5CS018 – Cybersecurity Architecture and Operations

By Josef Pullicino

“Cybersecurity is a popular buzzword being used in today’s world of employment and beyond. Companies are getting momentum into getting their products and services online, as part of their digital transformation journey. This significant initiative brings along multiple added services as well as caveats especially from a security point of view and through the ever-increased use of social media.  It’s the norm of the day of receiving promotional emails from unknown or unidentified sources; others are to receive phone calls asking clients for sensitive data such as the bank account details; others would be part of a ransomware exercise where you would be asked to pay a hefty sum of money in order to unlock or recover specific data that might have been stolen before. These are all security realities and range in different shapes and forms, from trojans, phishing emails, to ransomware and dumpster diving with no end in sight for all the possible risks/threats that you might be engaged in the near future.  The cybersecurity Architecture and Operations module provides extensive knowledge and brings awareness to the cybersecurity landscape. It actually goes further beyond this, as it provides the necessary tools for threat modelling and risk management along with the different layers of the OSI model, including low-level networks and physical links. Security vulnerabilities can be exposed at any level so you are required to protect yourself and your company assets at all levels. The module provides different ways to secure the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability triad through the various strategic, tactical and operational strategies. It sets the mindset for identifying the risk, mitigating and controlling it where it matters most as well as protecting yourself from the residual value left after any remediation plans.”

The Cybersecurity Architecture and Operations module is one of the many industry-focused modules included within the BSc (Hons) Cybersecurity programme at STC Higher Education. Designed to provide students with both practical and theoretical knowledge, the course prepares learners to understand modern cybersecurity challenges and develop the skills needed to protect digital systems and information.

To learn more about the programme and explore the full course structure, visit: BSc (Hons) Cybersecurity

 

6MK014 – The Digital Marketing Consultant

By Anthony Padovani

The importance of marketing in a dynamic business environment has evolved from the use of traditional channels of communication such as TV, Radio and Newspapers to the digital realm such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many others. Engaging with customers in order to build brand awareness and promote products and services requires that organizations reach out to such digital locations more commonly known as digital social platforms and social media. This module will enable students to understand how freelance digital marketing consultants make optimal use of social media, digital marketing tools and search engines in targeting and communicating with consumers. Organizations need to engage digital marketing consultants who are able to increase their website’s visibility based on reliable data extracted from digital marketing analytical tools.    The digital marketing knowledge, skills and competencies students gain in this unit will enable them to provide organizations with digital marketing consultancy services such as the use of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques, Keyword Research methods, Search Engine Marketing applications as well as Content Marketing. This unit provides a hands-on approach in furnishing students with the digital marketing capabilities that business owners look for in consultants entrusted with responsibilities relating to Strategic Digital Campaign Planning and Management, Social Media Marketing, Digital Analytics, Website Organic Growth, Definition of the Buyer Persona, Freelance Digital Marketing Skills among others.   Any student of business will find this unit of fundamental importance in forming an understanding of the wider picture of the present-day digital relationship and linkages that are found between organizations and their customers. This unit is the starting point for anyone considering becoming a successful digital marketing consultant within practically any field of the industry due to the flexibility and cross-industry applicability of digital marketing tools and techniques explored in this unit.

6MG001 – Organisation Behaviour

By Corinne Fenech

Have you ever considered organisations as simply a group of people who come together to achieve particular goals? Think about it, they are. But the wonder is that people achieve together much more than the sum of what individuals can accomplish on their own. People come together and form organisations for all sorts of goals, from manufacturing toys to manufacturing weapons, from giving joy rides to tourists to offering meals to the homeless and the possibilities are endless. Ranging from global organisations to individual entrepreneurs they all form part of one gigantic network which makes the world go round.  Organisational Behaviour questions how people come together, what makes them work together and what makes them fall out of love with what they do. Think of it as one big funnel starting with the broader subjects and filtering down to what makes us unique individuals. Together we explore the interconnections from the broader environment, to organisational culture, to how teams operate and onto individual differences. We debate how organisations operate as part of the gigantic network, how they influence and are influenced by each other and their responsibilities towards the society which allows them to operate. We explore, question, and discuss subjects which really matter like; can we make people want to come to work? And should we? What forces of power are at play in organisations? How do individuals fit in organisations? And most importantly who do I want to be and what will be my impact? During our weeks together we discuss all this and much more.  If you would like to join in on this course, come prepared to share your opinions in an environment where no idea is too stupid to be discussed and to be open to forming new opinions based on academic teachings and real-life examples.
I find this subject fascinating. Don’t you?

Office Solutions Development

By Andrew Caruana

Since the early 1990 Microsoft products have become part of every domain. However, few are capable of unlocking their power and magic.  Within the Office Solutions Development module, STC Higher Education students explore this and work towards becoming masters of the Microsoft Office Suite, mainly Word, Excel, and Access.  Within the module, after underlining the main characteristics of application software and End-user software development, students are introduced to more advanced features including Macros and VBA programming.  This gives students incredible capabilities to turn repetitive laborious tasks into automated systems.  Amongst the many advantages, this provides efficiency in the workplace and reduction of human error.  Both academia and the business world alike rely heavily on these products, administration, management, and analytics to mention a few. STC Higher Education, therefore, makes sure that students are adequately prepared for such forms of employment.  Moreover, students are thought how to manipulate data, organise their work and format it in a way they would be proud to put it on their bosses’ desk.  Being such a hands-on subject, Office Solutions Development assesses students through a home assignment.   This presents students with a real-life scenario that brings together the topics delivered during the module’s timeframe in a practical manner.

