Programme Specification

Transcription

1 Programme Specification MSc in ebusiness Valid from: September 2015 Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment

2 SECTION 1: GENERAL INFORMATION Awarding body: Teaching institution and location: Final award: Programme title: Interim exit awards and award titles: Brookes course code: UCAS/UKPASS code: JACS code: Mode of delivery: Mode/s of study: Language of study: Relevant QAA subject benchmark statement/s: External accreditation/recogni tion: (applicable to programmes with professional body approval) Faculty managing the programme: Date of production (or most recent revision) of specification: Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University MSc ebusiness Postgraduate Diploma ebusiness Postgraduate Certificate ebusiness Postgraduate Certificate ebusiness Research Project ebusiness Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) CM50 P G920 Face to face Full-time, part-time, sandwich English Master's degrees in Computing (May 2011) _Computing.pdf N/A Technology, Design and Environment (TDE) February 2015 Page 2 of 12

3 SECTION 2: OVERVIEW AND PROGRAMME AIMS 2.1 Rationale for/distinctiveness of the programme The recent radical changes in the global market place are transforming the business environment and the nature of work itself. Significant drivers for change include advancing communications and digital technology, the worldwide-web and e-commerce. There have also been major changes in the business landscape due to the emergence of new, major international trading blocs and the emergence of former communist regimes as trading partners. Information technology and communications are crucial to enable businesses to flourish in this turbulent and dynamic environment. New ways are being discovered to use these technologies for trade, entertainment, communication, socialisation and information sharing. This has opened up exciting prospects for anyone who wishes to take advantage of these opportunities and shape future innovation and performance improvement in ebusiness and ecommerce. The design of our programme focuses on the latest ebusiness models and technical skills that are required to build effective solutions. The programme provides a unique integration of theory and practice with practice orientated teaching based on real world examples. The taught programme includes live projects undertaken in partnership with industry and regular guest lectures from award winning practitioners. Few other universities offer the combination of taught modules and live projects that are available on this programme. Therefore our graduates will embark on new careers equipped with highly desirable skills and experience. In addition to the normal award of MSc, the course is offered with the awards of Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate ebusiness Research Project and Postgraduate Diploma for those who wish to learn a particular aspect of the discipline. 2.2 Aim/s of the programme The aims of the programmes are to provide graduates with an education in ebusiness that will enable them to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to pursue a career in industry, commerce or in setting up their own business. On completion of the MSc programme graduates will have developed skills in the latest technologies required to build effective web-based business solutions such as client and server side web applications. They will also gain crucial experience in setting up an ebusiness, a skill set much in demand by employers. Furthermore graduates are encouraged to adopt a critical and independent approach to advanced study and research, and thus, potentially provide a foundation for further postgraduate study. On completion of the PG Dip programme graduates will have developed skills in the latest technologies required to build effective web-based business solutions such as client and server side web applications. They will also have the opportunity to gain crucial experience in setting up an ebusiness, a skill set much in demand by employers. Furthermore graduates are encouraged to adopt a critical and independent approach to advanced study and research, and thus, potentially provide a foundation for further postgraduate study. On completion of the PG Cert programme graduates will have developed some skills in the latest technologies required to build effective web-based business solutions such as client and server side web applications. They will also have the opportunity to gain crucial experience in setting up an ebusiness, a skill set much in demand by employers. Furthermore graduates are encouraged to adopt a critical and independent approach to advanced study and research, and thus, potentially provide a foundation for further postgraduate study. Page 3 of 12

4 SECTION 3: PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES On completion of the MSc programme students will be able to: 3.1 Academic literacy A04 A05 A06 A07 A13 Analyse, plan, design, modify and manage a strategy for the maintenance of a dynamic e- business application for maximum business functionality and efficiency Critically appraise emerging technologies and assess, through application of these concepts to ebusiness infrastructure, the associated benefits of business adoption Critically evaluate and assess the technical and business risks associated with ebusiness and emarketing development projects, and apply the knowledge gained to the management of such projects Critically appraise the components, structure and architecture of modern ebusiness and emarketing information systems nature and role of such systems, both within an organisation and in enhancing supply chains and customer relations Critically appraise emerging technologies and techniques and identify and assess the potential benefits for future systems 3.2 Research literacy R01 R02 Demonstrate self-direction and originality in planning and managing a research project, synthesising relevant research based materials in the organisation of the project Undertake critical enquiry and create a sustained piece of independent research into topics relevant to the policies, dynamics and operational practices of business, management and leadership within the context of the discipline 3.3 Critical self-awareness and personal literacy C01 Evaluate and reflect on the evolution of their strengths and weaknesses across the range of subject based competences involved in the domain. C02 C03 Participate in and direct group activities and recognise and evaluate the importance of teamwork, time management, initiative, personal responsibility and accountability in delivering successful solutions Create solutions to problems, acting autonomously and making decisions in challenging situations in planning and implementing tasks and delivering on a given time scale Page 4 of 12

5 3.4 Digital and information literacy D01 D02 Identify digital information sources and from which, acquire information for further analysis (e.g. Open linked data, SPARQL endpoints) Demonstrate effective skills and practices necessary to become a confident, agile adopter of a range of technologies for personal, academic and professional use 3.5 Global citizenship G01 G02 Identify and analyse risk, reliability, legal, social, environmental, professional and ethical issues relevant to research and problem solving in the domain Evaluate the impact of the development, use and maintenance of computer and communication systems in economic, political, cultural and social contexts in both national and international settings On completion of the PG Dip programme students will be able to: 3.6 Academic literacy A04 A05 A06 A07 A13 Analyse, plan, design, modify and manage a strategy for the maintenance of a dynamic e- business application for maximum business functionality and efficiency Critically appraise emerging technologies and assess, through application of these concepts to ebusiness infrastructure, the associated benefits of business adoption Critically evaluate and assess the technical and business risks associated with ebusiness and emarketing development projects, and apply the knowledge gained to the management of such projects Critically appraise the components, structure and architecture of modern ebusiness and emarketing information systems nature and role of such systems, both within an organisation and in enhancing supply chains and customer relations Critically appraise emerging technologies and techniques and identify and assess the potential benefits for future systems 3.7 Research literacy R01 Demonstrate self-direction and originality in planning and managing a research project, synthesising relevant research based materials in the organisation of the project C Critical self-awareness and personal literacy Evaluate and reflect on the evolution of their strengths and weaknesses across the range of subject based competences involved in the domain. C02 Participate in and direct group activities and recognise and evaluate the importance of teamwork, time management, initiative, personal responsibility and accountability in delivering successful solutions Page 5 of 12

6 C03 Create solutions to problems, acting autonomously and making decisions in challenging situations in planning and implementing tasks and delivering on a given time scale 3.9 Digital and information literacy D02 Demonstrate effective skills and practices necessary to become a confident, agile adopter of a range of technologies for personal, academic and professional use 3.10 Global citizenship G01 G02 Identify and analyse risk, reliability, legal, social, environmental, professional and ethical issues relevant to research and problem solving in the domain Evaluate the impact of the development, use and maintenance of computer and communication systems in economic, political, cultural and social contexts in both national and international settings On completion of the PG Cert programme students will be able to: 3.11 Academic literacy A05 Critically appraise emerging technologies and assess, through application of these concepts to ebusiness infrastructure, the associated benefits of business adoption 3.12 Critical self-awareness and personal literacy C01 Evaluate and reflect on the evolution of their strengths and weaknesses across the range of subject based competences involved in the domain Digital and information literacy D02 Demonstrate effective skills and practices necessary to become a confident, agile adopter of a range of technologies for personal, academic and professional use 3.14 Global citizenship G02 Evaluate the impact of the development, use and maintenance of computer and communication systems in economic, political, cultural and social contexts in both national and international settings Page 6 of 12

7 SECTION 4: PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM 4.1 Programme structure and requirements: The following modules are acceptable for the subject. Students must pass all modules marked Compulsory ; as well as meeting the university rules for postgraduate programmes Students studying for an MSc must complete at least 180 credits worth of modules. Students studying for a Postgraduate Diploma must complete at least 120 credits worth of modules. Students studying for a Postgraduate Certificate must complete at least 60 credits worth of modules. Students who choose to progress from a Postgraduate Certificate to a Postgraduate Diploma may be required to take additional credits over the 120 normally required for a Postgraduate Diploma in order to ensure that they have completed all the compulsory modules for the Postgraduate Diploma Requirements for MSc LEVEL: 7 Module Module Title CATS Status code Page 7 of 12 Semester of delivery P00011 Research and Study Methods 10 Compulsory 1 & 2 20 P00801 ebusiness Information Systems Compulsory 2 P00803 Web Applications Development 20 Compulsory 1 Pre-requisites P00803 & The Business Web 20 Compulsory 1 20 Compulsory 2 P00803, P00805 Building a Web-Based Business & P00806 Business efutures 20 Compulsory 2 P00803 & emarketing Principles and 20 Compulsory Strategies 1 50 Compulsory 2 P00011 P00DIS Dissertation in ebusiness consecutive semesters P00014 Independent Study 2 20 Optional Any Requirements for MSc in Sandwich Mode LEVEL: 7 Module Module Title CATS Status code Semester of delivery P00011 Research and Study Methods 10 Compulsory 1 & 2 20 P00801 ebusiness Information Systems Compulsory 2 P00803 Web Applications Development 20 Compulsory 1 Pre-requisites P00803 & The Business Web 20 Compulsory 1 20 Compulsory 2 P00803, P00805 Building a Web-Based Business &

