Virtual Business. Virtual History. Simulations for Education - Virtual Business - Retailing 2.0 - Stories

Virtual Enterprise and Virtual Business…
The same? No! The perfect match? Yes!
Teacher Combines Virtual Worlds
Christine Stroh, Laguna Hills High School, Laguna, CA

Christine Stroh teaches about business plans as part of her entrepreneurship class. Before Christine was introduced to Virtual Business, she would use lecturing and a book to teach the business plan concept. She then would have the students create their own business plans for a business of their choosing. However, she then had a classroom of students asking questions about a multitude of businesses that she could not answer. "We couldn't even get a discussion started about a business plan because everyone had different questions and comments based on the business they were studying. It was absolutely insane," states Christine.

This confusion caused Christine to change the way she taught about business plans. She then discovered the simulated world of Virtual Business. With Virtual Business, her students create a business plan based on Virtual Business. With their business plans in hand and with the help of the Virtual Business simulation. Christine's students are actually able to implement their own business plans. Christine realizes, "Class discussion now focuses on specifics that everyone can understand and relate to. It makes my one hour a day with them productive and fun!"

With the outstanding results witnessed due to simulated learning, Christine was just recently able to incorporate the beneficial teaching tool of Virtual Business into her Virtual Enterprise (VE) program as well. Because Virtual Business is such a thorough program and her students have so much fun with it, Christine knows these two simulations will be the perfect complement for one another. Virtual Business will help enhance the outcomes and benefits that her students will be receiving from the VE program. "As a new VE coordinator, I am planning on using Virtual Business as an introduction to business concepts for my VE program. Through my classroom use of Virtual Business, I know that students will gain an understanding of business and marketing and have an opportunity to apply business concepts in a virtual setting. This overview and knowledge is essential in making a VE company successful. It is a must for any VE program," elaborates Christine. The combination of these two powerful learning tools is bound to have a lasting and informative effect on these students that they will be able to use as a strong foundation for their future endeavors. Not only was Christine's business plan problem solved with Virtual Business, but so many other topics that Christine covers are also addressed. "The students get a working vocabulary, a working knowledge of business and marketing. They get it because it is so visual. They see what is happening and do not depend on a book," explains Christine. A student teacher in Christine's class also realizes the valuable versatility this simulation is capable of. "You can pick and choose the parts that you want to use. I even use it in my business math class," states the student teacher.