Indigenous Study Tour: Supporting Economic Development
Overview
This unit will provide students with an appreciation and working knowledge of Aboriginal peoples in the Kimberley and the opportunity to apply their business knowledge and skills in a consulting project, in a culturally appropriate way. The aim of the tour is to provide students with access to remote Aboriginal communities where, under the guidance of a coach, they will work closely with people from these communities to develop a community business idea, or develop an existing business, by providing a business plan. This will involve live problem solving and working with input from the client. During this study tour, students will experience Aboriginal culture and learn about the unique issues and challenges that many Aboriginal people face in developing business acumen. Students will also play an integral role in developing business ideas and thus play a role in the economic development of the region.
Requisites
03-August-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Apply business principles and discipline knowledge to a real-world context
- Generate creative solutions that are fit for purpose, culturally suitable, and which reflect cognisance of the impact of business decisions and key cultural variables
- Reflect an appreciation of the cultural diversity of Aboriginal peoples when communicating business solutions through a variety of methods
- Evaluate research from a variety of sources that solve business problems in light of the issues and challenges faced by Aboriginal people in Australia
- Work collaboratively in (and with) groups
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study Tour Non-Scheduled Learning | 25.00 | 6 weeks | 150 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Group | 40 - 60% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Presentation | Group | 10 - 20% | 1,2,3,5 |
| Reflective Journal | Individual | 30 - 40% | 2,3,4 |
Content
- Cultural issues, context and history (including research methods)
- Application of business knowledge to a real-world context that is culturally appropriate
- Responding appropriately to community business ideas
- Team and community dynamics, including tools and approaches to manage them
- Matching of communication needs with stakeholder (client) expectations
- Critical and reflective thinking practices (including research methods)
- Documenting and expressing business recommendations
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.