This intensive course invites students to explore how innovation is imagined, designed, experienced, and communicated in our societies. Through a mix of lectures, workshops, and case studies, students will critically examine the narratives about innovation we often take for granted, and explore how social, political, and economic forces shape what we call "innovation”.
Using theories, frameworks, and tools from responsible innovation, systems thinking, and science communication, students will engage with real-world examples and collaborative projects to uncover the assumptions and dynamics shaping innovation.
By the end of the course, students will develop a deeper understanding of what it takes to innovate responsibly in a world increasingly captivated by the idea that technology alone can solve our time's grand challenges, from climate change and health crises to water and food scarcity.
Students need disciplinary maturity to contribute meaningful perspectives from their home fields and engage critically with interdisciplinary content. Students with experience in any discipline involving scientific innovation, technology development, policy analysis, or environment/sustainability science will find natural connection points, but the course is designed to be accessible to students from any background.
This course is distinct from:
• COMP8260 (Professional Practice 2) - which focuses on professional codes of conduct and design thinking for Computing and Engineering Masters students
• MGMT2009 (Design Thinking) - which focuses on design methodology rather than critical innovation studies
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Critically analyse dominant assumptions and narratives underpinning mainstream ideas of innovation and their implications for achieving responsible futures
- Explain how responsibility is currently conceptualised in innovation processes and identify its limitations in various contexts
- Develop a system-level understanding of how social, political, economic, and technological factors interact and shape innovation outcomes and impacts
- Apply key concepts, tools, and frameworks of Responsible Innovation to emerging and future technologies within broader socio-environmental systems
- Design, develop, and evaluate interventions that promote responsible innovation practices
Indicative Assessment
- Tracing the Narratives (Individual) (20) [LO 1,3]
- RI Case Study – In-class Facilitation (Group) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- RI Communication Portfolio (Individual) (50) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Total workload: ~130 hours
· Contact hours: ~40 hours (8 hr/day×5 days, includes lectures/workshops/discussions/case facilitations/group work sessions)
· Independent study/reading: ~30 hours (including pre-intensive reading and daily reading/ preparation during intensive)
· Assessment preparation and completion: ~60 hours
Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
N/A
Preliminary Reading
No single required textbook - readings drawn from scholarly articles, book chapters, etc. (all provided via Canvas system). The essential readings include:
· Jasanoff, S. (2016). The Ethics of Invention: Technology and the Human Future (selected chapters). W.W. Norton & Company.
· Stilgoe, J., Owen, R., & Macnaghten, P. (2013). Developing a framework for responsible innovation. Research Policy, 42(9), 1568-1580.
· Weinberg, A. M. (1967). Can technology replace social engineering? The American Sociologist, 32(4), 7-23.
· Sarewitz, D., & Nelson, R. R. (2008). Three rules for technological fixes. Nature, 456(7224), 871-872.
· Genus, A., & Stirling, A. (2018). Collingridge and the dilemma of control: Towards responsible and accountable innovation. Research Policy, 47(1), 61-69.
Case studies
Assigned cases from Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases (provided digitally); I’m also collecting additional case studies from various disciplines to make the course resonate with students coming from different fields.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2027 | $5040 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2027 | $7200 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6829 | 01 Jul 2027 | TBA | TBA | 30 Sep 2027 | In Person | N/A |