

Learning Resources

Recommended Resources

Books:
Fellows, R. F., & Liu, A. M. (2015). Research methods for construction. John Wiley & Sons.
Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2015). Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA.
Yin, R. K. (2013). Case study research: Design and methods. Sage publications.
Fowler Jr, F. J. (2013). Survey research methods. Sage publications.
Chen, H. X. (2012). Approaches to quantitative research: A guide for dissertation students. Oak Tree Press.
Denicolo, P., & Becker, L. (2012). Developing research proposals. Sage.
Biggam, J. (2015). Succeeding with your master's dissertation: a step-by-step handbook. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Naoum, S. G. (2012). Dissertation research and writing for construction students. Routledge.

Journals:
Journal of Cleaner Production
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Journal of Management in Engineering
Building and Environment
International Journal of Project Management
Energy and Buildings
Applied Energy
Project Management Journal
Construction Management and Economics
Facilities
Journal of Green Building
Energy Policy
Journal of Green Building
International Journal of Construction Management

Online Learning

University Email:
The school uses the University email system to get in touch with the students. So it is imperative that you check your email regularly and keep up to date with any new announcements.

MyUni:
MyUni is an essential online tool which will be used to communicate information regarding the course including details of assignments and interim grades. There are many other learning resources and assessment pieces that rely on the MyUni system for delivery. Therefore it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the various functions of MyUni and employ it to its fullest extent. https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au

Discussion Board:
The MyUni Discussion Board can be used to interact with other students and tutors and is an essential tool to discuss information and increase your understanding of issues.

Lecture Recording:
In certain cases the recording of the lectures is made available in electronic format for students to listen through on their own time and make notes, and is provided through the MyUni system. However, this service is only available for lectures with essential course content and may not include guest lectures. Furthermore, where the presentation content is subject to copyright or the guest speaker is uncomfortable with the recording of the content, the lecture recording will not be made available online. So students should not rely solely on this mode of learning and arrange to attend or get lecture content from peers.

Noticeboard / Handbook:
General information about the activities at the School is available online from the Student Noticeboard which can be accessed at
https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/professons-studentarchitecture/ current-student
Students can also access a copy of the Student Handbook at the following link:
https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/professons-student-architecture/enrolments
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

The learning and teaching strategy is an active learning one, with the student taking responsibility for defining the research topic, choosing appropriate research methods, time management and production of the research proposal. The approach to assessment is one of integration with teaching and “assessment for learning” rather than of learning.

Study will be structured through regular meetings with the dissertation supervisor who will monitor and advise on progress but day to day work may be undertaken at the student’s convenience. Deadlines for assessment will be strictly enforced and will provide an overall framework for the semester of study.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Students are required to attend regular weekly Zoom classes in Week 1-6. Blended studios will be available to students each week to discuss research questions with the supervisors. Peer interaction and support will also be used to encourage active learning and to create a community of practice.

Learning Activities Summary

Essential information on construction management specific research and approaches to research in the built environment are provided in the course: ARCH 7042 Designing Research. Similarly, seminars and workshops are designed to further develop students’ research skills particularly for construction management related research fields. The approach to learning is progressive, building upon fundamental concepts and knowledge acquisition culminating in this course which tests the students’ ability to apply the research approaches outlined in this course. Students are advised to prepare a research topic outline as part of ARCH 7042 Designing Research. This can form the basis for this Dissertation A course. Regular meetings with the allocated supervisor aim to ensure that students are clear in defining their research question/ aim and make an appropriate choice of research methods. Attendance and participation is designed to monitor progress as well as providing continuous feedback to students.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Word Count / Time	Due	Learning Outcome
Attendance & participation	Individual	10%	At least 5 research studios	Over semester	1,4
Literature review report	Individual	30%	2000 words	Mid semester	1,2,3
Final research proposal	Individual	60%	4500 words (including Literature review report)	End of semester	1,2,3,4,5
Total		100%

Assessment Detail

Attendance & participation: Students must attend at least 5 research studios with their supervisor over the course of the semester in order to be credited with 10% of the total assessment.

Literature review report: Students must present an individually written Literature review report that outlines the research field, states the research topic and justifies the research problem. An indication of the current state of knowledge of the chosen research topic derived from academic literature review is expected, though this may not need to be comprehensive.

Final research proposal: Students must present an individually written Final research proposal that outlines the research field, states the research topic, aim/ question and outlines the methodological approach to be used to address the stated aim/question. Students are expected to give a verbal presentation that summarises the content of their written report, to the supervisor and other students in the class by the end of the semester.

Submission

All work should be submitted electronically using the course MyUni site. Students should ensure that work is submitted on time on or before the due date.

Late work will not be marked.

Extensions will be granted for valid reasons such as illness but these must be arranged with the course co-ordinator before the submission deadline.

Where appropriate, Harvard referencing conventions should be used.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator