Undergraduate Course: Digital Business (BUST10144)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | New digital technologies have transformed traditional industries and enabled new forms of business models. This course explores the impact of the emergence of digital technologies on business and business-related activities with the support of relevant academic literature, current press and class discussions. |
| Course description |
The pervasiveness of digital technologies has been enabling the emergence of new products, services, and markets. Tech-based start-ups have been disrupting established firms in traditional industries and requiring managers to rethink competition, strategy, security, and customers¿ data, to mention some issues. This course draws on relevant academic literature to analyse these issues.
. Syllabus*
Week 1: Overview: What changes with the emergence of digital technologies?
Week 2: Platforms: Features and dynamics
Week 3: The governance of platforms and the performance of complementors
Week 4: Privacy and personal data
Week 5: Blockchain: Characteristics, current applications and potential development
Week 6: How tech-based start-ups disrupt traditional industries?
Week 7: Crowds: Decentralised knowledge and production
Week 8: Human behaviour and digital risks for businesses
Weeks 9 and 10: Group presentations
*Note ¿ this is a preliminary list of topics only. The order of the topics may change or new topics may be introduced. A final list of topics will be handed out in the first class.
. Student Learning Experience
The course is designed to enable students to analyse real-world issues with the support of the relevant academic literature. It is organised into several interrelated classes that build on each other.
Students have four main opportunities to assimilate the course content:
(1) On the preparation to the session, (2) on the lecture, (3) during the in-class exercises and activities, (4) asking questions. Students are strongly encouraged to use all the four opportunities each week. Employing this strategy will enhance their ability to employ relevant academic literature to analyse real-world issues.
(1) Preparation for the class
Students are expected to prepare for the class with the support of essential and recommended reading specified in the Resource List. For each session, questions will be provided for each topic on the Resource List to guide students in their reading.
Lecture slides will be available on Learn at least 2 days before the class. Students are encouraged to download the material and concentrate on the verbal explanations in lectures.
Students are welcome to contact the lecturer if they need the material in other format or any specific adjustment that might not be readily available.
(2) Lecture
The lecture will draw on the material from the Resource List and additional material, and integrate the theoretical concepts to real-world examples. On each session, you will be given time to review the notes you take during the exposition and eventually compare them to the notes taken during your preparation. This strategy aims at allowing you to enhance the comprehension of the topic explored and identify whether there are points that need clarification.
(3) Asking questions
Students are encouraged to use the classroom activities for self-assessment about their understanding of the topic. Students who perceive gaps in their understanding should contact the lecturer for further explanation as soon as possible.
Students are strongly encouraged to ask any questions about the class. If there is something not clear to one student, chances are that it is unclear to other colleagues. Students can:
- Ask further explanation during the session
- See the lecturer after the class
- See the lecturer during the office hours
- Send questions to the lecturer by email
(4) In-class activities
Interactive exercises and group discussions will be proposed during the class to challenge students to apply the course material to real-life cases. These activities aim at enhancing their understanding of the topic and at enabling them to develop a critical reflection of the course topics.
Students are welcome to contact the lecturer if they do not feel comfortable with some of these activities for personal or health reasons. Alternative formats can be proposed in these cases.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed
Innovation and Entrepreneurship (BUST08015)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Business Honours entry; underlying discipline is information systems. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students must have at least 4 Business courses at grade B or above. This MUST INCLUDE at least one Information Systems course at intermediate level. This course cannot be taken alongside BUST08015 Innovation and Entrepreneurship. We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2019/20, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Revision Session Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
70 %,
Practical Exam
30 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Group project:
Group Presentation: 30%
- 20 minutes
Individual Report: 10%
- up to 1,000 words
Individual essay: 60%
- approx. 2,500 words
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- 1. Identify and critically analyse how the emergence of digital technologies impacts business-related activities,
- 2. Identify and critically analyse opportunities and risks related to the pervasiveness of digital technologies,
- 3. Apply the relevant literature to understand and critically analyse real-world cases.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On completion of this course, students will also have developed or enhanced the following abilities:
1. Working together in a team to deliver a presentation in a tight deadline
2. Identifying and critically evaluating information from relevant sources to carry out independent research
3. Presenting ideas in public
4. Attention to details
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The course will be delivered in 10 lectures over semester 2. Lectures will be built closely around the recommended readings and will be interspersed with examples and case studies. Each class will be organised around short lectures, followed by deeper and more practical conversations in the form of class discussions. Students will be required to read a number of papers and texts prior to the commencement of the course which will then be discussed in class (around 20 hours worth of reading in total). |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jordana Viotto Da Cruz
Tel:
Email: Jordana.Viotto@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Rachael Tring
Tel: (0131 6)51 5467
Email: Rachael.Tring@ed.ac.uk |
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