The ability to manage transformative digital technologies is fundamental for IT managers and entrepreneurs alike. This capstone course enables business information systems students to integrate, expand, and apply their capabilities to the phenomenon of digital transformation. Students will develop analytical skills needed to understand the complexity of real-world management and implementation transformative digital technologies. The course will, in equal parts, examine major concepts and theories related to digital transformation and innovation, while simultaneously provide students the opportunity to apply these concepts and theories through case studies and an innovation hackathon.
Sustainable Development Goals - UQ Business School is a proud supporter and Advanced Signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (UN PRME). As part of the largest global collaboration between business schools and the UN, the school emphasises its role in empowering students to drive societal transformation through the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs highlight that a thriving economy relies on a healthy environment, aiming to balance economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection for a sustainable future.
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
4 units of level 2 BISM courses OR 12 units of BInfTech courses
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
BISM7208 or MGTS3208 or MGTS7208
Quota: Minimum of 15 enrolments
For any questions related to course content, materials, assessments, or group formations, please get in touch with BISM3208@business.uq.edu.au.
If you have questions about exam extensions, timetabling conflicts, or other administrative matters, please contact the relevant UQ department.
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email business.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
The course aims to provideﾠBusiness Information Systems students with an understanding of both technical and managerial issues underpinning digital transformation, thereby enabling themﾠto integrate, expand, and apply their knowledge and skills to the phenomenon of digital transformation.
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Presentation |
Emerging Technology: Team presentation
|
10% |
Week 3 - Week 7
Team presentation will be held during class of your assigned week. The slides for the presentation to be submitted 48 hours prior to the start of the seminar during which the presentation will take place. |
| Presentation |
Established Technology: Individual presentation
|
45% |
5/09/2025 4:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation, Product/ Design, Project |
Digital Transformation Hackathon
|
45% |
Presentation During Class Week 12, Written Report Week 13, Fri 4:00 pm |
Week 3 - Week 7
Team presentation will be held during class of your assigned week. The slides for the presentation to be submitted 48 hours prior to the start of the seminar during which the presentation will take place.
Type: Introduction and analysis of an emerging technology
Task Description: The purpose of the team presentation is to build your understanding of how and why technological innovations emerge, and to explore the possible impact emerging technologies (i.e., a radically novel technology whose potential impact is still largely unrealised) can have on businesses and society more broadly. Each team will be assigned to an industry context. Your team’s task is to
Starting in week 3, part of each seminar session will be devoted to the presentations of emerging transformative technologies by the respective teams.
REQUIREMENTS AND FORMAT:
Each team is asked to prepare a presentation of 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of facilitated in-class discussions/Q&A. All members of the team are asked to participate.
The exact timing of your team's presentation depends on the industry assigned in week 1. The slides for the presentation should be sent to the course email address 48 hours prior to the start of the seminar during which the presentation will take place. NOTE: this project cannot be completed individually - it must be completed in a team. The team members must be officially signed on to the same group. You are expected to decide your team membership in week 1 latest, and to submit your list of 5 team members at that time online. Further instructions will be given in the first lecture. Please note: as a courtesy to others, if you decide to withdraw from the course, please inform your team. Teams should start at 5 members so that one member withdrawing will minimise the impact.
Further details will be provided in class.
AI Statement
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Please Note: The presentation will be recorded for marking purposes per UQ Policy.
You do not need to submit any material to the teaching team prior to your presentation.
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
If your team cannot give their presentation on the assigned date, you will need to contact the course coordinator prior to the Seminar.
Your team will be allocated to a specific week, based on the industry context that you select. If your team does not attend class/deliver your presentation during the allocated week, you unfortunately forfeit your opportunity to complete the assignment.
5/09/2025 4:00 pm
Type: Theoretical analysis of an established technology that had a transformative impact on the industry context assigned to you.
As part of the team-formation process in the course, all students and their teams will be assigned to an industry context (i.e., healthcare, retail, etc). This context will also form the foundation for the individual assignment.
Task Description: The purpose of the individual presentation is for you to analyse a technology that can be considered established in your industry, i.e., it has become industry standard or best practice and has been in use for a long time (e.g., 10 years or longer). You will apply one of the theories discussed in weeks 2–4 to explore the impact of your chosen technology on businesses in your industry context. Your task is to
a) select and describe an established technology that has had a transformative impact on your industry in the past (‘what’),
b) discuss how it influenced the industry, and
c) critically analyse, using a (1) theory of your choice, what made (or did not make) this technology successful compared to other technical innovations at the time (‘why’).
Once again, this analysis will require you to draw upon and apply one (1) of the theories previously discussed in class (during weeks 2–4), and to justify why the chosen theory is appropriate.
REQUIREMENTS AND FORMAT:
Each student is asked to prepare a presentation of 10 minutes (including slides), and to record the presentation. In your presentation, you and your slides must be visible throughout.