Software Development Techniques

By Andrew Caruana

The Software Development Techniques module is designed to train students to get to a problem’s solution using the various tools programming languages provide.   This is achieved by discussing the theoretical aspect of the subject and various exercises, which help students build experience and knowledge through reason.  The module’s structure, supported by the consistency of delivery, has helped STC Higher Education students gain great outcomes in past years.  The training methods used throughout the module are Pseudocode and Desk-checking; two techniques that require only pen and paper, rather than any specific programming language.  This helps students grasp the notion of writing code in English and thinking in a logical, rational manner without the complexity of the programming language itself.  Once students master these techniques, they will be able to design code structures that can be translated into most programming languages available today.  Within the classroom some practices such as starting and finishing a topic on the day and allowing at least one hour for guided practice has returned excellent results.  Also, whenever possible, challenge days are set up.  This gives a gamified experience while at the same time contributing to students’ growth.  Prior to embarking on a full fletched programming carrier, STC Higher Education makes sure that its students feel comfortable, confident, and empowered.  For this to be possible an exam is used to assess the students’ abilities and pushes them to achieve their best possible results.

Introduction to programming

By Andrew Caruana

The software development sector has been booming for the past twenty-five years or so and it does not seem like it is going to slow down any time soon. On the contrary.  Here at STC Higher Education, we are confident of this, and make sure that our students too understand the broadness of the possibilities that they are provided with when embarking on such a journey. As part of the foundation course provided in preparation for higher levels of education, the students at STC are introduced to programming using Visual Basic.Net.  Before actual coding is introduced however students will be assisted in installing the required software packages to do the job and are guided through the familiarisation process. From this point onwards the module consists of a balance between theory and practice where students are introduced to topics such as decision making, code repetitions and data structures, first on a console level and then moving on to creating functional Graphical User Interfaces.  During class, students are encouraged to explore the subject and try out their ideas without fear of mistakes or judgment. To consolidate their learning outcomes Introduction to Programming bases its assessment on a home assignment that will provide the students with a case study for the students to solve.  This will allow them to bring together what they learn and experience in class together and give them a sense of achievement when completed successfully.

6MK012 – Marketing & Digital Strategy

By Joanne Fenech

“In essence, digital marketing is the marketing of a product or service through the use of an electronic device or the internet. It’s a phrase for online marketing. Hundreds of thousands of businesses now use digital marketing to reach a big number of people because it is easier—and more cost-effective.  Traditionally, organizations used television, radio, publications, events, and direct mail to reach their target audience. Nowadays, businesses are attempting to attract potential clients through digital platforms as individuals spend more time online. Marketers must be aware at all times of the trending norms and where the people are.  Prior to the rise of digital marketing, few people discussed the customer journey because it was difficult to comprehend and evaluate. A customer would most likely go to a physical store after viewing an advertisement on television or in the newspaper, make a decision, and pay for the product or service inside the store. In digital marketing, however, we can trace every step a customer takes, frequently starting from the time they are prompted to look for a solution or product.  Nowadays, it’s normal for a consumer to view an advertisement online, search and compare costs on several websites, and then go to a store to try the goods or shop online. Customers should be encouraged to follow the organisation’s social media sites. This enables the marketer to evaluate daily their preferences as they scroll through their social media feeds. Keeping people informed is both useful and relevant, as well as providing content that inspires and delights is key. Clients that are more engaged and informed are most likely to buy from your company if they ever need your service or product.

The Wolverhampton module Marketing and Digital Strategy delves into the complexity of a strategic marketing approach that every company requires to build and maintain a competitive edge. It offers an understanding of the external and internal factors that drive strategic decisions and how businesses build and maintain a competitive advantage. Traditional and digital marketing expertise and knowledge are expanded in this subject. A thorough awareness of how products and brands are positioned offline vs online. It will also look at the role of marketing from a strategic standpoint.”

The Marketing and Digital Strategy module is one of the many industry-focused modules included within the BA (Hons) Business Management (Marketing) programme at STC Higher Education. Designed to provide students with both practical and strategic marketing knowledge, the course helps learners understand modern business environments, consumer behaviour, branding, and digital marketing trends.

To learn more about the programme and explore the full course structure, visit: BA (Hons) Business Management (Marketing) Programme

Distributed and Cloud Systems Programming

By Omar Zammit

This module’s main aim is to expose students to cloud technologies used by various companies. During this module, students will learn what distributed systems are and how cloud computing can help organisations to achieve this. Using Java and Python, students will learn how to write programs that will work together on multiple processes on multiple computers. Students will also learn how to configure environments, create and deploy APIs and publish websites using Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure. Apache Spark and Google Cloud are also explored.

Numerical Methods and Concurrency

By Omar Zammit

This module’s main aim is to help students develop skills that are useful in computer science, focusing mainly on analytical and problem-solving skills. Using the C programming language, students will learn how to convert numerical methods into code and how to use concurrency to improve software performance. The concepts discussed during this module are supported by workshops that resemble real work problems, including learning some useful Linux commands, implementing a simple machine learning algorithm and image processing using multithreading.

EOM – Essentials of Management

By Dr Kenneth Grech

The Essentials of Management (EOM) module runs at Level 4 MQF and is part of the Diploma in Business of the National Computing Centre (NCC).  It covers the main principles and functions of management.  Students will be given the essential tools and knowledge of management as a start of their journey into understanding the fundamental requisites for managing businesses and organizations.  A mixed didactic and case-based approach is adopted to provide students with the required skills and expertise on management at this level.  Several management areas are covered, including developing management and leadership strategies and the planning process, decision making, understanding organisations and staff behaviour, managing teams and motivating staff.  Assessment is through a written assignment that links the theory with practice.