UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

BAS5500 The challenge of change

Faculty of Science

BAS5500 The challenge of change is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2027 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2027
Semester 1
Clayton
Assessment
No exam
3 tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

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Requisites

Before BAS5500

No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.

After BAS5500

No unit lists BAS5500 as a prerequisite in the 2027 handbook.

Enrolment rules

COREQUISITE: You must be enrolled in a Monash Master’s degree or the Graduate Certificate of Behaviour Change to undertake this unit.

Overview

Creating change is hard; creating transformational change is even harder. Why? This unit explores fundamental questions around how change happens, why purposeful change can be so difficult, and how change can be understood and influenced at multiple levels.

The unit draws on rich, illustrative examples from political, social and natural sciences, and interdisciplinary sustainability theories, to help you make sense of change within complex systems. You will learn how to identify hidden patterns and dynamics, how to diagnose the nature of real-world problems, and become familiar with factors which enable or prevent behavioural, organisational and systemic change in real-life contexts. In addition, you will gain an appreciation for the ethics of change, and for the need to engage in a collaborative approach to creating change, at the individual level, and up to the level of public policy.

Offerings in 2027

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterClaytonBld blk

Assessment

  • Critical reflection tasksWritten
    30%
  • Written assignmentWritten
    40%
  • Group presentationPresentation
    30%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Develop foundational knowledge of change processes, including the dynamics and nature of transformative change for complex societal challenges;

  2. 2

    Critically interrogate behavioural and systemic approaches to change and demonstrate an understanding of the complementarities, tensions, applicability and specificities between various approaches';

  3. 3

    Utilise diverse stakeholder perspectives and interdisciplinary knowledge to explore the challenges and opportunities of enabling change;

  4. 4

    Ethically apply knowledge of change processes to real-world problems while building self confidence and agency to take action;

  5. 5

    Demonstrate capability for values thinking, coping with uncertainty, self-awareness and reflexive practice.

Workload and teaching

  • Workshops36.5 hours
  • Teaching approachOnline learning
  • Teaching approachActive learning
  • Teaching approachCase-based teaching
  • Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
  • Teaching approachProblem-based learning

In total, you can expect to commit a total of ~144 hours of independent and collaborative work over the teaching period as follows:

  • In weeks 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 you will be expected to complete a 2.5-hour online workshop;
  • 12 hours of asynchronous online learning, and
  • 9.5 hours of independent study towards assignments.
  • In week 2 you will be expected to attend a three-day experiential on-campus masterclass scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Clayton campus.

This unit will be enriched with a comprehensive set of reading materials, videos, and case scenarios prepared for independent online learning. These materials will complement and support the activities to be completed in the weekly workshops, and will offer accessible access to key content to be used for assessment.

Throughout the unit, you will complete a variety of synchronous and asynchronous activities, and participate in interactive forums that will facilitate engagement with the learning material, and enable collaboration with other learners.

Theories, frameworks, methods and tools taught will be illustrated through real-life case scenarios. The intention of these scenarios is to bring the theory to life, to demonstrate its practical application, and to empower you in the use of these theories and tools.

You will bring a diverse range of experiences and perspectives to your learning, to share with others during workshops and the three-day masterclass, and from which to learn vicariously. There will also be many opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and decision-making during this unit, which will involve peer assisted learning

Throughout the unit, you will apply your learning to a variety of problems, contexts, and challenges.

Learning resources

Required resources

You will be required to attend a three-day experiential Masterclass in week 2 of the unit, at Clayton campus. This masterclass will involve team-based and collaborative learning. You will be divided into small groups to facilitate effective discussion and collaboration.

Technology resources

You will be required to engage in learning material delivered in Moodle, to support your learning between workshops. Hence, you will require technology assistance from the university, to facilitate your access to the material (e.g. Esolutions). You will also attend weekly online workshops via Zoom to take part in practical activities

Contacts

Unit Coordinators
Ms Gitanjali Bedi
Chief Examiners
Dr Filia Garivaldis

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for BAS5500?

BAS5500 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.

When is BAS5500 offered?

In 2027, BAS5500 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.

How much work is BAS5500?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does BAS5500 have an exam?

No. BAS5500 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 2
Study abroad
Available
Handbook years
202520262027