Biz/ed developments

Since the Biz/ed web site was redesigned in October 2002 the Biz/ed team has been interested to find out more about who uses the site. This article follows up on the launch of the new site and shows how students and teachers are making use of some of the new features on offer.

WHO IS USING BIZ/ED?

By tagging each page on the site with relevant information about subject, level, examination board and related information we are now in a better position to target specific resources from Biz/ed's 19,000 + pages to the individual needs of users.

When users choose the criteria that apply to them, they are presented with relevant subject by subject, course by course or topic by topic listings. The listings break down the resources into all their different types. So, for example you can now see all the worksheets we have for 'transport economies' or for 'accounting and finance'.

We have also added listings for AVCE Business, Leisure & Recreation, and Travel & Tourism - unit by unit and board by board.

Via the 'quickjump' box we have been able to record which subjects, levels and exam boards people visiting the site are accessing. This helps us prioritise the subjects for which to create materials in the future. These statistics are pretty basic but interesting to note. Since October 2002 there have been 127487 'quickjumps' made (figures collated 03/02/03). Of these 127487 'quickjumps' the highest percentage was: 23.7% selecting A level, Business Studies, with 16.9% of users choosing A level, Economics and 16.7% of users selecting AVCE, Business Studies. Users can also still access information by browsing the Biz/ed site in the traditional way.

In the three months since the redesign there has been a 60% increase in the number of pages accessed per month. We believe that the implementation of the 'quickjump' box, the redesign and the restructuring of information are directly responsible for this increase.

INTERNET RESOURCES

The Internet Resources section is a great resource for all Biz/ed users. What is it? A catalogue of over 3700 recommended web sites reviewed by Biz/ed, with straightforward Search Tips to help students or teachers find their way around it.

When Biz/ed was recently redesigned, the Internet Resources section was updated to reflect the new look of the site and is now more fully integrated with the rest of the Biz/ed site.

Look at the 'What's New' link in Internet Resources to see which web sites we have just added. We have recently catalogued sites on GCSE Business Studies, German company information, retailing, the Retail Prices Index and virtual learning environments. We constantly update and check the resources. Send us your suggestions for good sites simply click on the 'Add a Resource' link and we will consider the site.

Some popular sites already on Biz/ed include: Banana Link, Gurusonline, UpMyStreet, Onepine, S-Cool, RDN Case Studies and BBC News articles (various). Find them by searching in Internet Resources at:

http://catalogue.bized.ac.uk/

BIZ/ED NEWSLETTERS

The Current Topics section is new to Biz/ed and was launched with the redesign in October 2002. It incorporates the 'In the Know' section that used to house the weekly newsletters. This section has up to date news, a newsfeed, weekly newsletters and a monthly supplement with sample exam questions, case studies and general features.

During academic terms we publish four weekly newsletters introductory and advanced economics and business. Each weekly newsletter has a piece of topical news, related theory, a topic of the week and questions based on the news. There are also printable versions of the newsletters for classroom use. These versions do not have the answers with them! The monthly supplements contain additional case studies and questions with sample mark schemes

OTHER NEWS

We are also adding a great deal to our Company Information section including business profiles, financial data and analysis for a wide range of companies - visit regularly to see this valuable resource grow!

Biz/ed has a new information leaflet available. If you would like copies of these then please email bized-info@bristol.ac.uk with your details.

Kate Sharp, Biz/ed Service Manager and Angela Joyce, Biz/ed Library Research Officer

Copyright Economics and Business Education Association Spring 2003
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