From the additional module in Portugal, I am now writing the summary for the last residency and some information about my experience with the Small Network Online Course or, in short, SNOCS.
SNOCS
Relatively at the beginning of the study, we were introduced to so-called SNOC´s. Cooperating universities offer individual courses to which students can apply. For each application, the current CV is required, as well as a small letter of motivation, which can be filled out in the online portal. Depending on the number of places and the qualification of the students, we then receive acceptances or rejections. If you want to have a look at the current courses, please see their Homepage.
In order to avoid clashes with the normal EMBA residences, the EMBA Office samples in advance. This is also extremely helpful, since the offer is nevertheless plentiful.
An important point to mention here is that these courses are completely voluntary. But the big advantage I see is the additional knowledge you can gain through these courses, but also the possibility to make more international contacts. If students have difficulties in obtaining their minimum credits for the master’s degree, it is also helpful.
My SNOCS experience and tips
Since we had the opportunity to apply twice at those courses, I took advantage of this. The first of my courses is (hopefully) successfully completed. I am currently in the second course.
Course selection
Before you even start considering which courses interest you the most, it’s best to look at dates and times. I categorically ruled out a few courses right away because in my time zone they would have been either in the middle of the night or during work hours. Furthermore, you need to be aware that you really need time for the courses. So if you plan to do it on the side, or if you want to go on vacation during that time, it’s best not to apply at all.
So, after some more courses were dropped, I looked at which courses sounded especially interesting to me. You also have to be careful because there are some courses that are already covered by the EMBA program. That means you would more or less just learn the same thing again. Likewise, you should also be aware that for some courses, you may have to pay extra for utensils or software access. However, the courses themselves are without additional fees.
My courses
Strategic Thinking at KOC University, Istanbul
The course involved studying several chapters of a total of three books. Since the books were very interesting anyway, I read them completely. This course was not so much about learning with cases, as one is used to in most EMBA courses. The focus was on working out material on our own and demonstrating it in the form of presentations. The professor always brought additional teaching material.
The course itself was stretched over three months. One complete weekend per month (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and the time in between we could use for preparation. Within that time I had an assignment, an individual presentation, a group presentation, three exams, and some small Kahoot tests. Active participation in class was required. So, you can imagine, there was a lot to do. But my conclusion is that it was absolutely worth it.
The course helped me to better classify my own thoughts, as well as to better understand the statements of others. I especially liked the thinking in models. Sometimes the obvious is not the answer to the question. Models can help you to better analyze the background of events.
Scott Graham – Unsplash
Managing with Digital Technology at UNSW University, Sydney
The second SNOCS course I chose is much more technical. Since I’m only at the beginning of the course, I can’t currently say much about the content here. But what I can say is that after the course you will know terms like SaaS, IaaS, PaaS but also differences between structured and unstructured data.
This course is offered in two variants. Either weekly online meetings or completely asynchronous. Due to the time difference, I opted for the second. However, I still have to adhere to weekly deadlines.
The duration of this course is ten weeks. Grades are based on weekly postings in the forums, an Individual Assignment, a Group Assignment, and one exam.
Residency VII
The seventh residence was also a special one, which is why I would like to say a few words about it now. A few weeks before, we were supposed to choose electives. We had the choice between two subjects each.
Subjects
Design Thinking or Innovation and New Product Development
Managing Business Integrity or Leadership Through Networks
Organizing for Innovation or Strategies of Industrial Champions in Global Markets
Agile Leadership or Digital Business Strategy
I opted for the boldly marked subjects. Before that, you can read through the individual syllabuses and thus become a little more familiar with the subject matter. The preparation material is also listed there. I was not disappointed in these courses either and was able to gain some knowledge. However, it must also be said that one or the other course also had slight overlaps.
Groups
This time our class was divided, the courses all took place in parallel. But the breaks were still simultaneous, so you could always talk to each other about each other’s courses. Another special aspect of this residency were a few guest students from Brazil. The cooperation between the universities gave them the opportunity to take part in this module abroad. For us, of course, it had equally positive aspects, such as making new contacts but also discussions with more global aspects.
Depending on the elective, there was also group work. Since we first had to find our way back into the groups, it was a little unstructured, as in my past group work. But that depended a lot on the group itself.
Closing words
Now it’s time to turn in assignments for some courses, submit a reflection letter on the block week as always, move forward with final work, and prepare for the next module.
Stay tuned – greetings from the additional module in Portugal. Also, about this, more in the future.
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