49004 – Systems Engineering for Managers
49004 – JOURNAL – SPRING 2024
(30 % of overall course mark)
This is an individual assignment and it is to be specially noted that it is NOT just about collecting information, but analysing this information and making a critical assessment on how it relates to systems thinking and engineering.
DUE
Week 3 – Monday 11 August by 11:59 pm
Week 8 – Monday 15 September by 11:59 pm
DELIVERABLES
1-page report on at least one article on a current issue/problem that the student believes needs to be addressed with a systems thinking approach.
Each report includes:
the title and source of the article + reference (most likely a link)
what the article refers to
a very brief summary of the content
a brief explanation as to why and how the student sees a systems thinking approach contributing to possible solutions to the issue/problem
The journal with the synthesised information for submission will be an absolute maximum of 400 words in length, excluding references.
An example:
WEEK 1
5 ways the government can clean up the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (The Conversation, 11/06/19)
http://theconversation.com/5-ways-the-government-can-clean-up-the-murray-darling-basin-plan-116265
article refers to a federal government plan designed to manage the sharing of water in the Basin in sustainable way
this article suggests that the plan needs to address several major problems with its implementation to ensure that the system – largest and most complex river system in Australia – remains “resilient enough to have a reasonable chance of bouncing back from future shocks to the river’s ecosystem”.
the student here could then refer to many different things that might suggest the need for a systems thinking approach, e.g.
‒ the number of stakeholders (human and environmental)
‒ the environmental, social and economic factors that need to be considered
‒ the complexity of:
o natural systems involved
o human engineered systems involved
o relationships between stakeholders
‒ the fact that causes and effects will be separated by a considerable time lag
NOTE: all submitted assessments are processed by Turnitin - a similarity detection software – which will identify copying from any sources. It is highly recommended that you take special care in ensuring your work will not be identified as plagiarism by this software as this may imply disciplinary action that could go from 0 in the assignment to, ultimately, dismissal. Refer to the academic honesty references provided with the Subject Outline.
HOW WILL THE JOURNAL BE ASSESSED?
This year we will be trialling optional submissions:
Option 1 - students can submit on week 3 and week 8 having each submission worth 15 marks
Option 2 – students can submit on week 8 having that single submission worth 30 marks
Students MUST make a choice between option 1 or 2 BEFORE week 3. If no specific selection is made by week 3, the default assumption will be that the student has chosen Option 1.
CRITERIA LINKAGES
|
Criteria
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Weight (%)
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SLOs
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CILOs
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Demonstrates the use of systems thinking to
understand complex contemporary problems and potential solution design
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60
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1
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C.1, F.1
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|
Demonstrates research to support analysis of problem being examined
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20
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1
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D.1
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|
Written report is of post-graduate academic standard, with correct referencing
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20
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4
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E.1
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OTHER NOTES
The articles selected must be sourced from reputable NEWS media, NOT scientific journals, governments reports or commercial websites. Reputable media could be things like The Conversation, CNN, BBC News, ABC News, SBS News, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Reuters, New York Times, etc.
The articles selected cannot be more than 2 months old – do NOT look for anything older than mid-June 2025.
This assignment is NOT about providing a solution for the problem identified in the article you have selected – it is about explaining how a systems approach would help; why would it help? how would it help? Do NOT attempt to provide solutions as that is NOT what this is about.
Use Australian spelling for all your submissions – do NOT use USA spelling.
If you are using AI, you MUST disclose its use and provide the prompts you used. Any suspected AI use without disclosure will result in a viva (oral examination). If the viva proves that you used AI without disclosure, you may be referred for disciplinary action for academic misconduct.