Digital Business Models

Module title	Digital Business Models
Module code	BEMM129
Academic year	2019/0
Credits	15
Module staff	Lisa Harris (Lecturer)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	150

Module description

The digital economy has created significant opportunities while generating new modes of competition in both ‘traditional’ and new sectors of the economy. Established businesses need to appreciate the capabilities of digital technologies within the organisational context in which they will be embedded in order to effectively capture value through digital innovation, while entrepreneurs have few such constraints.

Each week you will draw upon the combined expertise within the group to develop your own community of shared digital practice that can continue to evolve as a study resource beyond the module itself.

You will experience online collaboration and community building first hand through 1) participation in the collaborative development of module content and 2) subsequent reflection on its value in terms of your learning and future careers.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module examines the business models and strategies of a wide range of digital businesses, from start-up environments to the transformation of established organisations. By drawing upon a range of case study examples, you will critically evaluate the strategic decisions needed to convert digital opportunities into competitive advantage, and reflect upon the role of technological innovation in the sustainability of society as a whole.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Review the opportunities and challenges posed by new digital business models
2. Discuss the implications of technological innovation for how we live, learn and work

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

3. Explain how digital innovations can be developed in a variety of contexts
4. Reflect upon the culture changes required for effective business transformation in the digital age

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. Evaluate the challenges and opportunities associated with the social learning process

Syllabus plan

Lessons from the history of technological change
The fourth industrial revolution
The changing nature and location of employment
The blurring of physical and digital space
The circular economy
The sharing economy
Digital business transformation within established organisations
Entrepreneurial digital business models
What does the future hold?

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
30	120	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	30	Introductory face to face lectures 2 hours, 24 hours of learning and teaching directed through content and activities within the Virtual Learning Environment (8 weeks x 3 hours) 4 x 1 hour (fortnightly) face to face workshops to take questions, provide scaffolding and assessment feedback
Guided Independent Study	120

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
The first blogpost will be assessed on a formative basis	500 words	1	Verbal in workshops and via ELE
Formative exercises will also be embedded during the sessions online and will take various forms including individual and group exercises, discussions, case studies and personal reflection exercises

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Blogpost 2	40	800 words	1,2	Audio via ELE
Blogpost 3	40	800 words	3,4	Audio via ELE
Blogpost 4	20	400 words plus summary video or infographic	5	Audio via ELE

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Blogpost 2	Blogpost 2	1,2,4	July/August
Blogpost 3	Blogpost 3	3,4	July/August
Blogpost 4	Blogpost 4	5	July/August

Re-assessment notes

A student will be referred in all components if the student fails the module with a mark of below 50% overall.

A student if deferred in a single component will be reassessed in that component only .

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Shadbolt, N.R., Smith, D.A., Simperl, E., Van Kleek, M., Yang, Y. and Hall, W., (2013) Towards a classification framework for social machines. In Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on World Wide Web (pp. 905-912). ACM.

Viswanathan, (2011) Interview in Alexandra Institute, 2011, Inspiring the Internet of Things, FP7 ICT Internet of Things Initiative

Donkin, R. (2009) The Future of Work, Palgrave Macmillan

Hughes, C. (2018) Fair Shot: rethinking inequality and how we earn, Bloomsbury

Schwab, (2016) The 4th Industrial Revolution, Penguin

Stockwood, J. (2018) Reboot: A Blueprint for Happy, Human Business in the Digital Age, Virgin

Keen, A. (2018) How to Fix the Future: staying human in the digital age Atlantic Books

Standage, T. (2013) Writing on the Wall: Social media – the first 2000 years, London: Bloomsbury

Mayer-Schönberger, V. (2018) Reinventing Capitalism in the Age of Big Data

Black, S. (2016) “Saving Bletchley Park: how #socialmedia saved the home of the WWII codebreakers” published by UnBound, London.

Key words search

Digital business models, digital innovation, digital strategy, 4^th Industrial Revolution, e-business, big data, social media

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	16/06/2015
Last revision date	20/08/2018