The Business department likes to view every challenge as an opportunity and so the switch to online learning has given us lots of great opportunities to explore different areas of the business world as well as opportunities to learn using different resources from that in the physical classroom.
First year students have been researching and learning all about our consumer responsibilities, globalisation and our carbon f
ootprint. Students found a number of items around the home, found out where they were made and calculated how far the items had to travel to get to Ireland. It really brought home how we as consumers can unthinkingly increase our carbon footprint and the damage this does to our environment.
Second year students took the online learning opportunity to study the impact technology has on business. From accounts to communications to transport, technology has totally changed the landscape of the business world in a
short few years. Watching a video on Emirates Airline and their use of technology on a daily basis was a very interesting way of discovering how much one company relies on technology in order to satisfactorily serve its customers
Third year students have been researching current economic indicators and how they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. From rising unemployment figures to a drop in economic growth worldwide, the pandemic has taken its toll on our economy in a very short period of time. Students have researched the effects on various websites from cso.ie to the economist.com. Researching and sourcing specific information is a vital skill that students will use throughout their lives and one th
at online learning has helped them develop.
Transition year students have been continuing with their globalisation website design and creation. They research and add a new section to their website each week ranging from fairtrade to fast fashion and corporate social responsibility. They also had a class on Leaving Cert Business - why it’s a great option for them as one of their Leaving Cert subjects, what’s involved, how it’s taught and a taste of some of the many career opportunities for Business students.
Our fifth and sixth year students have been learning about the many facets involved in managing businesses and also how and why businesses expand. This is also in keeping with the current economic state (we like to keep things current in the Business dept!). We looked at businesses that have expanded their product line to include sanitisers and face masks due to the global pandemic and why it is so important for businesses to be able to diversify as circumstances change. The most successful businesses will always have contingency plans and be versatile.
We, of course, look forward to being able to re enter the physical classroom and expand our discussions and would like to thank the caretaking team for doing a fresh repaint of the Business room while we switched to online learning.