Trinity Business School

Contact Us Trinity Business School
Trinity College
Dublin 2
Ireland

View the contact page for more contact and location information

business@tcd.ie

BUU11552 Foundations for Digital Transformation

(5 ECTS)

Lecturer:

Brian Dempsey

Email: dempseb@tcd.ie

Office Hours: During weekly mentoring sessions (& by appointment if appropriate).

Module Description

Adopting an Organisation Development (OD) perspective on development and change, this module explores the foundations for transformational change triggered by the adoption of digital technologies in small, medium, and large organisations. Drawing on insights from both scholarship and professional practice, it attends to the multiple dimensions of transformational change including context, content, process, and outcomes. The module equips students to shape a Blueprint for Digital Transformation that effectively coordinates and integrates the many facets of change associated with the adoption of new technologies. The module is of particular importance considering the enabling role of digital technologies in transforming the work of private and public sector organisations alike.

Learning and Teaching Approach

The module integrates team-, challenge-, and inquiry-based approaches to learning and development throughout. Working collaboratively and democratically, participants are both co-owners and co-creators of significant parts of the content of the module as they inquire together into the challenge of adopting various digital technologies in organisations. The development of an Individual Reflective Essay and a team-based Blueprint for Digital Transformation are the centre-pieces around which this module has been designed. All learning and development activities provide the necessary scaffolding for this important work.

Each week’s virtual in-class session consists of two components:

  • A mentoring session on pre-assigned academic work and related professional practice work to be completed by all students ahead of class; and
  • A breakout session working in virtual teams on pre-assigned tasks.

Participants with particular needs should liaise directly with the Programme Director and / or Programme Administrator.

Module-Level Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module, participants will have developed the capability to:

  1. Identify and differentiate between a range of approaches to development and change in organisations.
  2. Define the context, content, process, and outcome dimensions of transformational change and illustrate their application in professional practice.
  3. Justify the primacy and demonstrate the practice of a values-led approach to digital transformation and change.
  4. Develop and apply a range of high-level analytical skills in shaping a team-based Blueprint for Digital Transformation.
  5. Articulate the value of reflective practice as a key element of individual and group development.

Required Reading and Preparatory Work 

Seven days prior to each virtual class, a detailed schedule will be issued electronically via Blackboard. The schedule will incorporate pre-class, in-class, and post-class activities. Whilst students will be provided with a range of reading materials throughout the semester via Blackboard, there is no mandatory textbook for this module.

Workload

ACTIVITIES INDICATIVE HOURS

Pre-assigned mandatory reading and related preparatory work to be completed ahead of virtual sessions: 16

Weekly time-tabled virtual sessions: 20

Individual assignment: 14

Team-based assignment: 75

Total 125

Assessment

Assessment consists of an Individual Reflective Essay (40%) and a team-based Blueprint for Digital Transformation (60%). Guidelines in relation to assignment work are presented later in this module outline.

To complete the Individual Reflective Essay, each student must keep a Personal Learning Journal and update it from week to week as the module progresses. To complete the team-based Blueprint for Digital Transformation, teams must create and maintain an e-Portfolio and update it from week to week as the module progresses. Note that high-quality Personal Learning Journals and ePortfolios are of direct value in securing workplace internships (https://gradireland.com/careers-advice/internships/skills-you-can-get-work-placements-and-internships). Further details in relation to Personal Learning Journals and ePortfolios will be provided in our first virtual class as the module commences.

All assignments must be submitted on Turnitin via Blackboard. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. See College Calendar (https://www.tcd.ie/calendar/undergraduate-studies/general-regulations-and-information.pdf#plagiarism) and Programme Handbook re policy on plagiarism.