8 P00806 P00DIS Business efutures emarketing Principles and Strategies Dissertation in ebusiness P00PLA Placement 0 20 Compulsory 2 P00803 & 20 Compulsory 1 50 Compulsory 2 P00011 consecutive semesters Compulsory Any 3 for students Any 5 taught consecutive on Sandwich modules Semesters mode P00014 Independent Study 2 20 Optional Any Requirements for PG Dip LEVEL: 7 Module Module Title CATS Status code Semester of delivery P00011 Research and Study Methods 10 Optional 1 & 2 20 P00801 ebusiness Information Systems Optional 2 P00803 Web Applications Development 20 Compulsory 1 Pre-requisites P00803 & The Business Web 20 Compulsory 1 20 Optional 2 P00803, P00805 Building a Web-Based Business & P00806 Business efutures 20 Optional 2 P00803 & emarketing Principles and 20 Compulsory Strategies 1 50 Optional 2 P00011 P00DIS Dissertation in ebusiness consecutive semesters P00014 Independent Study 2 20 Optional Any Requirements for PG Cert LEVEL: 7 Module Module Title CATS Status code Semester of delivery P00011 Research and Study Methods 10 Optional 1 & 2 20 P00801 ebusiness Information Systems Optional 2 P00803 Web Applications Development 20 Optional 1 Pre-requisites P00803 & The Business Web 20 Optional 1 20 Optional 2 P00803, P00805 Building a Web-Based Business & P00806 Business efutures 20 Optional 2 P00803 & emarketing Principles and 20 Optional 1 Page 8 of 12

9 Strategies 50 Optional 2 P00DIS Dissertation in ebusiness consecutive semesters P00014 Independent Study 2 20 Optional Any P Professional requirements Currently none. SECTION 5: PROGRAMME DELIVERY 5.1 Teaching, Learning and Assessment Students will attend lectures to acquire knowledge and understanding of the key concepts in the taught modules. The programme team has designed the student learning experience to deliver both the programme s learning outcomes and the university s postgraduate attributes. Academic literacy will be assessed through coursework, testing the students ability to explain key concepts, and to apply them to practical problem solving. This academic knowledge will be developed through various modules within the programme. Practical elements of the course will enable students to practice essential skills in a variety of contexts, and build a wide set of experiences on which to reflect and develop professional expertise. For more technical skills, including programming, the practical elements will be based around laboratory classes, allowing students to experiment with the technology in a supervised environment. Research literacy will be primarily assessed in the compulsory dissertation. Students will have learned and practised these skills in modules such as Business efutures and Research and Study Methods. Students will have the opportunity to apply knowledge, understanding and skills to real business systems development issues. Students will use methodologies, models and analytical frameworks, drawn from management and information systems traditions, alongside tools and techniques deployed by those charged with responsibility for the management of people. These activities provide the opportunity for a learning process, which is shared, experiential and enables the assessment of personal literacy and critical self-awareness. Self-awareness and personal literacy will also be supported through selfreflection reports, assessed as part of their dissertation and other modules such as Web Application Development and emarketing Principles and Strategies. Digital and information literacy is fundamental to the academic content of this degree. In particular, the use of software tools for web and database development will be taught and assessed throughout the modules, and part of the assessment for these modules will be based on the student s ability to locate, read, and evaluate appropriate documentation for such tools. Effective and innovative use of ICT is also a key part of the department s strategy. The department uses a variety of VLE s (tailored to what is being taught) and makes extensive use of ebooks, online videos, podcasts and other electronic resources. Visiting lecturers, with specialist expertise, practitioners, alumni and careers advisors, with practical experience, will also contribute to a wider understanding of the relevance of the programme to today s dynamic environment. A core value of the programme is to provide the opportunity for students to develop the ability to work as an individual, or within a team, and experience team building skills within cross-cultural contexts. The latter is achieved by recruiting students from many different countries and cultures. Students on the programme will therefore come from a wide variety of backgrounds and will have experienced different teaching and learning methods and environments. Page 9 of 12

