Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

In this module, apprentices will be introduced to emerging technologies and innovations in digital services. Apprentices will learn how digital technologies are critical enablers of competitive advantage in organisations, and how to identify, analyse, and write a report on a topic of interest from one of the chosen emerging technologies.

Module Aims

1. Explain fundamental principles of digital technologies as well as relevant business applications.
2. Apply fundamental principles of emerging technologies in innovative ways to create sustainable competitive
advantages.
3. Perform requirements and cost-benefit analyses of a technology within the context of their workplace
setting. This exercise will challenge apprentice’s ability to handle unexpected situations in their
workplace.
4. Negotiate with internal and external stakeholders within an organization.
5. Write reports and deliver presentations directed at influential members in an organisation on their
recommendation(s)

Outline Of Syllabus

The module will cover
• Emerging Technologies:
o Review and discuss emerging technologies including distributed systems technologies such as Cloud Computing,
Internet-of-Things, Blockchain, Deep Learning, and Knowledge Representation technologies.
o Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine which emerging technology would be suitable for stakeholder(s)
• Software development for emerging technologies:
o Development for distributed infrastructure
o Scalable computing patterns for the Cloud
• Business Applications:
o Consider how the solution addresses (potential) ethical, social and legal issues
o Practice self-reflecting and critiquing case studies
o Practice persuasive writing skills 
o Practice negotiation skills 
o Practice presentation skills

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

To be able to describe and discuss:

• The strategic importance of technology enabled business processes and how these contribute to sustainable
competitive advantage
• How to monitor technology related market trends and research and collect competitive intelligence
• Own employers’ business objectives and strategy, its position in the market and how own employer adds value
to its client through the services and /or products they provide
• Design and develop technology roadmaps, implementation strategies and transformation plans focused on digital
technologies to achieve improved productivity, functionality and end user experience in an area of technology
specialism
• The rationale for software platform and solution development, including the organisational context
• The various inputs, statements of requirements, security considerations and constraints that guide solution
architecture and the development of logical and physical systems' designs
• The approaches used to modularise the internal structure of an application and describe the structure and
behaviour of applications used in a business, with a focus on how they interact with each other and with
business users

Intended Skill Outcomes

To be able to:

• Identify, document, review and design complex IT enabled business processes that define a set of activities
that will accomplish specific organizational goals and provides a systematic approach to improving processes
• Appraise and reflect on the opportunities and challenges associated with building a dynamic digital
capability in an organisation
• Develop and deliver management level presentation which resonate with senior stakeholders, both business and
technical
• Develop and communicate a compelling management proposal to support the investment in technology driven
change that aligns with an organisation’s business strategy
• Professionally present digital and technology solution specialism plans and solutions in a well-structured
business report
• Be competent at negotiating and closing techniques in a range of interactions and engagements, both with
senior internal and external stakeholders
• Develop and deliver, distributed or semi-complex software solutions that are scalable and which deliver
innovative user experiences and journeys that encompass cross-functional teams, platforms and technologies
• Apply broader technical knowledge combined with an understanding of the business context, and how it is
changing, to deliver to the company’s business strategy
• Demonstrate self-direction and originality in solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and
implementing digital and technology solutions specialist tasks at a professional level
• Architect, build and support leading edge concurrent software platforms that are performant to industry
standards and deliver responsive solutions with good test coverage
• Drive the technology decision-making and development process for projects of varying scales, considering
current technologies including DevOps and Cloud Computing, and evaluate different technology design and
implementation options making reasoned proposals and recommendations.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

This module will apply the tenets of Project Based Learning (PBL) whereby apprentices are presented with a challenge that requires apprentices to produce a product or report in response to the challenge. Each week there will be opportunity for learning materials at self-pace, synchronously with an instructor, and in the workplace.

Self-Paced Online includes
• Lecture materials to help structure and guide the project work and link theories and concepts of emerging
technologies and innovations in management
• Opportunities to practice skills
• Asynchronous class discussions Synchronous includes:
• Instructor led discussions, that may include guest lecturers
• Lab sessions to undertake practical activities
• Scheduled drop-in surgeries for technical issues Workplace:
• Identifying a workplace challenge
• Working on solving the challenge in workplace

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Now that apprentices are in their final semester of becoming Software Engineers, they are ready to focus on innovation within their workplace. In this module they will produce a summative report analysing and evaluating the applicability of an emerging technology within the context of their workplace They will also produce a lab report based on a practical that develops and tests the apprentices’ ability to design and implement a dockerized cloud application.

Other activities that exist to support mastery of learning, but not formatively assessed, include weekly PiP sessions, and skills practice in the workplace. These sessions allow the instructor to meet with groups regularly for a status update on their work towards their final project, help address issues, and provide feedback. In addition to this, they are an opportunity to learn from researchers, practitioners through seminars and activities that build apprentices interpersonal skills.

This apprenticeship recognises that not all learning can be mastered in one day, therefore there is time allocated for practicing skills, meaning apprentices can transfer their knowledge and skill into the workplace. These opportunities need to be identified during tripartite meetings with the apprentice every three months, their manager, and the skills coach. These events are then documented in another platform (APTEM) which members of the tripartite conversation can access.

General Notes

N/A