Entrepreneurship and E-commerce
7,5 credits

General information

The course is offered as a freestanding course by a number of higher education institutions in international cooperation. The course is taught online with a few scheduled meetings through Adobe Connect. The language of instruction is English.

Level of study

G1N First cycle, has only upper-secondary level entry requirements

Entry requirements

Aim

The aim of the course is to enable students to develop knowledge of entrepreneurship and business models within e-commerce and virtual environments. A further aim is to enable students to develop the ability to start e-commerce companies and cooperate in a virtual and international environment.

Content

• Feasible models for e-commerce
• The process from idea to a sustainable business concept and a complete business plan for an e-commerce company
• Conditions and characteristics of e-commerce companies
• Tools to devise a personal business model and a strategy to run an online company
• Virtual and international collaborations

Intended learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the course, students shall be able to

• account for basic properties, concepts and challenges of e-commerce (1)
• account for and describe different business models connected to e-commerce from the perspective of sustainability (2)
• account for the ways in which social media can be used by e-commerce companies (3)

Competence and skills
On completion of the course, students shall be able to

• use online technology to collaborate in virtual teams and projects (4)
• devise and present an e-commerce business model based on a developed business idea (5)
• account for and reflect on experiences of virtual teams and international collaborations (6)

Judgement and approach
On completion of the course, students shall be able to

• critically assess different business ideas and business models for e-commerce companies (9)

Implementation

The course is taught entirely online through collaboration between higher education institutions in Germany and Indonesia, among others. It uses a specifically designed website, different Web2.0 tools (such as Google Docs) and conference tools (such as Adobe Connect). The website will provide teaching in the form of e-lectures, video meetings, individual and group assignments and blogs. During the course, the students will be able to develop a business idea within e-commerce and an associated business model. The project will be conducted in virtual teams with students from universities in other countries. Students are expected to have access to a computer with internet connection.

The course consists of three components:

Introduction The conditions for implementing the course and a few basic concepts are introduced.

International component – Net Economy The component is the international element of the course on entrepreneurship and e-commerce. It is the major part of the course.

Concluding reflection The different strands of the course are tied together and the students are expected to reflect on the course content and their experiences of participating in the introduction and international component.

Examination – tests and forms

Assessment 1 (1,0 credit) Entrepreneurship and e-commerce. Individual online test. Assessment of learning outcomes 1–3. The available grades are Pass or Fail.

Assessment 2 (2.5 credits) Net Economy, team. Continuous written reports of group assignments and a final written and oral report of a business development project. Assessment of learning outcomes 1–5 and 7. The available grades are Pass with Distinction, Pass or Fail.

Assessment 3 (2.5 credits) Net Economy, individual. Report of individual written assignments through virtual tools. Assessment of learning outcomes 4, 6 and 7. The available grades are Pass with Distinction, Pass or Fail.

Assessment 4 (1.5 credits) Concluding reflection. Written reports of individual assignments. Assessment of learning outcome 6. The available grades are Pass with Distinction, Pass or Fail.

The available grades are Pass with Distinction, Pass or Fail. For a grade of Pass on the whole course, students must have been awarded at least the grade of Pass on all assessments. For a grade of Pass with Distinction on the whole course, students must also have been awarded the grade of Pass with Distinction on assessments 2, 3 and 4.

Students are entitled to no more than one examination per semester for assessments 2 and 3. The limitation is due to the fact that the assessments concern the course component Net Economy which is an international collaboration between a number of higher education partners during a limited period of time. Therefore a re-sit cannot be provided until the next time the course and collaboration takes place.

Not commenced or incomplete participation in the course component Net Economy:

Two rules are required for the international collaboration in the course component Net Economy to work:

a) To be admitted to the course component Net Economy, students must register on a specified international course platform according to the instructions and deadline stated at the start of the course. If a student fails to meet the deadline, he or she will not be admitted to the international component and will not be able to complete the course.

b) The course component Net Economy includes close student cooperation in teams/groups of students from different partner universities. If a student is evidently inactive in the work of the team/group, he or she may be excluded from the course component Net Economy and will not be allowed to take assessments 2 and 3.

If a student is not admitted (a) or excluded (b) from the course component Net Economy, he or she may re-register on the course the next time it is offered. The student will then have the opportunity to include the assignments or parts of the assessment that were completed before being excluded from course.

The Kristianstad University rules on examination are available at www.hkr.se/student.

Course evaluation

A course evaluation will be carried out in accordance with Kristianstad University guidelines.

Decision

Approved by The Education Board for Health and Society 2016-01-22. Valid from 2016-10-03. Discontinued 2024-04-14.

Transitional rules

A student admitted in accordance with this syllabus is entitled to be assessed according to the terms set down in it one (1) year after it has ceased to apply, i.e. when it has been replaced by a new one or the course has been discontinued. A student who has not passed the course within one year of the date when the syllabus ceased to apply can, within another two years and subject to approval by the examiner, be offered further examination opportunities in accordance with a course syllabus deemed very similar to that of the discontinued course. However, the examination opportunities offered must only involve a marginal increase in the resources used. Subsequently, the student can only receive a certificate of passed course components