Units

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Sample subject outline - Summer 1 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This unit will provide students with a critical introduction to the models and methods used in evaluating road safety countermeasures, including engineering, enforcement and behavioural change interventions. It will particularly provide a multi-disciplinary approach that utilises a selection of research methodologies to improve the planning, monitoring, effectiveness and efficiency of a variety of road safety programs and countermeasures.

While this is a stand-alone unit, it will complement the materials covered in other units within the Road Safety Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Road Safety Courses.

Aims

The aim of this unit is for students to acquire an understanding of the variety and complexity of models designed for program evaluation and the range of social research methods used in their implementation.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. understand the wide variety of models used for program evaluation;


2. understand the range of methods and information sources that may be used to inform evaluations;


3. conduct systematic, data based evaluation of programs; and


4. appreciate the particular strengths and limitations of the variety of evaluation paradigms in different program contexts.

Content

The major themes that will be covered in the context of road safety in this unit include:

• defining goals and outcomes for interventions, countermeasures and policies including cost-benefit analyses and social impact studies;


• understanding evaluation as a multi-level and dynamic activity encompassing formative, process, impact and outcome effectiveness;


• understanding the role of qualitative and quantitative methods in evaluation;


• identifying core issues in evaluation activities including defining appropriate measures and establishing levels of expected effects; and


• selecting and applying at least one of the variety of methodologies and data analysis methods and techniques used with particular paradigms of evaluation.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The course will be conducted as a week-long block course in an intensive format (5 day full-time block 26-30 November 2012) with lectures, tutorials and practical sessions. Lecture notes will be provided to participants when required. Extensive use will be made of case studies to illustrate the value of a strategic approach to road safety and to provide problems for tutorial exercises and assessment purposes.

If participants have a particular evaluation project that they like to work on, they are encouraged to bring along related materials to be used in the course.

Assessment

The nature of the assignments for this unit has a degree of flexibility, and together both assignments should address:

• both quantitative and qualitative evaluation, either alone or as part of a multi-method approach; and


• both process and outcome evaluations.

There are two main options for each of the assignments: to undertake a critical review of an evaluation report produced by either a transport agency, consultant or research institution; or to conduct a simple qualitative or quantitative evaluation and write up a report.

Assessment name: Assignment
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, & 4
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Thurs 13th Dec

Assessment name: Assignment
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 & 4
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Thurs 13th Dec

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

No textbook is specified for this unit.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 25-Sep-2012