| Unit name | Sustainable Work Futures in the Digital Economy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIMM0136 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Andrijasevic |
| 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?
In a rapidly changing world, digital innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), internet platforms, algorithms, robotics, and Big Data are swiftly changing how we live and work and, in many cases, widening inequality and increasing precariousness. As digital technologies continue to evolve at an exponential rate it is critical to understand their impact on contemporary and future work practices. At the same time, work cannot be understood independently from the natural environment in which it takes place. This unit focuses on the challenges and opportunities raised by two intertwined grand challenges – the rise of the digital economy and the greening of our economies – and their impact on Human Resource Management and the Future of Work.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
Digital economy raises several important questions that this Unit will tackle. What new disruptive technologies are on the horizon? How will jobs change? What challenges will organisations and workers confront in the face of a climate crisis? What could the future of work look like and what could go wrong?
The overall aims of this Unit are to:
An overview of content
Content is updated annually and is based on research-rich approaches to teaching. Topics will include digital labour in its many forms (gig, platform, ghost, IT professional work); intensified blurring of boundaries between work and private life; and environmental costs of digitalisation.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Upon completion of the Unit, students will have developed knowledge and understanding of the impact of digital economy on work, life, and natural environment. They will discover and be able to communicate the impact of the rise of the digital economy and environmental sustainability/degradation for the future of work, based on research-rich teaching. They will develop a capacity to critically reflect on how two major trends – current and future environmental degradation on the one hand, and the push towards environmental sustainability on the other – will define the future of work.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the unit, students will be able to:
The Unit will be taught through lectures and seminars. The Unit structure offers 30 contact hours in total (10 x 2-hour lectures and 10x1 hour seminars). The remaining 170 learning hours will be spent in independent study and in the preparation of assessment. The Unit will be team-taught by a range of academics in the School, with each week will be structured around key weekly topics. Lectures will have the principal purpose of introducing the content of the course, providing students with an opportunity to test their understanding of the key concepts, and developing their analytical skills through discussions based on key readings.
A variety of teaching methods will be utilised in the Unit, including discussions based on readings and student experiences; case study work involving analysis, problem-solving and decision-making; group and individual exercises; presentations, discussion, and debate.
The Unit is based on active learning and is best viewed as a process of interaction between ‘reflective practitioners’ (students) and ‘facilitators’ (lecturers/tutors). Three basic principles guide this approach:
Active learning involves a combination of teaching methods, including: sound-bite size lectures, case studies, role-play exercises and small-group work, oral and written presentations. Reading and guidance on preparation will be provided in advance of each lecture.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Formative: 1 x 10 minute small group class presentation on the topic of mid-term summative assessment. The formative –with related verbal feedback-- is scheduled halfway through the Unit in order to prepare students for mid-term summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Summative: (40% of overall mark) 1 x 1000-word timed in-tray exercise (individual), in which students will be asked to look through a selection of documents, identifying relevant texts and information and synthesise these into a defined position [ILOs: 1,2 and 5].
Summative: (60% of overall mark) 1 x 1,500-word individual essay in which students are to demonstrate their knowledge of key debates in the field of digital economy and sustainable work futures [ILOs: 1-5].
When assessment does not go to plan
Individual essay: (40% of overall mark) 1 x 1000-word briefing paper on gig/platform work [ILOs: 1,2 and 5].
Individual essay: (60% of overall mark) 1 x 1500-word individual essay on the chosen firm’s existing practices in the intersecting areas of digital labour and environmental sustainability/degradation [ILOs: 1-5].
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. EFIMM0136).
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.