10 Classes are designed to provide sequencing and integration within and between modules. Team teaching is a feature of most modules in order to give students exposure to as wide a variety of expertise as possible. Integrated assessments across modules will include an element of team working, enabling students to collaborate with their peers, developing an awareness of their own abilities as reflected by feedback from others. The group nature of some of the coursework assignments will allow students to communicate and lead in different aspects of the assignments. The aim is to provide an environment in which students can grow in confidence in their own abilities and appreciate the value of the educational experience from a variety of perspectives. By paying due regard to the Oxford Brookes University Assessment Compact, the assessments on this programme have been designed to develop learning of technical skills, shaped by the underlying theory, and requirements of the industry. Assessment does not present students with a set of hurdles, but rather guides them through the staged acquisition of a complex set of professional skills, so that, by the time they graduate, they are ready to play an effective role in their chosen career. Feedback on the assessment tasks will be provided in a timely manner, emphasizing achievement of the learning outcomes of the modules and the programme. Students will be encouraged to relate the assessment tasks with professional activities, and to relate their achievements with professional standards. Where appropriate, self- and peer- assessment will be used to encourage students to involve themselves in their own professional development. The department is committed to inclusivity and diversity in its teaching. By the very nature of the discipline, virtually all of our teaching material is available in an accessible format and where possible we follow best practice guidelines and make our electronic material available before the lectures. We also use electronic references and ebooks to further enhance accessibility. Inclusivity and diversity is also embedded in what we teach. As such all new students have a lecture on inclusivity and diversity as part of their induction and important inclusivity and diversity topics such as the need for accessibility and internationalization and how to achieve them are taught on a variety of modules throughout the degree. 5.2 Assessment regulations The programme conforms to the University Regulations for taught postgraduate courses SECTION 6: ADMISSIONS 6.1 Entry criteria Typical offers A Second-class Honours Bachelor s Degree, or the overseas equivalent, in a subject containing a computing or IT component, for example, Business Information Systems, is required. Businessbased awards, which have a computing related content, will also be considered. Specific entry requirements If the first language is not English evidence is required of a minimum of IELTS score of 6.0 or an equivalent English language qualifications acceptable to the University. 6.2 DBS checks Page 10 of 12

11 Not normally required SECTION 7: STUDENT SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE Support and guidance is available to students throughout the programme, starting from when they first arrive before the course begins. During induction week, students are given handbooks and other documentation explaining the choices available to them on the programme, and how the systems at Oxford Brookes work. The Programme Lead and Subject Coordinators are available for consultation as are the Postgraduate Administrator and the Student Support Coordinators (SSCs). Throughout the programme, module and dissertation handbooks alongside online resources available through the virtual learning environment provide a great deal of guidance for students. In addition, they can get help and guidance from their Programme Lead, Subject Coordinator, the Postgraduate Administrator and the department s Student Support Coordinators. They can also get module specific advice from the Module Leader and any of the staff teaching on the relevant module. At the University level, there are dedicated support services both for specific groups of students such as Oxford Brookes International and the Disability Advisory Service and for all students such as Upgrade - our study skills development/support service. A full range of support services is offered to students seeking graduate roles, and to those looking for placements. Support includes placement officers, career advisers and counsellors, and all students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities. The department has a placement support team consisting of Kashi Basu as academic placement coordinator and Andy King as partnership and placements manager. Academics from relevant subject areas also act as placement supervisors and help to maintain contact between the student and the University when the student is on placement. Support also includes placement workshops, clinic sessions and talks from placement officers and career advisers and all students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these services. Information on past placement recruiters and jobs adverts will also be posted on the CCT placement dashboard on Moodle. All Placement students are allocated an academic supervisor. The supervisor will normally visit the student in the company twice during the period of the Placement. At the first visit the supervisor ensures that appropriate training is being provided including Health and Safety training. The student will give a review of work carried out supported by a log book of activities. The supervisor will also have a discussion with the Industry line manager and resolve any issues that have arisen. The second visit will take place towards the end of the Placement and the student will give a presentation on a selected part of their work. The student will submit a completed log book and the line manager will fill out a report to summarise their view on the student s performance. If any problems arise during the Placement the student (or the line manager) can contact the academic supervisor and additional meetings can be arranged as required to address and resolve the issues. Each programme has at least one Student Representative. Student Representatives are voted into position by the students on the programme and they provide a mechanism for issues and concerns to be fed back through the department s committee structure. Student Representatives sit on departmental committees, concerned with programme management and course development, and also attend monthly student forums which are meetings specifically for the representatives to bring forward student concerns. SECTION 8: GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY In order to survive and prosper in this technologically driven, global marketplace, innovative and effective competitive strategies, integrating web-based approaches with other elements of business strategy, are Page 11 of 12

12 required. The ability to evaluate new technologies, and deploy them effectively is key to organisational competitiveness. Internationally focussed organisations are looking for individuals who have not only theoretical knowledge, but also the skills and competencies in the nature and application of web-based approaches. This programme aims to provide students with the opportunity to explore, and critically evaluate, current thinking, latest developments and professional best practice in ebusiness, whilst providing opportunities for students to develop skills, valued by employers, to enhance opportunities for employment and choices of career. Graduates are employed across a whole range of careers from development roles in small companies to the activities of IT departments in large, multinational corporations. Furthermore graduates from the programme are ideally equipped for setting their own business within the ecommerce industry. According to research conducted by e-skills UK, the National Sector Skills Council for IT and Telecommunications, the IT professional workforce in the UK, has almost doubled since 1994, and is likely to continue growing at 5-8 times the average employment growth for the coming decade. Recent graduates from this programme have been employed by, for example, Opera Web Browser, Wavecard, One Ltd, Pentangle Ltd, Elephant Creative and Microsoft. SECTION 9: LINKS WITH EMPLOYERS Many modules use guest speakers from industry to illustrate the practical application of the module material. Potential employers are keen to talk to a wider spectrum of students, but will discuss the nature of their industry, as well as how the students might contribute. The department maintains close links with the university Careers Office. Themed mini careers fairs are organised by this office with technology being a common theme. Students are encouraged to use the facilities offered, including CV workshops, and practice interviews and assessment-centre activities. An Industrial Liaison Board is run within the department, with senior employees of regional and representative organisations as members. The board is consulted on major initiatives within the department, including programme revalidations, possible research partnerships, future trends and directions, and the feasibility of new course offerings. An alumni organisation has recently been formed in the department. The aim is to invite ex-students who are now in a variety of technical and managerial roles, to network with each other, and with our current students. It is anticipated that this organisation will be of great benefit to students starting out on their careers, as well as for more senior alumni looking to exploit the skills and expertise of the staff and students in the department. Research centres within the department are actively involved with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and other links with employer organisations. One of the spin-offs from these activities is the on-campus presence of industrial-based experts in fields closely related to our degree offerings. SECTION 10: QUALITY MANAGEMENT Indicators of quality/methods for evaluating the quality of provision The primary indicators of quality come through regular student feedback, module reviews, external examiners reports, annual and periodic programme reviews and student surveys. Student feedback on a module is gathered using the standard university feedback form and is summarised by the administration team within the faculty. This summary is incorporated into the module report documentation used to inform the module review at the Subject Committee which is attended by the student representative for the subject. The minutes of the subject committee that summarise the discussion of module reviews are then presented at the Subject Examination Committee meeting where comments are invited from the Page 12 of 12

13 External Examiners. Any changes to module delivery and/or content which arise out of this review process are communicated to the Subject Committee chair who has the responsibility of ensuring that they are implemented. Each module is assigned an Internal Moderator who has the responsibility of checking the quality of the examination papers and the coursework specifications before they are sent to the External Examiner for comments. Examination papers and coursework specification may be modified in the light of the External s comments before submission to the University Examination Office. The Internal Moderator also checks the quality of the marking of the assessments on the module based on a randomly selected sample. The programme as a whole is reviewed annually through the University Annual Review procedure. This review assesses the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and the overall academic standards of the programme. It takes into account student progression and compares the overall performance of students against the University benchmark. The Annual Review considers and responds to the comments from the External Examiners. Programmes are reviewed normally on a five year periodic cycle in accordance with the provisions of the quality framework set by the University. The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey provides valuable annual feedback on the student experience. The results of the PTES are evaluated at both Department and Faculty level and an action plan is drawn up to ensure that the necessary changes are made to improve the student experience. Regular Student Forum meetings are held during semester to give the student representatives a forum to present and discuss the concerns of the student body. The forums are attended by senior members of the department. The Industrial Advisory Board is valuable in involving employers and other stakeholders in the development of the Computing programmes. The Board meet on an annual basis to discuss the research and the teaching that is done in the department. Comments are invited from Board members on the portfolio of programmes and on any new programme developments. Page 13 of 12