Edexcel: Enterprise week launch for GCSE computer game

Tuesday, 14, Nov 2006 12:00

GCSE and BTEC Business Studies students will have the opportunity to enhance their enterprise skills thanks to the launch of a new computer game - Business Success. Developed by PIXELearning, Business Success, will be officially launched by Edexcel on Thursday 16 November, during Enterprise Week (13 - 19 November 2006).

Business Success is aligned to Edexcel's GCSE Business Studies specification. The game covers a three year life cycle of a product, addressing subjects such as Finance, Marketing, Operations and External Influences. It is a strategy game that will help to get students to look at how they place the different aspects of the subject and form the basis of discussion and learning.

Enterprise opportunities can challenge the most able students, enhance a range of curriculum subjects and drive up standards as part of the school improvement agenda. Ofsted reports that pupils are motivated by enterprise-based learning.

Jerry Jarvis, Edexcel's Managing Director, said: "Enterprise education can help raise aspirations and develop valuable skills for both higher education and employment. Students enjoy being given the autonomy to tackle relevant problems, take responsibility for their own actions, engage in real issues and evaluate the outcomes of their decisions. And Business strongly supports the acquisition of entrepreneurial attributes as an important factor in developing a skilled workforce and a dynamic economy."

Throughout Enterprise Week, students studying Edexcel's Business Studies GCSE will be offered the chance to play the game in a virtual 'league'. The winning student will win an iPod for themselves and a copy of the game for their school. One copy of the game enables teachers to give their students unlimited access for one year.

Ends

For media enquiries, please contact: Amy MacLaren, Media Affairs Manager, on 020 7190 5191 or amy.maclaren@edexcel.org.uk

Notes to editors:

1. Edexcel offers:

· enterprise units within BTEC entry level Skills for Working life

· BTEC L2 preparing for Enterprise Award

· GCSE Pilot in Business has enterprise at its core and the core unit can be taken as a short course.

· Enterprise features in a wide range of GCE, DiDA and BTEC Business courses

· A BTEC qualification for the Graduate Young Enterprise scheme

· Business Success - a computer game for developing enterprise skills amongst GCSE and BTEC Business Studies Students

http://www.edexcel.org.uk/subjects/a-z/business/ri/noticeboard/enterprise.htm

2. Edexcel, a Pearson company, is the UK's largest awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to more than 25,000 schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning here and in over 100 countries worldwide. We deliver 9.4 million exam scripts each year, with 3.8 million marked onscreen in 2006. Our qualifications include GCSE, AS and A Level, GNVQ, NVQ and the BTEC suite of vocational qualifications from entry level to BTEC Higher National Diplomas and Foundation Degrees. www.edexcel.org.uk

3. Business Success simulates the marketing, production and strategy decisions over a product's 3-year life cycle. Users can choose between five exciting products: a 3G mobile phone, an MP3 player, a diamond ring, a laptop or a set of alloy wheels. It has been designed for Level 2 business students, and would suit anyone following a GCSE, Applied GCSE, BTEC First or equivalent qualification.

What Does The User Actually Do?

· Decide which of the 5 products to choose, based upon market research data provided on-screen

· Decide which distribution channel to use. As this could be difficult first-time through, hints are provided as to the best bet, given the product selected.

· Make decisions about where to position the product in the marketplace. Should the strategy be high-feature/high product quality but high price, or cheap and cheerful? All competitor information is provided, plus the unit costs of production.

· Once the game is started, production decisions are needed based on an initial sales forecast provided by the computer. The user can make capacity decisions (new factory) or increase output gradually using overtime.

· Throughout 36 months of game play the user will need to consider pricing issues, product positioning, sales and marketing budgets and keep an eye on stock levels to try and balance production with the levels of demand in the marketplace. (Importantly, there is a button for controlling the speed of play; first-timers will want a gentle pace, but it is great to speed it up once familiarity starts to set in.)

What will Students Learn?

Probably the most important outcome will be fun and enjoyment in a focused, competitive classroom situation. Yet there will also be key academic benefits. The game is about running a whole business, and therefore getting marketing decisions in alignment with production and cash flow. There will also be enrichment of student understanding of these key areas:

Finance (cash flow, profit); Marketing (mix, mapping); Operations (capacity, stock); External Influences (market size & growth, competition)

4. PIXELearning specialises in applying computer game/simulation approaches to business education, vocational and management skills development. Established in 2002 PIXELearning is regarded as a global leader in the emerging Serious Games industry and boast clients both public (Scottish Enterprise and Skillsmart Retail) as well as private organisations such as Coca Cola Enterprises. www.pixelearning.com

5. Enterprise Week 2006 - Make Your Mark - takes place from 13 - 19 November. Visit www.enterpriseweek.org for further details.