BUSINESS SKILLS - 2024/5

Module Overview

This module is part one of a first-year skills programme, the content of which has far-reaching implications for the student's future scholarly work and employability (vacation internships, professional training placement).

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

PARCHMENT Ann (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

• Acquisitions of business knowledge


• Research and the assessment of the quality of evidence


• Critical analysis and thinking


• Team building and group work


• Reflective thinking


• Individual and group presentation skills


• Presentations - MS PowerPoint


• Spreadsheets - MS Excel


• Ability to communicate financial information


• Employability - the skills and attitudes employers want


• The personal and professional development process

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

3 minutes individual presentation with individual viva.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the acquisition of the following skills and knowledge:

• A group presentation where each student will speak for 1 minute and responds to individual questions. The assessment will evidence:
  
  
  
  • confident use of basic business information
  
  
  • competence and creativity in group presentations and use of ICT
  
  
  • participation in co-curricular opportunities that help enhance employability
  
  
  • reflective thinking
  
  
  • basic understanding of employability and Personal & Professional Development processes
  
  
  
  


• An individual viva where students respond to individual questions and are able to provide tangible evidence of mastery of the group topic.


• 90 minute excel test
  
  
  
  • understanding and application of Excel for a range of business functions
  
  
  
  

• A group presentation (25%)


• Individual viva (25%)


• A 90 minute MS Excel test undertaken during the semester (50%)

• Students work regularly as individuals and in groups to complete various activities to develop their ICT, oral presentation skills and business knowledge over the course of the module.


• Students who have not attended tutorials for three consecutive weeks and not contributed to their groups will be required to complete the presentation as an individual assignment.


• Students will receive individual and group feedback during the module from the tutor. Peers are also encouraged to provide feedback, collaborate and support each other in their mutual development.


•  Activities culminate in a group presentation utilising PowerPoint slides. Additionally, individual members of the group will be asked questions about the subject of the presentation. Students will receive verbal feedback on their individual and group performance from the tutor.


• Students are provided with the assessment criteria and weighting for each component of the presentation when the presentation assessment is introduced early in the semester. 


• Students receive verbal feedback on the progress of their Excel skills during labs by the Tutor.  Students also complete a mock test in a similar format to the end of module class test which they mark themselves and discuss in class.  This allows them to ‘test’ their Excel skills as well as practise the SurreyLearn submission process that they will be required to use to submit their test.

Module aims

• Develop the transferable skills, attitudes and abilities that will enable students to study successfully and to function effectively in modern society with a specific focus on information communication technology (ICT), teamwork and presentations
• Develop knowledge of business and the presentation of financial information
• Produce competent users of ICT using Excel as an analytical tool

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

To provide students of all abilities the foundation to be agile, connected, human, bold and sustainable in the business world. This teaching strategy enhances employability by using real-world application and theoretical frameworks.

Students are encouraged to:

• assess their current skills (study-related, business, IT and oral presentations),


• identify areas of weakness and strengths,


• take advantage of appropriate learning opportunities within this module’s activities, the wider university and the business world to become sustainable employable graduates


• demonstrate creativity, competence and confidence


• reflect on their progress using feedback from tutors and peers.

• Lectures,
  
  
  
  • Introduce the context within which business operates, its structure and key metrics.
  
  
  • Present the business skills required to be an agile, connected, bold student
  
  
  
  


• Tutorials
  
  
  
  • Development of knowledge about the context in which the real business world operates
  
  
  • Facilitate a learning environment which empowers students to communicate creative thinking to make an impact through collaboration.
  
  
  
  


• PC Labs
  
  
  
  • Develop a basic understanding and competence in MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, group working, self-presentation and reflection
  
  
  • Develop basic understanding of ICT as used in the business world, employability and Personal & Professional Development processes
  
  
  
  


• Guided learning
  
  
  
  • A mixture of group and individual activities which build business knowledge, individual resilience, emotional intelligence and group working skills
  
  
  
  


• Captured content
  
  
  
  • Provision of videos which support the topic of the week
  
  
  
  


• Individual learning


• Supporting material provided on SurreyLearn

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: MAN1091

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 2024/5 academic year.