ASC250 - Contemporary Social Research
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)* |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Kiran Pienaar |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | ASC161, ASC350, ASC450, ASC461 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Note:*Community Based Delivery (CBD): only for students of the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute (located at the Waurn Ponds campus) | |
Content
The unit enables students to explore different modes of social science research. It comprises:
- Key concepts in social research, including research design, ethics and sampling
- Qualitative and ethnographic approaches, including in-depth interviews, participant observation and data analysis
- Social surveys, including survey design, sampling, data analysis and reporting
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Understand different research methodologies and the part these play in interpreting and understanding social life | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO2 | Evaluate a range of research methodologies and be able to present arguments on the pros and cons of each research method | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO3 | Apply basic skills in qualitative data analysis and be able to design, collect and analyse these kinds of data | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking GLO6: Self-management |
| ULO4 | Apply basic skills in quantitative data analysis and be able to design, collect and analyse these kinds of data, and demonstrate basic competencies in computer-assisted data analysis | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO5 | Evaluate different research designs and be able to select the appropriate method to solve research problems | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO6 | Engage constructively with wider communities and apply different research methods to offer solutions to social issues | GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO7: Teamwork GLO8: Global citizenship |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Qualitative research report | 1600 words or equivalent | 40% | Week 7 |
| Assessment 2: Quantitative research report | 1600 words or equivalent | 40% | Week 11 |
| Assessment 3: Online exercises | 800 words or equivalent | 20% | Information not yet available |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for ASC250 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.