MN-3526 Spreadsheets and Databases for Business Analysis
Academic Year 2024-25
This booklet contains:
· an introduction to the module
· details of all learning interactions
· details of the core textbooks via the reading list
· information on assessment and feedback, including the coursework brief
· an overview of the entire module
· advice for good academic practice
· Canvas guidance
Module Overview
Introduction
The module provides an overview of the advanced use of spreadsheets and databases for business management and analysis. The use of spreadsheets and databases are key skills for business employers.
Module Delivery
A 1-hour lecture will be delivered each week, immediately followed by a 2-hour seminar. The lectures will provide key information on a particular topic, and the seminars will build upon the lecture materials with practical examples.
Consult your personal timetable for details of dates, times and locations.
Students will be automatically allocated to seminar groups, changes will not normally be permitted. Seminar times may change in the first two weeks of term. Please check Canvas announcements and the timetable data displayed on Publish/mytimetable for regular updates.
Communication
All information related to the module will be conveyed to students via Canvas through the Announcements feature which will also send an e-mail notification to student accounts.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module students should be able to:
• have advanced abilities in spreadsheet design and management
• be trained in the use of macros and visual basic
• have advanced abilities in database design and management
Transferrable Skills
✓ Critical thinking
✓ Analytical skills
✓ Reflection
✓ Written communication
✓ Critical reading
✓ Independent learning
✓ IT skills
✓ Numeracy
✓ Problem solving
Reading Material
Every effort has been made to provide the books and journals featured in the reading list for this module in digital and hard copy format via the library. For more details of the resources available to support your studies please consult the Library Services Guide for Management or watch this short recording by Subject Librarian, Naomi Prady.
The full reading list for this module is available via Canvas
The core textbooks for the module are:
➢ Business Data Analysis using Excel. David Whigham. OUP. 2007
➢ Excel 2016 Formulas. Michael Alexander and Dick Kusleika. Wiley. 2016.
➢ Access 2013 Bible. Michael Alexander and Dick Kusleika. Wiley. 2013
Previous versions of the textbooks are available at reasonable prices – these are not fundamentally different so can be purchased as alternatives.
A core textbook is only a starting point and provides introductory and background information only. Supplemental reading will be identified at each lecture. To achieve high marks in this module students will need to do the background and supplemental reading as well as conduct their own independent research for instance through the reading of academic journals, into the topics identified.
Assessment
The assessment for the module is structured as follows:
• 1 x 100% individual coursework assignment of 1,500 words
Lecture/seminar time will be allocated to coursework preparation/support.
Submission in Welsh
Any written work submitted as part of any assessment or examination may be submitted in Welsh, and that work submitted in Welsh will be treated no less favourably than written work submitted by you in English as part of an assessment or examination. Further information is available via MyUni. This is available to read in Welsh or English.
Canvas – Digital Learning Platform
To ensure that students have everything they need to get the most out of Canvas, the University has produced a comprehensive guide called “Passport to Canvas”, which can be accessed via this Passport to Canvas link.
“Passport to Canvas” will always be available to students, meaning that they can go through the material in one go, or dip in and out of it as required. Students can access the platform. via this Canvas Platform. link or from within the university apps and the MyUni webpages.
Canvas Support is available 24/7 365 days a year in the following ways:
· Canvas Support Hotline
· Canvas Chat
· Report a problem
Students can also access these avenues of support via the Canvas Help icon in the navigation menu on the Canvas Platform. The Canvas Student Guides and Canvas Online Community may also be helpful.
Note on Terminology
For the purpose of all information, regulations and policies associated with Swansea University, we use the terms ‘Module’ and ‘Programme’ when making reference to students’ studies. Modules are discrete educational components of a programme which, when considered collectively, make up the required credit for students to complete each level of a programme.
However, in Canvas, your Digital Learning Platform, the term ‘Modules’ has a different meaning - it is used to describe where all of the learning resources are stored. For this reason, students will see the term ‘Course’ used in Canvas instead, but it means the same as Module (above).
