| Unit name | Technology, Innovation, Business, and Society (TIBS) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EMATM0049 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Dave Cliff |
| 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 Engineering Mathematics and Technology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
This unit immerses you in the writings of prominent practitioners and thought-leaders who specialise in technology innovation, in creating and running technology businesses, and in exploring the social, political, and economic effects (both positive and negative) of innovative data-intensive technology businesses. Each week of teaching on this unit explores one of a related set of themes via reading and watching videos of interviews with and/or speeches by major thinkers, followed by seminar-style discussions with your fellow students and with the academics leading the unit. In. that sense, this unit is quite similar both in its content and in its style of delivery to a unit that would be taught on a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. This introduces you to a carefully curated selection of learning materials that expose you to classic and contemporary thinking in the literature on technology innovation, on creating and running businesses, and on the positive and negative societal effects of innovations in digital and data-intensive industries. It gives you the wider context necessary to be a mature, informed, and responsible scientist or engineer when you enter the world of work.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit does not require any previous qualifications, but does expect you to learn and engage with potentially conflicting view-points, arguments and debates, on the various themes explored. Very often it will be a matter of personal choice as to which side of the argument you agree with. You are strongly encouraged to form your own opinion on the topics explored each week: there is often no single opinion or view that is the “correct answer” – you can form whatever opinion you decide, so long as you are prepared to explain your reasoning and justify your conclusion.
An overview of content
This unit aims to give students a broad grounding in the wider commercial, economic, and social contexts and effects of technology innovation, with a focus on the digital, data-centric, and software-intensive technologies. The course will cover responsible innovation and open innovation: combining ideas from internal and external stakeholders to advance the useful development of new technology. Students on this unit will also develop a grounding in the legal, managerial and financial aspects of technology innovation for knowledge transfer and wealth creation. It will consider, in particular, the legal, ethical and technical issues involved in data-intensive technology, with reference to frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the European AI Act. For balance, students on this unit also engage with literature that is questioning or critical of the personal and societal effects of new technologies in general, and digital/data-centric technologies in particular (such as artificial intelligence, advanced automation replacing human workers, social media, and citizen surveillance).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
This unit gives students a broad grounding in the wider non-technical context necessary to be a mature, well-informed, and responsible scientist or engineer when they enter the world of work. By participating in the seminar discussions, students will develop their abilities to reason and explain, and will also learn from the similarities and differences of opinion expressed by other students studying on this unit in the same cohort. Students will be exposed to the relevant aspects of UK and international law that are relevant to practicing as a data scientist or engineer, whether as an employee of an organization or as an entrepreneur starting their own company.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including reading texts and watching videos, on-campus discussion/Q&A sessions, and formative self-directed exercises. Students will be expected to actively participate in the discussion sessions and to engage with videos, readings, self-directed exercises, and problem-solving activities.
Summary
Assessment is by examination, where you are expected to write approximately 2,000 words of essay-style text (i.e., one or more sequences of linked paragraphs) in response to one or more previously unseen exam questions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
One or more optional formative assessments are offered during the teaching of the unit, giving students an opportunity to practice their writing skills and receive feedback from the staff delivering the unit.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The unit will be assessed by a single (100%) exam in the TB1 assessment period. The exam will assess all learning outcomes.
When assessment does not go to plan:
Re-assessment takes the same form as the original summative assessment.
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. EMATM0049).
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 assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
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.
