Aims

To achieve confidence in using the emerging Internet technologies in E-Commerce and to provide an understanding of E-Commerce business and revenue models within the E-Business context and E-Consumer (User Experience) demands.

To introduce practical aspects in implementing and managing e-commerce websites and discuss the business and the technological challenges and innovations in E-Commerce.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Teaching is in the form of lectures, case study discussions and teamwork startup assignments.

Active participation during lectures as well as the result of oral and written assignments and examination are the bases for grading.

All teaching material is available on the Virtual Learning website (VISION Blackboard) including, lecture slides, assessment instructions, past exam papers, sample of past Case Studies, suggested reading list and relevant journal articles, books and websites.

Example of Topics (Some of these topics may not be given every year)

1. Overview of Electronic Commerce
2. E-Commerce technologies:
   • Web architectures and Infrastructures (web services and cloud computing)
   • Enterprise Data Management (from centralised (SQL), NoSQL to distributed (blockchain) solutions)
   • Data Analysis and Modelling in E-Commerce
   • Machine Learning, Recommender Systems and Personalisation
   • Implementation of E-Marketing Strategies
   • Security in E-Commerce
   • Smart, AR and IoT technologies in E-Commerce
3. E-Commerce management:
   • Start-ups and Entrepreneurship
   • E-Commerce workflow, merchant transactions and order fulfilment
   • Business and Revenues models
   • Supply Chain Management and Demand Chain Management
   • Cryptocurrency and Digital Payment Systems
   • Business Process Modelling Languages
   • Legal, Ethical and Tax Issues in E-Commerce

• Written exam: 60%   (Four main questions, each of them can be composed by 4-8 smaller questions. Students are requested to answer three main questions only.)
• CW1: Essay Report assignment: 20%
• CW2: Case Study presentation: 20%

Many of the learning outcomes of our course are related to our duty to help students to enhance their interpersonal skills (e.g. learning to make informed judgments, communicate with peers, demonstrate critical reflection and propose solutions.) That is why students can be awarded marks for making contributions in class. More importantly, students get credit for their efforts. For example, when they show they have thought through a solution, even if at the end they couldn’t solve the problem posed by the case study. The goals of our teaching are (1) to encourage students to develop strategies for effectively speaking up in class, asserting their ideas and opinions, enriching others' contributions and; (2) to create a friendly and inspiring environment where students can also learn from each other.

Tip 1: Prepare to contribute by carefully reviewing the syllabus and reading about the topics to be presented in your next lecture. Draft your questions and comments in advance.
Tip 2: If your native language is not English, do not feel worried or intimidated because of your accent or grammar. Even some of our lecturers can have problems expressing their ideas in English. Be considerate with fellow students who are making the effort to participate.

The main course assignment (Case Study/Teamwork Startup) includes the possibility of working with real external e-consumers, implementing technology and competing for a market.

These are two examples of learning outcomes produced by our 2016/2017 students:

• E-Commerce students and "E-Consumers" talking about the collaboration and communication skills they practised and gained by developing a practical cross-disciplinary case study in the 2016-2017 course.
• Heriot-Watt Tandem Scheme, produced by a team of three students (Murlidhar and Husnain from Computer Sciences and, Jean from our MSc IT Business Mgmt.) The students prototyped an E-Commerce solution and obtained a funding of £2,700.00 to developed it into a free service for HWU students wanting to improve their foreign language skills.

An E-Commerce Case Study would get good marks if:

• Share an engaging E-Commerce real-world case and raise a thought-provoking issue.
• Bring to the table the underlying technology and associated situation and crisis that must be faced in real life e-commerce.
• Produce class discussion and the arguing of different points of view, encouraging students to think and take a position.
• While concise, provide plenty of data about technology, character, location, context and strategies of the case being analysed.