Individual Coursework Assignment
The coursework assessment for this module is one individual assignment worth 100% of the overall module mark.
Coursework Brief
Coursework 1 (100%)
Use of a Microsoft Access database to assist in the creation of an Excel-based report. The assignment will be provided on Canvas at least three weeks ahead of your submission time.
Key Marking criteria will include:
• Procedure: Correctness of the data extraction and the Excel calculations
• Explanation: Quality of the explanations
• Understanding: Demonstration of understanding of the key topics
• Evaluation/analysis: Evidence of independent thinking and critical awareness
• Organisation: Clarity of structure and use of figures
• Writing: Readability and ability to convey ideas concisely and logically
• Overall Quality of Assignment
Submission
Assignment one must be submitted by 2pm on Thursday 10th April 2025 via Turnitin
Students can expect to receive individual feedback on their work via Turnitin usually after 3 weeks from the date of submission.
Please note:
· The maximum file size that can be uploaded is 20mb. If the file is larger than this it is usually because it includes a lot of images – these should either be removed, if possible, or converted to a more efficient format to reduce the file size (e.g. .png or .gif).
· Students should ensure that their student number is part of the title of the filename for the work submitted/uploaded.
· IMPORTANT: Any student submitting an assessment past the published deadline without submitting a request for Extenuating Circumstances (in line with the Extenuating Circumstances Policy) will be deemed to have not submitted, and receive a mark of 0% for the assessment.
Students who are likely to be prevented from meeting the assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances should submit an extenuating circumstances request as soon as possible before the assessment deadline.
Digital Submission of Coursework Instructions for Turnitin Submissions and instructions for the Digital Submission of Media Files via Canvas can be found on the Canvas Module page – Coursework and Submission Information (in the Assessment and Feedback section).
Please direct any assessment submission queries to: [email protected]
Notes on Style. and Word Count
Assignments are a critical part of the learning experience and development for scholars at Swansea University. Practice will pay dividends when it comes to honing your skills in report and essay writing. Students are therefore encouraged to submit the highest quality work they can to reach their maximum potential. Students with concerns about how to present their work can consult with the Module Co-ordinator for guidance in addition to the notes listed below:
The maximum word limit for the assignment (excluding tables, contents page, footnotes, charts, graphs, figures, reference lists but including in-text references) is 1,500 words. The word count must be stated in the assignment cover sheet.
Students are required to adhere to the maximum word limits and should note their final Students are required to adhere to the maximum word limits and should note their final assignment/examination word count in the space provided on the accompanying cover sheet. For assessments which breach the defined parameters, markers will stop marking at the maximum permissible limit. Please note that word counts should not include cover sheets, bibliographical footnotes, or bibliographies.
Students who submit work that is below the word limit will not be penalised. This is because students will not have taken full advantage of the word limit available to them, which in itself may constitute a penalty.
The assignment should be in extended essay format (i.e. use headings/sub-headings). Full academic referencing using the Harvard APA (7th Edition) referencing style. should be used throughout the assignment. The APA Referencing Guide provides guidance on how to reference using the APA style. and this short recording by Subject Librarian, Philippa Price.
To gain higher marks students are required to show analysis and reflection rather than simple description. They should use multiple sources of academic literature to frame. and justify their analysis. All sources should be correctly identified - students are reminded the University enforces strict penalties for plagiarism (up to and including withdrawal from the University).
Correct English spelling and grammar should be used at all times. Students who have been formally diagnosed with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) will be contacted by the Student Information Team and will be supplied with a specific cover sheet.
Video, Audio or other Assessment Types
For some assessments, students may be required to submit a video, audio or other digital media item. The University’s overarching privacy policy advises students that the University will collect photographs and video recordings for the purpose of recording lectures, student assessment and examinations. This processing and storage of this information is lawful as it is necessary for the performance of a contract with the student and will apply to any personal data that we process for the purposes of administering and delivering their course of study.