esade

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

Course Learning Objectives

To achieve the objectives, the course is designed to give students an understanding of the issues associated with conducting a digital business, in both theoretical and applied ways through case studies, in-class discussions, lectures, guest speakers and a group term paper project.
Case Studies. Generally, half of the sessions will be devoted to the analysis and discussion of cases. The case method is one of the most effective pedagogical tools to sharpen your analytical and decision-making skills, as it requires you to be an active participant in decisions. Cases intend to give you practice in assembling data, supporting and discussing decisions. Moreover, the case method provides a vehicle by which to apply theories, concepts, and frameworks that we discuss in class or which you find in the assigned readings. Finally, the discussion constitutes an opportunity to defend your position and to learn from others, by listening to their comments and criticisms. Everything on a "safe environment", where there are low risks when mistakes are made. Classrooms are our training environments to prepare you for business challenges.
Lecture/Discussion. Half of the sessions follows a lecture/discussion format. These sessions are devoted to presentation and discussion of frameworks, concepts and theories that are useful for digital practice. In general, these lectures are strongly linked to what we have discussed previously during case analyses.

The lecture/discussion sessions are often accompanied by assigned readings, which may be articles or class notes. During these sessions I do not 'explain' the readings, therefore sessions do not substitute your reading or vice versa. In general, students' participation in these sessions is not as deep as in the case discussions. However, I do expect that you debate some of the ideas and contribute with your experiences. I also expect from you that you read and study the assigned material prior to class, as this accelerates the pace of the session and make discussions richer. Guest professors or experts might also be invited to these sessions. Sometimes is good to learn from experts' experiences.

What do I expect from you in class

This is a discussion course, so I encourage your active participation. Sharing your experience with the group will enrich all the participants and make the sessions more dynamic.

Laptop/tablets policy. You are not supposed to use your laptop/tablets during case discussions. You have to be 100% focused in the discussions. You may use your laptops/tablets on the lectures/discussion sessions ONLY for academic use. Emailing, facebooking, tweeting, chatting, internet surfing, etc. should NOT be done during classes. Doing these would penalize strongly your grade on class participation.

TA's and myself will be available for group or individual tutorials during the course. If needed, feel free to contact us by email to schedule an appointment.
A learning area will be available in the Intranet. There, you would find instructions for the sessions, communications, bibliography, etc. Please look at it a couple of times a week. Slides of the sessions will also be posted there.

Assessment criteria

30% Case assignment (individual)

20% Class Participation

50% Term paper (group)

Peer Evaluation:
At the end of the course, you will be asked to evaluate the rest of your group members according to their contribution to teamwork (term paper). This grade could either add/subtract or maintain the average grade of the term paper project.

Timetable and sections