| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Innovation, Science & Sustainability |
| Unit Title: | User Centred Design |
| Unit ID: | ITECH1501 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 020109 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
User Centred Design introduces students to the fundamental techniques and strategies involved with design thinking and problem solving, with an emphasis on analysing and resolving IT problems in particular. Students are expected to develop a sound methodological approach to problem solving that will equip them to propose, develop, implement, and evaluate solutions to problems fundamental to the IT industry, aligned with the activities undertaken by Service Designers and other IT occupations. Key to this process is developing confidence, resilience and perseverance in team-based environments, basic IT modelling and algorithm development. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | |  | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Explain, compare, and contrast fundamental strategies for information and communication technology (ICT) problem solving |
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| K2. | Describe approaches for requirements gathering including survey, market research, interviewing and observation |
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| K3. | Describe tools and techniques to diagramatically model ICT problems and solutions |
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| K4. | Investigate the value of reflection, collaboration, attitude and self-efficacy towards success in problem solving |
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| K5. | Show an understanding of the norms and best practices involved with collaboration and team work |
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| K6. | Describe the Open Source movement and steps involved in contributing to an Open Source project |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Devise and design problem solutions in teams, which can be applied to a range of ICT problems |
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| S2. | Decompose a problem and create goals and plans to solve that problem |
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| S3. | Develop and verify algorithms for deployment in ICT problem solutions |
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| S4. | Construct documentation describing a problem and its solution |
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| S5. | Interactively present a persuasive proposal for an ICT solution to diverse audiences |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply problem solving strategies, tools and techniques to define and solve problems in a variety of domains |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include:
1. Pragmatics of Team work
2. Fundamentals of Problem Solving
3. Design thinking
4. Goal setting
5. Creativity, Critical Thinking, Decision making
6. Algorithms
7. Open Source
8. Reflection and Evaluation
9. Reading and Writing Documentation
10. Presenting Solutions to an Audience |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor |
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| Learning Task and Assessment: |
| Assessment for this unit will be based on a number of tasks including a in class tests or presentations, a written portfolio of work and practical assignments. Assessments will represent authentic situations encountered by Service Designers in the workplace |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K6, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A1 | Apply and reflect on problem solving, modelling, algorithm development and team work processes | Learning Journal and Practical Exercises | 10-40% | | 2. | K3, K4, K5, K6, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A1 | Plan and comprehensively solve IT problem(s). | Practical Assignments | 50-80% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K6 | Demonstrate understanding of concepts | In class tests | 10-20% |
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Professional Standards / Competencies: |
| | Standard / Competency | | 1. | Australian Computer Society - Core Body of Knowledge: 2023 accreditation |
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| Attribute | Assessed | Level | | Core ICT Knowledge | |
ICT Fundamentals
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Computational thinking: situation analysis and modelling using a range of methods and patterns to frame it so a computer system could operate effectively within it
| | Yes | Introductory | | |
Design thinking: methods and tools that are used for handling abstraction could vary a great deal with the branch of ICT, from circuit diagrams to data modelling tools to business process modelling
| | Yes | Introductory | | |
Systems thinking: components and interactions between them, structure and function, emergent properties and functions, systems layers
| | Yes | Introductory | |
Computational Science and Engineering
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Process and algorithm modelling: methods of algorithm design, software quality
| | Yes | Introductory | |
Application Systems
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Analysis of human activity systems, ontological modelling, specifying organisational and external context of computing systems, impact and user experience analysis
| | Yes | Introductory | | |
Integration of systems components into coherent socio-technical systems
| | Yes | Introductory | | |
User experience: interface design, physical and cognitive ergonomics
| | Yes | Introductory | | Professionalism as it applied in ICT | |
Working Individually and in ICT development teams
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Team organisation, development and management, especially of multi-disciplinary, diverse ICT teams; collaboration, group dynamics, leadership styles, conflict resolution, groupware and virtual teams
| | Yes | Introductory | |
Professional Communication
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Communication with different audiences (technical, managerial, users and non-digitally orientated audiences) in different forums (meetings, presentations, networking)
| | Yes | Introductory |
| | 2. | Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA): Version 8 |
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| Attribute | Assessed | Level | | Development and implementation | | Data and analytics | | | DTAN Data modelling and design (Levels 2 - 5) Developing models and diagrams to represent and communicate data requirements and data assets. | | Yes | 1 | | | BINT Business intelligence (Levels 2 - 5) Developing, producing and delivering regular and one-off management information to provide insights and aid decision-making. | | Yes | 2 | | User experience | | | USEV User experience evaluation (Levels 2 - 6) Validating systems, products or services against user experience goals, metrics and targets. | | Yes | 2 | | Content management | | | INCA Content authoring (Levels 1 - 6) Planning, designing and creating textual information, supported where necessary by graphical content. | | Yes | 1 | | Relationships and engagement | | Sales and marketing | | | MKTG Marketing (Levels 2 - 6) Researching, analysing and stimulating potential or existing markets for products and services. | | Yes | 1 |
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