TechLauncher Course Outline

Introduction

Learning

Expectations and processes

Relevant Policies

Student Support

See also

TechLauncher Overview

The TechLauncher program is for team-based activities at ANU, where the project and/or group activity undertaken is real, not synthetic. In TechLauncher you will be a team member on a project working with real stakeholders. You will be supported by a tutor who acts as your scrum master, providing ongoing guidance and support in planning and meeting team project goals, schedule, and tasks.

Projects run over 2 semesters. Teams have a different schedule and activities in their first (START) versus second (END) semester. Teams work in 3-week sprints using Agile methodology. See the Evaluation Guide for full assessment details and the Program Structure for how sprints are organised.

Expected Workload

A standard workload for full-time study at ANU is 10 hours per week per subject. In TechLauncher, teams are expected to work a full day together in The Hive each week (9am to 5pm on their allocated day), with the remaining hours spent on independent project work.

Below is an approximation of time allocation over a typical week in TechLauncher.

Time Activity
~8hrs Full day in The Hive (team work, tutor meeting, stakeholder meeting)
~2hrs Independent project work and preparation

Co-Taught Courses

If you would like to join a TechLauncher cohort, you can do so by enrolling in any of the following courses:

Note: Please contact a convenor if you wish to join the cohort or have questions about enrolment.

Teaching Staff

The course convenors are listed on the Contact page.

Tutor details will be available after team formation, when teams are assigned days and pods in The Hive.

Delivering Value

plan - schedule - execute - measure
deliver promised value that is recognised by all stakeholders

In TechLauncher you collaborate with others to deliver real value, by developing a mature process with your team and your stakeholders. Your stakeholders include:

  • your primary stakeholder and other external stakeholders
  • your teammates
  • your tutor (scrum master)

The maturity of your team and team processes enable you to repeatably and predictably deliver planned/negotiated artefacts that are recognised as being of high value. A team that delivers value must carefully trade off: (i) delivering project outcomes (the application, device, prototype, etc), and (ii) demonstrating professional project governance (evidence of decision-making). There is no prescribed outcome for projects, and each project will have different goals and challenges to overcome.

Resources

TechLauncher does not have a textbook, but there are many resources that might be useful for your project. See the Sprint Checklist for recommended resources on stakeholder engagement, planning, execution, and reflection.

Repositories

Make certain that your convenor, tutor and stakeholders have access to all Project IP. Some tools that you can use to host repositories include:

Project Management

Use a project management tool to plan, track, and manage your work:

Design

Communication

Do not use WeChat, as examiners and program facilitators cannot review your communication transcripts. Recommended tools:

Learning and Evaluation

Evaluation

See the Evaluation Guide for the full assessment structure, submission details, and due dates.

Learning Outcomes

Each of the above courses have slightly different learning outcomes, depending on year level and expectations. However, all courses share these five common outcomes:

  1. Technical. Synthesise technical knowledge and approaches to generate solutions to a complex problem.
  2. Problem Solving. Develop, analyse, and critically evaluate alternative options in order to justify and generate solutions in a real-world project.
  3. Teamwork. Apply project management and organisational skills to produce time-sensitive deliverables in a multi-disciplinary team.
  4. Stakeholder Engagement. Effective, collaborative, timely, and recorded engagement with all stakeholders. Professional and accessible communication channels and media.
  5. Reflection. Demonstrate and reflect on leadership and creativity as an individual and within a multi-disciplinary team.

For specific learning outcomes against each course, see the Programs & Courses sites listed above.

Access to Online Systems

Platform Who Activity
Canvas Students, tutors, examiners Course information, announcements, assessment submissions, grades
Ed Discussion (via Canvas) All participants Communication between students, tutors, course coordinators. Announcements, forums, and questions
Public web site All participants Information for participants, course guide and learning resources

Expectations and processes

Absences

It is expected that you will attend your allocated Hive day every week and work with your team for the full day (9am to 5pm). You must check in using the check-in PC twice: once before 11am and once after 2pm.

If you cannot attend, you should communicate this clearly with your team and tutor as early as possible.

Late submissions and extensions

Reasonable requests for extensions, special consideration and accessibility will be considered with courteous regard to the due dates. If you have any concerns, please talk to your team members, tutors and convener (very) early. No leeway will be offered after due dates.

Late submission of deliverables without an extension shall not be accepted. A mark of zero will be awarded in case your work is not submitted on time.

Feedback and Comments

In this course, feedback is provided through regular tutor meetings and sprint reviews. Your tutor acts as scrum master and provides ongoing guidance. Sprint review feedback is used to inform planning for subsequent sprints.

If you have any issues with your team or stakeholder or sprints, first contact your assigned tutor. You can also post on the Ed Discussion board (accessible from within Canvas) or email techlauncher.comp@anu.edu.au.

Marking and Assessment

Sprint reviews are assessed by your tutor based on the Sprint Checklist criteria. Marks are provided via Canvas.

If you have a problem with the marks you receive:

  • discuss the issue with your tutor
  • your tutor will provide further comments or clarification if needed
  • if the issue remains unresolved, you can
    • ask the course convener to re-mark the assessment - this requires you to first submit in writing exactly what your concerns are
    • ask the course convener if you can resubmit (typically reserved for failed work)
  • if you are unhappy with the course convener’s response, you can appeal to the Associate Director (Academic)

Examiners’ Meetings

Final grades are subject to deliberations at school and college examiners’ meetings.

Academic Integrity

All students must read and understand the ANU guidelines on Academic honesty & plagiarism.

Any sign of academic misconduct in any assessment task will be fully investigated in accordance with the Academic Integrity Rule 2021.

Read about the academic integrity best practice.

Resubmission of Assessable Works

Groups may be required to resubmit work where the submission is deemed inappropriate, or requires major revision. At their discretion, the course conveners and examiners can require that students resubmit records, where an initial record is not appropriate.

Referencing Requirements

There are no specific referencing requirements in TechLauncher. You should consult with your stakeholder where referencing is required.

Relevant University Policies

Policies for Studying at ANU

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. You can find the University’s education policies and an explanatory glossary at: http://policies.anu.edu.au/

Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies include:

  • Student Assessment (Coursework)
  • Student Surveys and Evaluations

Course Improvement

There will be opportunities to provide feedback throughout the course to the course coordinators or your tutors.

One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through Student Experience of Learning Support (SELS) surveys. The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

For more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses, go to http://unistats.anu.edu.au/surveys/selt/students/ and http://unistats.anu.edu.au/surveys/selt/results/learning/

Student support

Support for Students

The University offers a number of support services for students. Information on these is available online from https://services.anu.edu.au/business-units/division-of-student-life. TechLauncher encourages diversity and inclusion - if there are issues that have not been addressed that need to be, please get in touch with the conveners, or someone you feel comfortable with who can on your behalf.

The following links may be useful or worth understanding:

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