| Unit name | Business Analytics in Practice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MGRC30004 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Higgs |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
This mandatory core third year TB2 (Teaching Block 2) unit will teach students how to work effectively in a team on the development of business analytics solutions to a client’s problem. Students will experience the many challenges faced when applying business analytics in practice: working with clients, identifying problems, dealing with team issues, and convincing people your solution has value. These skills, beyond the many technical skills students will learn elsewhere in the programme, are essential for applying business analytics effectively in practice and having a positive impact on businesses and organisations.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit is the climax of the programme. Students will bring all the knowledge and skills they have learned to bear on real business and societal problems. Collaborating with their peers and external clients on the development and evaluation of a desirable, feasible, and valid business analytics solution.
An overview of content
This unit will give students experience in the design and execution of a consultancy project in business analytics. Students will develop knowledge of business analytics consulting methods and skills for working with a client, working in a team, managing business analytics projects, and communicating project findings effectively.
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. Furthermore, students will be better equipped to successfully select, apply and evaluate business analytics solutions to business and societal problems.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
ILO1: Anticipate the potential challenges when applying business analytics in practice and identify suitable strategies for delivering successful business analytics projects.
ILO2: Collaborate on the design of a business analytics project that is achievable within the limits of time and resources available and in line with ethical principles.
ILO3: Work effectively in a team on the identification of a suitable problem and on the development of a solution that involves the deployment or use of business analytics.
ILO4: Justify a workable business analytics solution and illustrate project findings effectively to a range of non-specialist audiences.
ILO5: Demonstrate key competencies required for the application of business analytics for sustainable development.
Learning activities may be primarily group-based, with students working in teams. Students may learn through interactive lectures, group data analysis tasks, group-based industry-relevant case studies and simulations, and group-based role-playing activities. Research on team development may be incorporated into the design of the group-based learning activities to best support the development of teams. Additionally, research on professional development may be incorporated to best support the interaction between students and clients.
Pre-recorded (asynchronous) lectures may be made interactive through online quizzes; while on-campus / online (synchronous) lectures may be made interactive though polls, Q&A sessions, and group discussion. Both types of interactive lectures aid learning through listening, reading, memorisation, thinking, and action.
Data analysis tasks may focus on collaborative data analysis and require students to coordinate in their teams to solve data analysis tasks effectively. Data analysis tasks may follow a project-based approach to learning, in which tasks are clearly positioned in decision-making problems and require students to integrate domain knowledge and practical considerations into their analysis.
Industry-relevant case studies, simulations, and role play may also focus on collaborative elements and provide students with safe environments to experiment with different forms of teamwork and collaboration, in preparation for professional settings.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students may complete regular data analysis tasks in their allocated groups, and group performances would be shared for self/peer-assessment. These tasks help students learn towards all the ILOs and prepare students for their individual coursework assignment tasks. Case study, simulation, and role play tasks may also be completed by students and peer / tutor feedback would be provided through group discussion. Students may also receive feedback from tutors on proposals and designs of their consultancy projects and mock presentations.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Group Project Plan (20% of the overall unit mark): Students may work in a team to identify a business problem and design a consultancy project (ILO1 - ILO3).
Group Project Report (60% of the overall unit mark): Students may work in a team to develop and justify a business problem solution and reflect on their experiences (ILO3 - ILO5).
Group Project Presentation (20% of the overall unit mark): Students may work in a team to illustrate the team project to a range of non-specialist audiences (ILO4).
Note: A proportion of your final unit mark is based on a group assignment. So that student contributions are reflected in their marks, an equity share approach to peer assessment may be used which aims to encourage successful productive teamwork and reflect and individual’s contribution to the team.
When assessment does not go to plan
The re-assessment weightings on this unit will not be the same as the original assessment. This means if you do not pass the unit overall, then you will be reassessed with a single piece of assessment weighted at 100%, covering all Learning Outcomes for the unit. Please note, if you passed some components but did not reach the overall unit pass mark, those passed components will be disregarded and not included in the reassessment mark. Your overall mark in the unit will then be solely based on the reassessment work done in the summer reassessment period.
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. MGRC30004).
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 University 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. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
