Program Overview

Applying Behavioural Science to Create Change

Overview

This online course empowers individuals to create the change they seek in sustainability and become leaders in creating behaviour-focused solutions. The course is designed for those interested in upskilling or gaining specialized knowledge in behavior change, including individuals with existing behavior change needs, projects, and ideas, as well as organizations looking to make positive and sustainable changes to workplace practices.

Program Structure

The course is divided into two parts, with 8 modules of learning content:

Part 1 – Understanding Behaviour

• Module 1 – The ins and outs of human behaviour: Use behavioral science definitions to identify and state behaviors, and understand the importance of behavior change for societal challenges.
• Module 2 – Why we do the things we do: Identify key drivers and barriers that influence behavior, in order to understand what determines behavior.
• Module 3 – Practical models for practical methods: Describe some key theories of behavior and understand their strengths, weaknesses, and utility, and consider how behavioral theory can be applied to better understand problems and inform solutions.
• Module 4 – Decision-making blind spots: What are they and how to avoid them: Describe the role of research evidence in avoiding assumptions in project design. Evaluate evidence quality using a variety of tools and techniques.

Part 2 – Creating Behaviour Change

• Module 5 – How to explore problems with a behavioural lens: Use systems approaches to unpack problems, identify key stakeholders, and consider relationships and influences within a system. Apply a prioritization tool to aid decision-making around behavior selection.
• Module 6 – Getting to know your audience and what drives their behaviour: Understand the role of audience insights for intervention design, select appropriate research methods to investigate audiences based on method applicability, strengths, and weaknesses, and apply different research methods to investigate the drivers and barriers of behavior.
• Module 7 – Designing interventions and measuring success: Apply basic principles from generic tools to intervention design, understand the importance of monitoring and evaluating behavior change interventions, and apply a variety of research designs to evaluate target outcomes.
• Module 8 – Taking behaviour change into the future: Consider the need and methods for scaling-up solutions to maximize impact. Learn to recognize how behavior change fits within the broader context of systems change and transition, and discuss the direction for behavioral science and its application into the future.

Fees

• Assessed: $3,000 incl GST
• Non-assessed: $2,640 (inc. GST)

Alumni Discounted Fees

• 10% discount for Early Bird, and current Monash University staff and students.
• 20% discount for Monash alumni and PhD students.

Who Should Attend

This course is suitable for individuals interested in upskilling or gaining specialized knowledge in behavior change, including those with existing behavior change needs, projects, and ideas, as well as organizations looking to make positive and sustainable changes to workplace practices.

What You Will Learn

• Define behavior and describe its main influences.
• Unpack and analyze complex issues using a behavioral lens, including identification and selection of target audience and priority behaviors. Collect and investigate evidence to inform decision-making from a variety of sources and research methods.
• Critically evaluate, select, and apply appropriate tools, techniques, and frameworks to assist in the design of behavior change interventions.
• Design evaluation frameworks to assess the impact of behavior change interventions.
• Understand the role of behavioral science in policy and practice.

Core Teaching Staff

• Dr. Kavya Raj, Education Portfolio Lead, BehaviourWorks Australia
• Dr. Filia Garivaldis, Senior Lecturer, BehaviourWorks Australia

Guest Presenters

• Professor Liam Smith, Director, BehaviourWorks Australia
• Dr. Mark Boulet, Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia
• Dr. Denise Goodwin, Senior Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia
• Lena Jungbluth, Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia
• Dr. Fraser Tull, Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia
• Alyse Lennox, Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia

Digital Badge

Once you complete this course, you’ll earn a digital badge.

Related Programs

• Behaviour Change Solutions: Design and Implementation: This 8-week online course equips you with the skills and knowledge to design, implement, and test behavior change programs, using evidence-based strategies and cutting-edge research from our qualified behavioral scientists.
• Using Systems Thinking to Unpack Problems: In this course, you'll learn how to practically apply systems thinking to understand and uncover the underlying social, economic, and environmental factors that influence challenges.
• INSPIRE: Behavioural Insights for Better Communications: This course offers a comprehensive curriculum that combines the latest research in behavioral science with practical tools and techniques for effective communication.