AVIATION TECHNOLOGY AND E-COMMERCE - 2022/3

Module Overview

This module aims to introduce students to the core principles of e-commerce and its application to the air transport industry. Information and communication technology is rapidly changing the way airlines/airports interact with consumers. Technological evolution continues apace and marketers are seeking to exploit it in new, creative ways. This module provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the contextual, strategic and operational issues involved in the application of technology to the air transport industry.

Module provider

Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

O'CONNELL Frankie (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Fundamental concepts of e-commerce


• e-commerce objectives and business models


• e-commerce technology infrastructure


• Innovations and disruptive technologies


• Digital marketing & social media


• IATA’s New Distribution Capabilities (NDC)


• E-commerce platform for airports


• Understanding online buyer behaviour


• Evaluating digital channel performance


• Analysis, design, and implementation of e-commerce to the airline industry


• Analysis, design, and implementation of e-commerce to the airport industry


• Emerging technologies and future prospects

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Group presentation will be replaced by an individual assignment on the presentation topic of 2000 words.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is aimed at giving students the opportunity to gradually build up their knowledge and understanding of fundamental issues in aviation e-commerce and is designed to allow students to evidence their achievement of the learning outcomes. The assessment comprises an individual assignment and a group presentation.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

As part of the first assessment component (i.e., the individual assignment), students are examined based on critically reviewing the literature, theories and techniques related to aviation e-commerce.  This report has a target length of 2000 words.

For the second assessment (i.e., the group presentation) students will be working as a group to solve a practical e-commerce issue faced by a company in the air transport industry.

Formative assessment and feedback

During the first seminar, the assignments and the feedback process is explained

Feedback is also provided during and after in-class discussions

As the seminars are built around topic-specific group exercises, students do not only benefit from lecture’s feedback but also receive peer evaluations

A pre-assignment feedback session is an integral part of this module. During this session, students work in groups on a task which reflects the report requirements and receive feedback on their work

Further, as part of the formative feedback, students are provided with good and bad practice examples and in group discussion will discuss the key components of good reports and less good reports

In the first lecture after submission, students are provided with initial feedback on what went well and not so well, hence outlining key learning issues deriving from the assignment

Once marking is completed, students are able to access a report online which contains detailed generic feedback as well as a breakdown of marks. This enables students to assess their own performance compared to their peer students

Summative feedback

For the first assessment, students receive written feedback together with their returned reports. Apart from comments on the scripts, a formal sheet outlines students’ strengths, areas for improvements and suggestions on how to improve students’ performance for other assignments.

A post-assignment feedback session is designed to help students to fully understand the feedback given.

Module aims

• provide students with a comprehensive view of the technological, strategic and operational issues of e-commerce and their application to the air transport industry
• develop students' ability to design effective online communication strategies and evaluate business’s e-commerce performance in the air transport industry

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to provide a framework of contemporary knowledge and theories supported by examples from industry. The current issues and debates will be highlighted so that the students are able to apply critical thinking to the literature. The teaching and learning methods are based on a series of lectures and, where appropriate case studies and guest lectures.

The learning and teaching methods include:

Lectures (2 hours x 11 sessions)

Seminars and/or class discussion (1 hours x 11 sessions)

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM332

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2022/3 academic year.