I recognise that we are living in a world where technology is ever present. We also teach a generation of students who have been brought up on using technology and want to use it in the classroom. As a result, ICT is a valuable resource that I incorporate frequently into my Business Studies lessons. I deliver creative and innovative ICT because it provides a rich and flexible learner-centred environment in which students can experiment and take risks when developing new understanding. ICT also enables students to work more productively and creatively, collaborate more effectively, gather and evaluate information efficiently and share their knowledge with others, locally and globally.
There are a number of ways ICT can be incorporated in the Business Studies classroom. This includes:
v PowerPoint presentations to deliver content and then presenting YouTube clips that help bring the content to life. Examples of YouTube clips include: Showing court room cases, promotional activities, TV advertisements and movie clips to highlight product placement.
v Students also use PowerPoint when delivering their own presentations
v Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel and Publisher to present work
v Students have been involved in making animations
v Students can set up links on school’s intranet, websites, Facebook accounts or blogs to share knowledge and understanding of business ideas, concepts and issues
v The internet to complete research projects and online searches
An example of an online search:
The class was Year 10 Commerce. The topic was the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). In order to teach the content, students logged onto the ASX website (www.asx.com.au). They were given time to browse the website and see what information was available. The task was then to complete questions about specific organisations using the information, data and graphs - the graphs in particular also had the ability to reach visual learners. Students had to search about company information, interest rates and investment. Questions included: At what price did Billabong’s share market price close at? What is the Australian dollar compared to the US dollar?
Students also participated in playing the stock market game online. They created a portfolio and competed against students in other schools in Australia and overseas, buying and selling virtual stocks. The challenge of the game is to increase the value of your share portfolio in a set time frame. It was a fun way for students to learn about investing in Australian shares and practice their investment techniques and strategies with zero risk – which allows students to experiment and take risks when developing new understanding. The ASX Game also required communication as students worked in pairs or small groups. The team aspect also encouraged peer-to-peer collaboration and learning. Overall, the stock market game is a hands-on, interactive and fun experience for the students. Furthermore, the ICT supported knowledge-building among students and enabled team members to collaborate, interact and integrate prior knowledge with new understanding.
The ASX website also offers Podcasts and videos for students to listen to. This is a convenient format as watching a podcast can be set for homework and discussion and answering questions about it can occur during the next lesson. The podcasts and videos keep you updated with issues related to the share market investment and you can view the video with the presenter along with the slides.
The ASX website also has great teacher resources – they are for teachers to brush up on their share market knowledge before teaching the students. Resources include PowerPoint presentations and lesson plans.
ICT has made possible new ways of teaching and learning. The ICT technology has allowed me to do things teachers 10 or even 5 years ago could only dream of doing. ICT in Business Studies has opened many doors educationally and provided opportunities to enhance student learning. Using ICT in the classroom can make a teacher more innovative and creative in how they teach the content. It also encourages students to be innovative and creative in how they present their classroom work and assessment tasks. ICT has enabled students to ‘think outside the box’ and try new things. I have been able to use ICT in a really effective manner and importantly it has had great educational benefit for the students. Furthermore, I look forward to continue to use ICT in my future teaching.
