Overview
In this unit you will examine key processes of social change and power that are needed to address the challenges facing people and the planet. By drawing on the work of a range of social change leaders and new paradigms from a range of social sectors - production, consumption, distribution, exchange and finance - you will begin developing skills in leading social change. You will explore processes of self change and social change as well as the social innovations that will be part of developing a new economy, society and sustainable environment into the 21st Century.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student Unit Evaluation
Release of the weekly topic lecture at the start of the week.
Early release of the lecture notes and recording will be implemented.
Feedback from Student Unit Evaluation
Include more information on key concepts and topics in the PowerPoint lecture notes.
The PowerPoint lecture notes will be updated and attention given to providing students with more information on key concepts and topics to scaffold student learning and support the set readings.
Feedback from Student Unit Evaluation
Found the lectures to be good and of a suitable length.
Attention will continue to be invested in providing useful lectures and in a format to support student learning.
Feedback from Student Unit Evaluation
Great feedback on the assignments provided.
Students' learning and development of academic thinking and writing skills will continue to be supported through feedback.
- Explain how social innovation can address wicked social problems
- Discuss case studies addressing social change across a range of sectors
- Apply human centred design principles and re-framing to a social change problem
- Explain your role in generating positive social and environmental change.
Nil
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Portfolio - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Portfolio - 50% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
r.kemble@cqu.edu.au
s.ledger@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
PART ONE: MICRO PERSPECTIVE
Introducing Sociology and changemaking: Private troubles to public issues
Exploring key concepts - social change, social innovation, changemaker
Chapter
Check the e-Reading list on the Moodle site for the complete set of required readings
Complete iChange Module 1&2 Historical social innovation
(see CQU website - iChange page)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
From direct service delivery to participatory process AND
Human centred (Participatory) design processes
Chapter
Complete iChange Module 2 Types of social impact
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Wicked social problems AND
Complex problems & change processes
Chapter
Complete iChange Module 3 Megatrends & wicked problems
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Leadership and social change AND
Social movements and social change
Chapter
Complete iChange Module 4 Exploring opportunities
Complete iChange Module 5 & 6 Who does social innovation? Why me?
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
PART TWO: MACRO PERSPECTIVE
Global megatrend # 1. Adapting to a changing climate
Chapter
Naughtin et al. (2022) Our future world
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Global megatrends # 2. Leaner, cleaner and greener
Chapter
Naughtin et al. (2022) Our future world
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Global megatrends # 3. The escalating health imperative
Chapter
Naughtin et al. (2022) Our future world
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Global megatrends # 4. Geopolitical shifts
Chapter
Naughtin et al. (2022) Our future world
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Global megatrends # 5 Diving into digital
Chapter
Naughtin et al. (2022) Our future world
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Global megatrends # 6. Increasingly autonomous
Chapter
Naughtin et al. (2022) Our future world
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Global megatrends #7 Unlocking the human dimension
Chapter
Naughtin et al. (2022) Our future world
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Micro-Macro synthesis & overview
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Portfolio
This task requires you to create a written portfolio consisting of four short responses (approximately 400 words each).
You will select four questions from a provided list and use them to explore real-world examples of social issues, innovation, and human-centred approaches to change.
You are expected to explain key concepts, apply them to contemporary issues, and use relevant examples or literature to support your discussion. This assessment helps you build your understanding of social innovation, inclusion, sustainability, and community change.
Instructions
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
1. You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time.
2. The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted as per Level 2 (AI planning) AI Assessment scale tool indicators:
a. Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures.
b. Gen AI content editing and proofreading.
c. Checking spelling and grammar.
d. CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
Any use of Gen AI software:
a. Must be cited in the relevant sections.
b. Must be referenced as per APA 7th guidelines.
You must complete the declaration of Gen AI use on the title page of your assessment.
Minimum Pass Criteria
· You must achieve the minimum pass mark on each assessment to pass this unit
· In the event you are eligible for a supplementary assessment, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit.
In accordance with policy, any marks and/or grades for assessments released to students prior to Certification of Grades are provisional and are subject to moderation and confirmation through the relevant Program and Divisional Assessment Committees.
Week 5 Wednesday (10 Dec 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Submission Via Moodle
Week 7 Wednesday (7 Jan 2026)
Return Via Moodle
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned. Assessment re-attempt is not available for this Assessment task.
- Explain how social innovation can address wicked social problems
- Discuss case studies addressing social change across a range of sectors
- Apply human centred design principles and re-framing to a social change problem
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
2 Written Assessment
In this assessment, you will develop a case study-style report that focuses on a current social or environmental issue. You will describe the issue, explain how human-centred design principles help understand people’s needs, and discuss how social innovation can contribute to positive change for communities or the environment. You may choose to analyse an existing initiative or outline your own design idea. This assessment allows you to apply your learning to a real-world context and demonstrate your understanding of how change happens in society.
Instructions
Please refer to the assessment task instructions on the unit Moodle site.
Academic Integrity
1. You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time.
2. The use of any generative artificial intelligence is permitted as per Level 2 (AI planning) AI Assessment scale tool indicators:
a. Gen AI content is used to generate ideas and general structures.
b. Gen AI content editing and proofreading.
c. Checking spelling and grammar.
d. CQUniversity’s Gen AI tools approved for use in this assessment are Microsoft Copilot (protected version), Studiosity and Grammarly.
3 Any use of Gen AI software:
a. Must be cited in the relevant sections.
b. Must be referenced as per APA 7th guidelines.
You must complete the declaration of Gen AI use on the title page of your assessment.
Minimum Pass Criteria
· You must achieve the minimum pass mark on each assessment to pass this unit.
· In the event you are eligible for a supplementary assessment, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit.
In accordance with policy, any marks and/or grades for assessments released to students prior to Certification of Grades are provisional and are subject to moderation and confirmation through the relevant Program and Divisional Assessment Committees.
Week 12 Wednesday (11 Feb 2026) 4:00 pm AEST
Submission Via Moodle
Return Via Moodle 3 weeks post due date
Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site for more detail on how marks will be assigned. Assessment re-attempt is not available for this Assessment task.
- Explain how social innovation can address wicked social problems
- Apply human centred design principles and re-framing to a social change problem
- Explain your role in generating positive social and environmental change.
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
