BM9502 - Tools and Techniques for Data Analytics

You will be supported by a teaching and learning plan (TLP) which outlines the formal sessions (lectures, webinars and IT workshops), together with tutor-directed study and independent study/reading. You will be provided each week with a one-hour lecture which covers various theoretical concepts relating to business statistics and analytical tools supported through reference and demonstration of appropriate IT applications. These lectures will be followed by a supporting 2-hour IT workshop and guest lectures where possible where you will gain practical, hands-on experience in using contemporary business analytics applications.

Workshops and assignments in this module are designed to encourage you to develop your oral communication, written presentation skills, and your effectiveness in group situations. Furthermore, structured activities will be used in this module to develop independent learning skills. All the teaching and learning materials in addition to assignment and assessment tools are developed by the use of the Blackboard course management system. The assignment requirements of this module will expect you to engage with a wide range of scholarly sources to evaluate the effectiveness and currency of these analytics applications and subsequently, you will communicate this through your assessment by presentation followed by written format. Independent learning will centre upon you identifying and pursuing areas of interest in relation to Tools and Techniques for Data Analytics and by providing deeper/broader knowledge and understanding of the subject through a range of learning activities that will include extended reading, reflection and research. Critical reflection on knowledge, experience and practice underpins the learning and teaching philosophy along with the explicit development of competence. This module will help you in understanding and conducting business statistics and descriptive data analysis by using specialized software such as IBM Cloud Pak for Data which is a cloud-native solution that enables you to put your data to work quickly and efficiently. It will help you to make the best use of the available data to generate some fundamental and meaningful insights that can help you avoid some potential issues and reach your goals. IBM Cloud Pak for Data will be used to introduce core analytical tools and fundamental aspects of data analysis. You will be provided with the key concepts, tools and methods of data analysis as well as the opportunity to work through different example cases. Furthermore, Cloud Pak for Data will enable you to use cloud systems to connect your data, govern it, find it, and use it for analysis. Cloud Pak for Data also enables all your data users to collaborate from a single, unified interface that supports many services that are designed to work together. Moreover, it fosters productivity by enabling users to find existing data or to request access to data. With modern tools that facilitate analytics and remove barriers to collaboration, users can spend less time finding data and more time using it effectively.

The university is well-placed to support you in learning and research with excellent library and teaching facilities, as well as access to relevant and up-to-date business analytics software. You will have access to industry-standard business analytics software like IBM Cloud Pak for Data supported by additional Blackboard materials and access to Northumbria University’s library and databases. Furthermore, you will be supported by the module tutor in addition to various subject experts. Our expert staff will deliver lectures, workshops and seminars relevant to their areas of expertise. Workshops and seminars will be in small groups so that there is ample opportunity for exploring the issues raised in detail. Moreover, academic content and delivery will be enhanced through the opportunity for guest practitioner expert input.
In addition, you will be supported at a programme level by an induction programme to introduce you to the University and the BSc programme. Each of you will also be assigned a personal tutor to provide pastoral support and guidance throughout the programme. Further support is provided to you through the personal tutor sessions embedded into the Leadership and Management Development module, and a module teaching and learning plan detailing the delivery structure and University requirements. An interactive approach to lecture sessions will draw upon the directed learning undertaken and participants’ own experiences. Throughout, the emphasis will be on high levels of participation, both individually and within small groups or teams. Participants can therefore expect the reflective-practitioner approach to learning to be embedded in all workshop/seminar sessions through undertaking activities which facilitate them to apply theory to ‘real-life’ situations, critically analysing and making recommendations for appropriate ways forward for the organisation/individual. Directed learning will centre upon a range of activities including pre-reading, preparation for interactive activities and use of the discussion board on the e-learning platform. Moreover, the module will have an e-learning portal including all the materials related to this course supported by BB Ultra in addition to an electronic reading list and an academic teaching team led by a designated module tutor.

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:
• Understand a variety of introductory tools and techniques, and their application to data analysis (MLO1)
• Gain knowledge on fundamental approaches in data analytics, alongside practical problem-solving techniques by using specialized software (MLO2)

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• Develop practical skills on how data analytics can support decision making in business contexts (MLO3)
• Gain communication skills to effectively present data analytics findings to professional audiences (ML04)


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• Develop interpersonal skills while working in teams on group work (MLO5)
• Develop an awareness of the cultural and ethical contexts relating to data analytics (MLO6)

Formative assessment will take place through a number of opportunities where formative feedback will be provided throughout the module, particularly in relation to workshop/seminar tasks. However, you should be aware that formative feedback can, and will occur in any communication with an academic tutor. You will be assessed on the basis of your project; testing your ability to formulate, plan and evaluate business research topics, and perform basic data analysis with the presentation, and consequently analyse and interpret data in a link with relevant models of business and management situations. The summative assessment of this module will comprise two components:
• Assignment “A” (weighted 25%): a recorded presentation to analyse the business case and present proposed tools and techniques to address your chosen project.
This assignment will cover MLO3, MLO4, MLO5 and MLO6.
• Assignment “B” (weighted 75%): a 2,500-word report related to your chosen project to apply and critically evaluate different tools and techniques for Data Analytics in business.
This assignment will cover MLO1, MLO2, MLO3 and MLO6.



Summative assessment will take place through the two components of the assignment, as for each component of the assessment there is a respective standard feedback proforma that will indicate how marks are allocated to the work, alongside the annotated comments on the work and overall summary comments. You will be provided with written feedback (electronic) on your performance, which will include any actions to be taken to improve performance.

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The “Tools and Techniques for Data Analytics” module in our BSc (Hons) Business and Analytics programme will prepare you to work with data in the business environment, using data analytics, clouds and business analytics skills. In this course, you will learn how to present business data through reports and dashboards that reveal key data about organisations and different business cases. a cloud-native solution that enables you to put your data to work quickly and efficiently. It will help you to make the best use of available data to generate meaningful insights that can help you avoid problems and reach your goals. Tools and Techniques for Data Analytics work hand-in-hand because analytics turns data into insights that guide intelligent business decisions. You will learn how to discover and create knowledge from data analysis as well as data preparation, data organization and other advanced analytics tools by using and applying specialized software. This course will help you in understanding business analysis, develop your data analysis skills and will qualify you to work in organisations and help them to achieve their digital transformation goals. This module will enable you to integrate the power of IBM cloud systems Data Analytics to make fact-based decisions. Furthermore, it will help you to integrate BI capabilities quickly into existing environments and get decision makers the information they need when they need it.