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Biz/ed Virtual Learning Arcade

Andy BeharrellILRT

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Biz/ed

• Based at ILRT at University of Bristol• Funded through collaboration with

various organisations including:• Higher Education funding bodies - JISC• BBC• Nuffield Foundation• Foundation for Management Education• Unilever / Virgin / TUC / Boots / Tesco• Bank of England

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Biz/ed access statistics

Biz/ed Access Statistics Jan 1996 - Jan 2002

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

Jan-

96M

ay Sep

Jan-

97M

ay Sep

Jan-

98M

ay Sep

Jan-

99M

aySep

t

Jan-

00M

aySep

t

Jan-

01M

aySep

t

Jan-

02

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Biz/ed sections

The main sections of the site are:• Internet Catalogue• Data• Company Facts • Learning Materials• Virtual Worlds

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Virtual Worlds

• Virtual Factory (Cameron Balloons)

• Virtual Economy (HM Treasury model)

• Virtual Developing Country (Zambia case study)

• Virtual Learning Arcade (20 economics and business simulations)

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Virtual Economy

An on-line model of the economy based on HM Treasury of the Economy.

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation and produced in partnership with:

• Institute for Fiscal Studies, London• Oxford University• The Macroeconomic Modelling Bureau,

Warwick University

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Virtual Learning Arcade

• Funded under the JISC 5/99 learning and teaching call

• Development of a series of economics and business simulations

• Simulations supported by extensive learning materials

• All models and simulations now available

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VLA models

• Large scale• Labour supply model• Child poverty• London transport simulation

• Small scale (based on spreadsheet models)

• House prices• Firms - costs, break-even, revenue• Markets - house prices, agricultural prices• …………….

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VLA spreadsheet models

• Converted for the Web using a language called Model Master (MM)– MM is a programming language and

compiler– Converts spreadsheets to common structure– Allows for conversion to HTML– Can compile and decompile spreadsheets

into a variety of formats

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VLA learning materials

Learning materials include:• Explanatory theory• ‘Try this’ scenarios and worksheets• Interactive questions• Non-interactive questions• Links to relevant Biz/ed resources

• Glossaries• Internet catalogue etc.

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Biz/ed

http://www.bized.ac.uk

http://www.bized.ac.uk/virtual/vla/

Virtual Learning Arcade