Reflecting on the module

The BEMM129 module has been a unique and insightful module – one that has been far different from any module I have taken throughout my whole time at university. This final blog post looks reflectively at the module and what it has made me think about and how it has helped my learning for future professional development.

The topics covered throughout this module have been interesting in the sense they are extremely relevant for life at the moment during lockdown due to the coronavirus. I am not sure any of us could have precited their relevance for the current times. The first week of the module was based around AI and its usefulness in society. The forcing of non-essential shops to shut in the UK and around the world has meant that stores that rely on their physical outlet to make money have gone under. Whilst those that are able to carry on business-as-usual online are able to keep above water during this time.

Screenshot of my technology comment on MOOC

The recent coronavirus outbreak has led me to think further about the digital economy and the advantages it offers to working practices. People have had to start working from home to prevent the spread of the virus. Fortunately the digital economy has made this much easier – online databases are available wherever you are as long as you have an electronic device and the internet. Business is able to carry on partly as usual. This module has moved in line with the trend towards online learning and working – we have not needed to be anywhere at a particular time. All the work and discussion has taken place online. We have been given autonomy over our time. It has definitely helped me working for all my modules online at home at the moment and I am sure the workplace will increasingly look like this in the future.

This was also interesting in terms of the four-day working week and how this has aimed to alleviate work-life balance. It was intriguing to hear feedback on my comment by another participant on MOOC about the relevance of supply of technology on the enforcement of the four-day working week in companies – a factor I had not previously considered. This was also the case for the contributions made about smart cities. I had not realised there were so many smart cities around the world and how much they varied.