Business Studies & Economics
Stock Market Challenge supports the teaching of Business Studies and Economics in a real and immersive working environment. The resource demonstrates how the capital and currency markets function, the function of PLCs, the concept of shares and investments, the effect of supply and demand on markets and the impact of news and information on share prices.
Bringing business education to life
The game’s news reports and market data offer a thorough and authentic introduction to businesses and the media. Students learn how events in the news and human behaviour can affect the confidence of investors and determine share and currency prices.
The company narratives within the game offer a good introduction to the business environment and to different sectors of the economy. Students learn how companies within the game are affected by and react to external events.
Practical skills
The game involves managing a portfolio of investments in a time-pressured, competitive environment, which develops practical skills and brings business and investment principles to life in a real and immersive way.
For example, students will have to use risk assessment and risk management skills and apply and develop a strategy for managing risk.
Aspects of the curriculum
Stock Market Challenge helps students learn in practical, immersive way how the capital and currency markets function, the effect of supply and demand on share prices and about public limited companies, what shares are and why companies issue shares.
Students learn the language of the financial markets and the business media. They will see how companies are presented in, and how they try to influence, the media.
Progression
The resource is being used in schools to introduce Year 9 pupils to some of the key elements of the Business Studies GCSE, companies, financial markets and market forces, which may then make them more comfortable about choosing to study the subject in Year 10.
Beyond the resource
Students could be asked to produce a basic financial report for an imaginary client on the management of their fund.
One useful exercise would be to compare the game scenarios with the experience of real-life businesses and the industrial sectors they operate in. For example, researching actual company flotations, mergers and acquisitions and compare them to similar events in the game.
Download the file: Learning Opportunities - Business Studies & Economics
