NBS8323 : Digital Start-up
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Mr Nick Howey
- Owning School: Newcastle University Business School
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The Internet and related technologies have created a fast pace environment that is underpinned by continuous technological innovations. These innovations give rise to new opportunities that can be exploited in order to create value for all stakeholders in a broad range of sectors and broad range of interest groups.
This module will offer students the opportunity to work on a new digital business idea, that will add value but with real emphasis on working within the framework of the UN SDG's.
In doing so, it will provide the necessary context for the students to identify business opportunities created by Internet and other relevant technologies (e.g. mobile apps) and the mechanisms for exploiting value based on them, value being very broadly defined.
Underpinning the above will be the key aim of developing the individual by reflexive behaviours.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module will cover the following key topics.
• Introduction to the journey….
• Ideation “The Lightbulb”, inspiration of innovation.
• Developing the value proposition, learning
• Market research and Validating your hypothesis, learning, pivoting, learning.
• Developing your business model
• Prototype & Create a MVP – BETA testing
• The global marketplace – The Internet.
• The legal, ethical, and moral obligations of a digital business
• Sustainability and CSR
• The money, Seed funding & Sources of growth funding.
• The people, building your team, finding a co-founder
• The Launch, product to market
Guest speaker(s) will be deployed when available and feasible to do so.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 9 | 1:00 | 9:00 | PIP Lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | Time for students to complete formative and summative coursework and assessments. |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 33:00 | 33:00 | Estimated based on 3 hours per teaching week (not necessarily to do in that week). |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 9 | 1:00 | 9:00 | PIP Seminars - movable furniture and whiteboards |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 19:00 | 19:00 | N/A |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The lectures and seminars will focus on developing student practical knowledge and skills in the lecture sessions developed each week. Small group teaching will allow for dynamic learner interaction, guided by the facilitating member of academic staff.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective log | 2 | M | 50 | Individual reflective journal submitted as a 5 minute self recorded video, with a digital appendix of the weekly reflective journal. |
| Report | 2 | M | 50 | Group Business Model Proposal and Professional Presentation. Max 2000 words for the proposal. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The business proposal (presentation and report) will test the students’ grasps of the practical skills and knowledge necessary to develop an e-commerce plan. Students will need to brainstorm and undertake the necessary research to identify emerging opportunities that could potentially be commercially viable. Then, they will need to search for a business model before developing a business proposal to pursue these accordingly. The reflective log will expect students to reflect on their practice and teamwork and on that of others, identifying strong and weak points and coming up with suitable suggestions to improve their practice in the future. The reflective log will be submitted in the form of a video with the weekly journal as a digital appendix. This will allow for a more personal expose of the reflective learning journey, employing a contemporary digital medium.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NBS8323's Timetable