PE5004 - Innovation

You will learn through a range of interactive on-line learning materials, scheduled on-line workshops at key points in the module, tutor guidance, feedback, and independent directed and self-directed learning. Importantly, you will also learn at work, through reflecting on your experiences and applying your knowledge from the module to your practice in the workplace. The workshops will introduce you to module, assessment and key theories and concepts.

Your learning is supported by a Teaching and Learning Plan, offering guidance on what you should be doing on a week by week basis. This will include engaging with the online learning materials, reading, workplace reflection and preparing for the scheduled online interactive workshops. These are designed to help with the completion of the assessment. Within this plan there are also suggested learning activities, which guide you in your independent learning. These activities allow you to reflect and evaluate your knowledge and skills in this area.

The Teaching and Learning plan will provide several prompts and guidance to support you academically. Support will also include opportunities to gain feedback from workshop tutors and peers through the online discussion board and Blackboard Collaborate.

Your module is supported by an e-learning portal, which houses all the module learning materials, workshop resources, interactive activities, assessment details and various other support facilities which are provided by the University.

In addition, to assist you in developing knowledge, you will have access to the University's library facilities, including extensive electronic resources, eBooks and electronic academic journal articles.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
To develop an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of approaches to innovation and engaging stakeholders in product, process, and service innovation (re)design (ML01)

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
To develop skills to contribute to the innovation process to enhance business performance. (ML02)

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
Develop an understanding of ethical and cultural issues impacting on approaches to innovation for individuals and organisations in a diverse society (ML04)

Formative assessment: As part of the module you will regularly receive feedback on your progress.

Summative assessment: The assessment is designed to develop your skills in the application of various concepts and approaches to innovation to practical scenarios, and also to develop your ability to critically engage with academic research in the area. The assessment will be structured as follows:

• 2,000 word business report on a practical application of innovation approaches to a service, process, or product improvement within your organisation, including analysis of relevant challenges and opportunities, sources of data, and role of stakeholders, concluding with a range of recommendations for implementation. (Worth 100%). This will address MLO1 – MLO2 – MLO4.

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This Innovation module will provide you with the knowledge and skills to understand innovation processes, and opportunities to explore associated real-world practices. Specifically, you will explore theory and concepts around new product, new process, and new service development, diffusion, enablers and barriers, sources of knowledge and data, and approaches to initiating, leading and driving service improvements within organisations. You will also look at the role of varied stakeholders in the innovation process (co-creation), with a particular focus on understanding and delivering creative solutions to stakeholders’ needs (and potential/future needs). Importantly, you will explore the influence and impact of ethical and cultural issues on designing and implementing innovation processes and practices. Ultimately, this will be linked to the impact of innovation on organisation performance.