Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2007-2008 (archived)

Module BUSI1121: ENTERPRISE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Department: Economics, Finance and Business (Business)

BUSI1121: ENTERPRISE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Type	Open	Level	1	Credits	20	Availability	Available in 2007/08	Module Cap	100.	Location	Durham

Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

None.

Aims

To provide a rigorous approach for students exploring the process of enterprise development.
To assist students to acquire and demonstrate factual and conceptual knowledge and understanding within the field of enterprise development and to be able to apply appropriate terminology effectively.
To assist students in generating and validating a business idea.
To enable students to acquire and demonstrate a range of skills, behaviours and attitudes and provide motivation and confidence through exploring self-employment.
To help students develop self-awareness of the technical and business abilities they need to develop and survive in business.
To explore opportunities for students to use their skills and ideas to meet the needs of the local/regional community as a business.
To work closely and co-operatively with individuals, companies and organisations from relevant internal and external networks.

Content

Raising awareness of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship.
Generating and validating a business idea.
Checking the requisite abilities to run a business.
Deciding how to acquire resources and premises.
Calculating the financial requirements to launch the business and keep it going.
Deciding upon appropriate marketing and selling techniques.
Considering appropriate quality standards.
Developing appropriate customer care strategies.
Researching what legal and other regulatory requirements will affect the business.
Developing a business plan.
Assessing and appraising relevant networks.
Developing an awareness of ethical considerations.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

To have developed an awareness of networks and stakeholders.
To have developed an appreciation of ethical considerations in setting up and running a business.

Subject-specific Skills:

To be able to work collaboratively to develop a workable business idea.
To be able to validate a business idea and potential market (through market research).
To be able to assess what resources are required to develop a business idea, and where they can be obtained.
To be able to estimate the financial performance of the business, and forecast what might happen once the business is up and running.
To be able to develop strategies to cope with risk and uncertainty.
To be able to produce a business plan for an appropriate audience.
To be able to make preparations to start the business.

Key Skills:

To have an understanding and appreciation of their own skills, behaviours and attitudes.
To be able to work effectively with others.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

The module will be delivered via a blended learning approach, combining managed learning environment technologies with face to face delivery. The aim is to create an integrated, coherent, practical and engaging learning experience. It combines the use of method and media to suit the learning outcomes and to appeal to undergraduates with different learning styles and time/location constraints. Critically, it tracks and reports all individual and group-based activity and incorporates automated assessment (formative and summative) where appropriate. Every student will have an individual online portfolio and shared access to a group area for collaborative team working.
The assessment of the module is in three parts to ensure that all the learning outcomes are addressed: the multiple choice exam and individual written assignment test knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, and the group business plan tests acquisition of the subject-specific skills and key skills.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Lectures	10	Throughout module	1 hour	10
Online tutorials	N/A	Continuously available throughout module	3 hours per week on average	57
Seminars (pre-recorded webcasts to be replayed by students)	5	Throughout module	1 hour	5
Primary research (e.g. to assess the nature of demand and the potential future market for a product or service)	N/A	Throughout module	1 hour per week on average	19
Groupwork	N/A	Throughout module	2 hours per week on average	38
Preparation and Reading				71
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component: In-Class Assessment		Component Weighting: 40%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
In-class assessment	1 hour	100%
Component: Group Business Plan		Component Weighting: 40%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Business plan		62.5%
Digital portfolio comprising primary/secondary research and analysis		25%
Peer assessment of individual contributions		12.5%
Component: Individual Written Assignment		Component Weighting: 20%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Individual written assignment	1500 words (maximum)	100%

Formative Assessment:

A combination of individual and group-based work including: Enterprise Profiling Test; multiple choice tests; individual digital portfolio; group discussion forums; audit reports from the Managed Learning Environment.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University