Assignment : Small essay

Submission via the portal found in Topic 3 of the unit's LMS page. Follow further submission instructions there.

We expect this unit to be challenging, perhaps not academically, but instead by getting you outside your comfort zone. For many of you, your success to date has been derived from rational logically thinking.

Assignments you have done at school, for example, will have been generally rigid in the sense of well-defined boundaries and few or just one right solution. Part A of this assignment is to begin the process of throwing the rules out the window. You have permission to be as imaginative, silly and surprising as you like.

Parts B and C are perhaps a bit more traditional in the sense that you should do some research and construct an argument. However even there you are given opportunity to imagine what the future might bring.

Please note additional information on final page.

Part A: Perturbing thoughts (6 marks total)

Step 1: Take the last 2 numbers in your student number. If they are the not the same number then go to Step 2. If they are the same number add 1 to the last number (e.g. ‘77' → ‘78'). In the case of ‘99' it will go to‘90'.

e.g. 54465227 → 2 and 7
54465233 → 3 and 4
54465299 → 9 and 0
54465200 → 0 and 1

Step 2: Select the two words from the following list which correspond to your two numbers from Task 1.

For example, if your student number is 20150537. The two numbers would be ‘3' and ‘7' and the two words ‘duck' and ‘fish'.

Step 3: Using your two words in any order, adding and subtracting from the words in any way (though still being recognisably* your two words) do the following tasks:

Task 1: In less than 15 words describe symptoms of the (fictitious) disease named according to your two words. (1 mark)

Task 2: In less than 15 words write the headline for the news story involving your two words. (1 mark)

Task 3: In 2-3 sentences describe the business (e.g. what it sells) named with your two words. (1 mark)

Task 4: Choose one of the descriptions from Task 1 -3 and elaborate more on it (<200 words). For example, if Task 2 is chosen, you might write the short news article to go with the headline. If Task 3, who are the main competitors or customers, business history etc? (3 marks)

Hint: Your first idea is rarely your best idea. Try many options and choose your best. The more outlandish or funny the better, in my view.

Note:

• by still recognisable I mean, for example: dog: doggy, dogged, dog-tired, dogs, doggone... would be perfectly acceptable. However: hound, god (dog backwards), wolf, pet ... would not be acceptable.

• If for example your words are ‘bus' and ‘cat': ‘Bus driver' is fine, as is ‘busy', but the additional ‘r' in going from ‘cat' to ‘cartridge' is a step too far. Whereas ‘catalogue', I would still be happy.

• If you do something like catalogue or busy, can I suggest you write it as CATalogue or BUSy, or catalogue or busy just to help the people marking it.

Marking guide:

Tasks 1-3: worth 1 mark each. For each task: 0 if did not complete, 0.25 if poor, 0.6 if idea just OK, 1 mark if idea was interesting/surprising/original.

Task 4: worth 3 marks. 0 if did not complete, 0.5 if poor, 1 if idea just OK (no new surprises), 2 marks if introduce new surprising/original aspects. An additional 1 mark will be assigned for writing style e.g. does it adopt a writing style appropriate to the task e.g. a news story?

Part B: Innovation all around us (12 marks)

Choose a product found in a hardware store (e.g. hammer, drill, flower pot ...).

1. What are the key ideas that needed to come together for the category of product to arise and when did they occur? Justify why you believe these are the key innovations. Consider if the product would still have arisen if these innovation hadn't occurred.

• Note by ‘category' I mean (for example) all hammers, not just the specific brand of hammer you have.

To take the example of a car (because it is not from the hardware store), candidates for key ideas would be the development of the wheel, metallurgy, combustion engine, petroleum refinery, public infrastructure to enable roads. (3 marks for well-reasoned arguments)

2. What are the recent innovations that have occurred in the product category, specifically in the last 10 years? Again, justify why you believe these are the key innovations. (3 marks for well-reasoned arguments)

3. Predict 2 key innovations to this product that could occur over the next 10 years? Why? (3 marks if the ideas are feasible)

4. In the distant future, e.g. 50 to 100 years, will the product still exist if not what has replaced it? If so, what crazy futuristic features could it have? (3 marks for great futuristic ideas)

Total word limit for Part B: 800 words.

Part C: Creative and Innovative organisations (6 marks)

Research and describe the activities of a Singapore company or organisation (e.g. charity) you regard as creative and /or innovate.

1. What activities of the company do you consider to be creative and innovative, that is, why did you choose it? (3 marks)

2. Briefly, what is it about the company's organisational structure (e.g. size, age, market segment, beginnings (history)) contributes to it's creativity? (3 marks)

Total word limit for Part C: 500 words. Marks awarded based on thoughtful or well-reasoned arguments.

Referencing: should I or shouldn't I?

Referencing serves two purposes:

1. Attributing the ideas with integrity. Use referencing to be transparent about what are your ideas/opinions and what belong to others and upon whom you are relying.

2. Provide a path for others to retrace your steps. If someone wants to read what you have read, back to the primary source, referencing enables this to happen.

On the question of style, (Harvard etc) I don't particularly care, just as long as it is consistent and satisfies the needs of purpose number 2 above. That is, give enough information to the best of your ability so that someone else can find the exact same source.

The question of referencing in the assignment then is determined by your need to satisfy purposes 1 and 2? That will vary between each of you.

Referencing is not included in the word count.