Award in ICT & Applications for SMEs

The module will provide tools and necessary knowledge and the skill in applying ICT practices which would help grow and manage a business. The module will focus on ICT principles, data analysis and information management for the development of entrepreneurship. The ICT & Applications module seeks to provide students with the skills necessary for an entrepreneur to understand the role of ICT in setting up, building and growing an SME operation. It seeks to identify best practice and provide an overview of current ICT tools and services that are available to entrepreneurs and managers of SMEs to drive the start-up or established organization based on real data. The focus throughout the program is the development and application of what is already available on the market, be it open-source or branded applications and services. The emphasis is on the understanding of the ICT tools, data analysis and then on the identification and use of modern web-based tools for implementation and collaboration.

The module can be split into the following sessions:

1. Introduction for ICT fundamentals
2. The concept of digital literacy
3. Theories of ICT applications
4. Digital instructional material
5. Social media and collaborative tools
6. ICT tools for data collection
7. ICT supported activities
8. GDPR, internet safety and ethics
9. Electronic communication
10. Online tools – services
11. basic statistics
12. ICTs and Innovation

Hours of Total Learning for this module:

• Contact Hours: 42
• Self-Study Hours: 134
• Assessment Hours: 12
• Supervised Placement and Practice Hours: 12
• Total Learning Hours: 200

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:

1. Build Digital environments
2. Plan Digital communication
3. Provide Digital collaboration
4. Use ICT for Problem-solving
5. Use Web applications
6. Use ICT applications for SMEs
7. Create Self-regulated learning skills
8. Use digital applications
9. Apply basic statistical analysis
10. Apply ethical tools
11. Implement apps within the framework of intellectual property rights for digital technology

Each module will be assessed based on the following components:

1. Quality of Contributions in Forums: 20%
   • Evaluation of participation and the quality of insights shared in online discussion forums.
2. Quality of Contributions in Tutorials: 20%
   • Assessment of engagement and contributions during tutorial sessions.
3. Research-Based Assignments: 60%
   • Completion and quality of research-based assignments that demonstrate understanding and application of the course material.

Passing Criteria:

• Students must achieve an aggregate of 50% or higher across the three components to pass each module.

Scholarship Schemes for Maltese residents:

• MySkills Scheme: Malta residents are eligible for up to 80% reimbursement, capped at €5,000, subject to eligibility criteria. International students would be able to apply for the MySkills Scheme once they obtain their Student Temporary Residence Card (TRC). (For individual modules only)
• Get Qualified Scheme ( Scheme available for Maltese residents ) – 70% refund of course fee as a tax rebate