Semester 1 Modules

Design Thinking

Academic: Dr Peter Robbins

Timetable: Every Thursday 9-12:30 for 7 weeks

Module Description

Design Thinking has hit a tipping point with over 60% of Fortune 500 companies using it to drive innovation and unlock growth through NPD. Design Thinking has three operating levels: the first is a mindset, the second is a set of rules or guiding principles and the third is a very practical set of tools. This module will refer to the D-School model but will really focus on the Darden Method of Design Thinking with its four phases: What-is?: What-if?: What wows?: What works?. Students will learn about ethnography; persona’s; design briefs; creativity and ideation and ultimately they will learn the skills to develop a research ready concept or MVP.

This module will be delivered by one of Ireland’s foremost experts in design thinking, Dr Peter Robbins Students will apply the tools of design thinking to the food, drink and horticulture sector.

They will learn the process of designing an attractive proposition which leverages consumer insight in a vivid and compelling way. Design Thinking unlocks the power of consumer insight to find higher ground for innovation, innovation that can command a justify a price premium – rather than simply common ground.

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Personal Leadership

Academic: Dr Melrona Kirrane

Timetable: Every Friday 9-12:30 for 7 weeks

Module Description

1. Personal leadership skills audit

The module begins with the participants carrying out a personal leadership skills audit using a well-established instrument.

2. Introduction and set-up

Two introductory sessions are used to explain how to interpret the audit results, introduce the pedagogic rationale for the module, provide an overview of the main course readings, choose the particular leadership skills that will become the focus of each participant’s action learning exercise and set up the platform for online interaction.

3. The personal leadership skills action-learning exercise

The main activity of the module is the design and execution of the action-learning intervention back in the workplace. The particular leadership skills chosen for this action-learning exercise are selected by the participants based on insights gained from their leadership skills sudit.

4.Sharing the lessons learned

The participants come together for a final classroom session to share the insights from the exercise and what they have learned.

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Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Timetable: Thursday PM

Module Description

The purpose of this module is to allow students to explore the entrepreneurial journey practically and academically. The module will focus on key theories and current trends, which permeate literature and practice, such as social and sustainable entrepreneurship, opportunity recognition, bootstrapping, entrepreneurial resilience and the entrepreneurial mindset. Students will be exposed to multiple styles of learning, and will work with industry and clients on all aspects of the course. Students will devise social/sustainable enterprise concepts and follow the new venture creation process to prepare a business pitch for the venture opportunity. They will also discuss and create case studies based on real companies in the Irish entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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