Biz/ed Internet resources and Internet for Business Studies

Two easy ways to boost Internet Skills for BTEC Business

INTRODUCTION:

BTEC Business units are resource intensive. Students new to such courses need support and training in how to access resources to demonstrate evidence of learning. There is often little time to deliver this effectively, especially on parttime BTEC courses where time is precious. This article will describe two free Internet services that can help educators and students to get more out of the Internet and teach them valuable skills which can be later transferred to the workplace.

INTERNET FOR BUSINESS STUDIES:

This is part of the Virtual Training Suite, (VTS) an e-literacy tool and range of tutorials funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), which can help students develop their Internet information literacy. It was written by Andy Hargrave and Kate Sharp, from Biz/ed. Students are shown key sites for business studies, how to search the Internet, how to evaluate sites and how to reflect on this knowledge. The tutorial is flexible and can be completed in one go or bit by bit. Most importantly, it teaches students how to take a critical view of what is on the Internet something that is often neglected! Further information is available on the 'Teaching Pack' section of the site, where you can find an overview of the Virtual Training Suite, case studies of usage, guidance, and printable worksheets for students.

BIZ/ED INTERNET RESOURCES:

Although Google is an amazingly successful and widely used tool, sometimes students benefit from a structured directory of quality-checked sites. Biz/ed can offer this. This useful resource consists of a catalogue of over 4,500 Web sites and is constantly evolving. Sites are selected by qualified information specialists and have short descriptions. Both business and economics are covered.

The sites are arranged in a browseable directory with main and sub-headings, for example Accounting, Human Resources or Marketing. Select a heading and you are taken to the list of sites, which can be viewed in alphabetical order or by resource type, eg. Journals, News or Organisations. The catalogue can also be searched using keywords.

BTEC CORE UNITS:

This example takes two core units to highlight how Biz/ed Internet Resources might be used.

Business and Management unit:

Task: Students need to find material on management theories and on actual companies.

Browse some Management sections of Internet Resources...e.g. Management, Human Resources, Company Information, Management Theories.

Useful sites listed in these Sections include OnePine; it explains concepts such as leadership and features key thinkers such as Maslow and Hofstede,

http://www.onepine.info/ content.htm

The Belbin Web site is easy to use and has a good summary of Belbin's team roles.

http://www.belbin.com/ frames.html

The CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) site has sections about employee relations, performance management, recruitment and more, providing students with accessible reference materials

http://www.cipd.co.uk/ default.cipd

The Decision Support Tools site from University of Cambridge offers examples of key tools such as SWOT analysis, benchmarking, and the marketing mix.

http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/ dstools/

Another approach in finding materials is to use keyword searches such as "leadership", "management skills", or "motivation". This will produce a range of useful sites.

Business Enterprise unit:

Task: Investigate entrepreneurship and small businesses. Find information on larger companies and their performance.

Recommended sections of Internet Resources to browse: Entrepreneurship, Company Information, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Useful individual sites listed are Business Link

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/ bdotg/action/home

Real Deal (from Channel 4)

http://www.channel4.com/life/ microsites/R/realdeal/

Starting a Business in Britain, which cover start-ups and business planning

http://www.startingabusinessin britain.com/index.htm

Some major company sites are listed where students can find annual reports, organisation charts and other information. Online directories such as Kellysearch or Yellowpages.com can be a great resource, especially when paper library copies are missing!

Suggested keywords for searching are: "annual report", "business trends", "company directory" and "brands".

Tip: Check Internet Resources before you set students an assignment, in order to give them some guidance in searching for a particular subject. There should be a good number of relevant sites for use in the above two units.

This article has given readers a brief taste of what VTS Internet for Business Studies and Biz/ed's Internet Resources can offer students of BTEC Business. The Biz/ed and SOSIG services welcome feedback from educators. Please contact us at

http://www.bized.ac.uk/ talkback/talkhome2. htm

or at

Angela.Jovce@bristol.ac.uk

Copyright Economics and Business Education Association Spring 2005
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