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Technological Innovation (ABPL90326)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2017
About this subject
Overview
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An examination of how new products and processes are developed specifically in or for the building sector; a discussion of what constrains their dissemination; and a theory of how success can be determined. The dialogue established with the students in the subject has a strong comparative bent, and seeks to emphasise how technological innovation in building takes on a different meaning depending on industrial context, markets and economic cycles. Australian government positions and characteristics of the Australian industry are compared to other geographic realities to emphasise this point. Overall, attention is directed at distinguishing innovation from invention and technological change.
Intended learning outcomes
- To introduce students to product substitution processes and their logics in the construction industry;
- To articulate the impact of ‘non-building’ factors over introduction and dissemination of change in building;
- To clarify the extent to which the construction industry operates in conjunction with manufacturing, real estate, and policy sectors;
- To enable students articulate the conditions enabling technological transformations to take place.
Generic skills
- Ability to peruse project archives;
- Ability to undertake ideal-type analysis;
- Understanding of the type of industrial data required in socio-technical studies;
- Ability to identify and use building industry's databases;
- Ability to derive theoretical positions from empirical work;
- Ability to prepare and conduct technical interviews with industry representatives;
- Ability to combine data from primary and secondary sources for the development of a technical argument;
- Ability to translate these data into a cohesive piece of original research.
Last updated: 3 November 2022