AI Statement
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submit via Blackboard
You may be able to apply for an extension.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Presentation During Class Week 12,
Written Report Week 13, Fri 4:00 pm
This assessment will be undertaken in teams. NOTE: this project cannot be completed individually - it must be completed in a team. The team members must be officially signed on to the same group.
You are expected to decide your team membership in week 1 latest, and to submit your list of 4 or 5 team members (most teams to be 5) at that time online. Further instructions will be given in the first lecture. Please note: as a courtesy to others, if you decide to withdraw from the course, please inform your team. Teams should start at 5 members so that one member withdrawing will minimise the impact.
Overview:
The third assessment for this course is a group assignment in two parts, both centred around the development of a business model for a transformative digital technology as part of our digital transformation hackathon. The digital transformation hackathon itself will be guided by a theme and overall challenge, to be announced in class in week 8.
Assignment 3 consists of two parts:
- A 10-minute 'hackathon pitch' presentation, delivered in week 12 (worth 20%)
- A 1000-word report demonstrating a synthesis of the 'pitch' presented (25%)
Part 1: Hackathon Pitch
Type: Team presentation
Due Date: Week 12 in class
The purpose of this assignment is to build your ability to create and deliver a convincing narrative summarising the business model and value proposition for a digital technology to a general audience.
Your presentation must demonstrate an in-depth understanding of who the intended customer is, how the value proposition addresses a need, and outline a well-developed solution, including a complete business model. The presentation also needs to cover an explanation of the process with which the team developed the business model, including the results of the data collected and analysed. All teams will present their final ‘pitches’ in week 12.
Each team is asked to prepare a presentation of 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of facilitated in-class discussions/Q&A. All members of the team are asked to participate. Please Note: The presentation will be recorded for marking purposes per UQ Policy.
Part 2: Business Model Report
Type: An in-depth report outlining the results of the ‘Digital Transformation Hackathon’
Due Date: Week 13, Friday at 4:00 pm (AEST)
The purpose of this assignment is to build your ability to create and deliver a narrative summarising the business model and value proposition for a new or emerging transformative technology to a managerial audience. You may think of the report as a document a start-up might submit to an investor seeking funding. The report must demonstrate an in-depth understanding of who the intended customer is, how the value proposition addresses a need, and outline a well-developed solution, including a complete business model canvas with all nine components. The report also needs to cover an explanation of the process with which the team developed the business model, including an overview and results of the data collected and analysed. Teams are also asked to include an analysis of potential competitors/competing technologies. You may draw on and use the theoretical lenses included in the course.
Format:
- Calibri or similar font, 12-point, 1.5 line-spacing, 1-inch margins all around (A4 paper). Minimum 1000 words (with 10% upwards flexibility, total world limit 1100 words (not including references or appendices).
- Report should be submitted online. One team one report. Information on how to submit the report will be provided in class.
PEER EVALUATION:
Generative AI Statement - For all parts of this assessment:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Presentation is due Week 12 During Class. Submit your report through Turnitin under the Blackboard Assessments link.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
If you cannot attend your presentation session in week 12, you must contact the course coordinator prior to the Seminar.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
10% Late Penalty applies to submitted material only. Late submissions are not accepted for in-class presentations. Failure to present at the scheduled time will result in a mark of zero for the presentation portion of this assessment.
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Grades will be allocated according to University-wide standards of criterion-based assessment.
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 |
Seminar |
Introduction to Course and Assessment - (A/Professor Christoph Breidbach)
|
Week 2 |
Seminar |
Theories of Innovation - (A/Professor Christoph Breidbach)
|
Week 3 |
Seminar |
Theories of Technological Competition - (Dr Alex Pudmenzky)
|
Week 4 |
Seminar |
Theories of Adoption - (Dr Alex Pudmenzky)
|
Week 5 |
Seminar |
Digital Transformation and Ethics - (Dr Alex Pudmenzky)
|
Week 6 |
Seminar |
The Innovation Ecosystem - (Dr Alex Pudmenzky)
|
Week 7 |
Seminar |
Business Models - (Dr Alex Pudmenzky)
|
Week 8 |
Seminar |
Digital Transformation Hackathon - Pt. 1 - (A/Professor Christoph Breidbach)
|
Week 9 |
Seminar |
Digital Transformation Hackathon - Pt.2 - (A/Professor Christoph Breidbach)
|
Mid Sem break |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
In-Semester break In-semester break as scheduled by the University. |
Week 10 |
Seminar |
Digital Transformation Hackathon Pt.3 - (A/Professor Christoph Breidbach)
|
Week 11 |
Seminar |
Digital Transformation Hackathon - Pt.4 - (A/Professor Christoph Breidbach)
|
Week 12 |
Seminar |
Digital Transformation Hackathon Pt. 5 - (A/Professor Christoph Breidbach)
|
Week 13 |
Seminar |
Course Review, Q&A and Feedback - (A/Professor Christoph Breidbach)
|
Sustainable Development Goals
This course integrates the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout course learning activities.
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course: