| Unit name | Business Analytics Consulting Project |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIMM0144 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Higgs |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
no |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
no |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
n/a |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is important because students will develop the skills required to apply business analytics in research and in practice. When designing and executing their group projects, students will experience the many challenges faced when applying business analytics in practice. From working with clients, to identifying suitable problems, dealing with team issues, and convincing people your solution has value. When writing their Applied Research Project proposals, students will learn how to frame a research question, conduct a literature review, and use qualitative and quantitative research methods.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is a core unit in the MSc Business Analytics programme which provides students with the opportunity to apply their business analytics knowledge and skills in research and in practice. This unit compliments the other units in the programme by giving students an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to solve a client’s business problem. The research methods and tools learned in this unit, when coupled with knowledge learned from other units, will prepare students for the Applied Research Project proposal assessed within this Unit and their final Applied Research Project.
An overview of content
This unit will provide students with experience in the design and execution of a consultancy/research project in business analytics. The unit will run across two Teaching Blocks. Students will learn main theories and tools in digital transformation and project management and acquire knowledge and understanding of research methodologies, advanced quantitative research methods, and qualitative research methods. Whenever possible, students will conduct their assessed group projects in partnership with external industrial or third sector organisations. The project will offer students the opportunity to apply knowledge and techniques learned in other units of the programme. The knowledge and skills acquired in this unit will help students formulate their own Applied Research Project proposal assessed within this unit.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Upon completion of this unit, students will have formed a deep understanding and appreciation of the challenges of applying business analytics in practice and approaches for overcoming these challenges effectively. Students will be better equipped to deal with uncertainty in project specifications, unpredictability in changing requirements, and the challenges of working with others and selling their ideas to clients and peers. With regards to the research methods taught, students will also be able to: identify a research gap in the literature and formulate coherent and achievable research objectives and questions; select and justify appropriate research methods for the analysis of research objectives and questions with due consideration of ethical issues including research ethics process and principles.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
ILO 1 - Identify a practical/research problem and with potential to make an original contribution to theory and practice.
ILO 2 - Design a consultancy/research project that is achievable within the limits of time and resources available and in line with ethical principles.
ILO 3 - Justify and apply appropriate research methods to address a business/research problem.
ILO 4 - Work effectively in team on the development of a business problem solution that involves the deployment or use of business analytics.
ILO 5 - Justify a workable solution to a problem and illustrate team project findings effectively in spoken and written communication to a range of non-specialist audiences.
Teaching will be conducted through ten lectorial sessions of 3 hours (total 10*3 = 30 hours) across TB1 and TB2. These comprise a combination of one-hour structured asynchronous learning and two-hour on-campus. The latter will involve deep academic conversations, case studies, debates, tasks, as well as interesting talks from people in the industry. Optional advice and feedback hour sessions for additional support are available. Students will be required to do some preparation reading and activities before the sessions. All learning material will be available on the unit’s Blackboard page. Additional readings and videos will also be provided on Blackboard to support students who wish to acquire a deeper learning about responsible innovation of business analytics. The discussion board on Blackboard will also be used to complete tasks and strengthen peer interaction. It is also a place for students to ask any questions about the unit. Students are advised to set aside time to review the weekly material and plan when they will work through them. Planning will allow them to learn in an efficient and organised manner and can prevent them from stress and anxiety in the long-term run.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students will receive feedback on their understanding of the unit contents through in-class discussions of academic and practice-oriented reading that students will have to prepare before each session. Through reading of academic papers and other activities, students will reflect on and communicate strategies and approaches to solve a business problem that involves the use of business analytics (ILO 1). Students will receive feedback on their ability to justify and apply research methods through small in-class practical exercises (ILO 3). Feedback on their consultancy project (ILOs 1 and 2), their ability to justify and apply appropriate research methods (ILO3) and to communicate effectively problem solutions will be provided through mock group presentations (ILO 5). Groups will write online updates about their project activities to receive feedback about their teamwork (ILO 4). In TB2 students will receive feedback on the development of their Applied Research Project proposal (ILOs 1-3).
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
500-word Group Project Plan (10%): Students will need to work in a team to identify and refine a business problem with the potential to make an original contribution to practice, select and justify appropriate methods to address a business problem, and design a consultancy project that is achievable within the limits of time and resources available and in line with ethical principles (ILO1 - ILO4).
2000-word Group Project Report (30%): Students will need to work in a team to develop a business problem solution that involves the deployment or use of business analytics and justify the methods chosen and the workability of the solution to the business problem (ILO3 - ILO5). As part of the project report, students will also need to reflect as a team on their experiences of the group projects and discuss the challenges they faced, how they overcame them, and what they learned.
Group Project Presentation (20%): Students will need to work in a team to illustrate the team project findings effectively and justify their approach to a range of non-specialist audiences through the medium of a recorded presentation (ILO3 - ILO5).
2,000-word Individual Applied Research Project proposal (40%). The proposal will cover topic, questions, rationale, scoping of the literature, and research methods of students’ final applied research project (ILO 1-3).Part of your final mark for this unit will be based on group work assignments. It is important all team members contribute to the group work, and that this is recognised within the marks. To do this we will use an approach where each group agrees on a distribution of “equity” between group members for each group assignment. While it is important to note that this peer assessment may impact your individual grades for this unit, it is anticipated that most functioning groups will distribute the equity equally across group members.
When assessment does not go to plan
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EFIMM0144).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
