Electronic
Brokerage Project 2001

Euronetwork

[Project Description] [Aims] [Objectives] [Milestones] [Deliverables] [German Group] [Irish Group] [Support from Industry] [Contact Details]

Description

We live in a world where commerce and communication takes place as easily on local and global scale. This can also be said of school project work. One example of this is the Gladenbach Euronetwork, consisting of partner schools from eleven European countries actively involved in transnational curriculum development. Annually, the network meets and agrees on participation in many different projects. It has been decided to pilot this project for the academic year 2000/2001 with students of Europaschule Gladenbach (Hessen) and Pobalscoil Neasáin (Dublin).

It is evident that more people than at any other time become involved in buying and selling of shares. One of the driving forces behind this is the ease of use allowed by on-line services. To our knowledge, no school group has engaged in a structured project involving students from other European countries in the practical and theoretical impact of technology on share ownership. It is proposed that students would investigate stock exchange structures and operations in their own countries, disseminate this information to their partner schools and collaboratively investigate the globalisation of this enterprise.

Competency in any area consists of three facets: knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is in the development of skill and positive attitudes towards electronic brokerage that we propose all students become engaged in a simulation where they will select and manage a portfolio of stocks.

The simulation should accurately reflect the operation of share transactions, with costs and commissions deducted from each students account as required. The student investor will keep a diary which will record the reasons for each transaction. In this way the student will be encouraged to reflect on each action rather than act in an arbitrary way.

Aims

To develop an awareness and appreciation of how technology will affect our financial services for the 21^st century.

Objectives

Students will prepare a report on main points of their country’s economy and disseminate these to partners in other countries.
Students will acquire skills in reporting results using PowerPoint and designing web pages.
Students will become competent in the use of modern forms of communication such as e-mail and videoconferencing when discussing their investments.
Students will enhance their vocabulary of economic terms in their mother language and one other foreign language.
Students will acquire skills in the interpretation of economic data and charts.
Students will engage in the selling and buying virtual stocks using electronic brokerage systems.
Students will evaluate different portfolio strategies, especially mixing high risk and gilt edge investments.
Students will engage in reflection on the reasons for selling and buying their own stocks.

Milestones

Sept 2001	Classes begin investigating national economies and financial institutions
Oct 2001	Disseminate reports by e-mail and web pages Each student establishes their preferred portfolio of virtual stocks.
Jan 2002	Students publish interim results on the project homepage
April 2002	Final investment results announced.
May 2002	Complete documentation published on web page

Deliverables

The information and reports produced by students will be made available as resource material to all schools through the project web page.
These resources will include:

Guides to the economies and financial services of partner countries.
Guides for teachers wishing to replicate this exercise.
Charting of progress of each students’ portfolio.
Students’ diaries reflecting on decisions made throughout the project.

Support from Industry

Through these exercises it is anticipated that students will have a deeper understanding of their own financial institutions and economy, learn about economies in other countries and be better prepared for further harmonisation and globalisation of financial services which will be evident in their lives. To achieve this regular communication is vital. This can be done by e-mail and videoconferencing, but it is hoped that meetings of participants in both schools could also take place.

It is well documented that the active support of non-education partners plays a significant part in the success of many educational projects. Traditionally all support is publicly acknowledged in disseminated material. Support can come in both technical and financial form.

Technical support might be

The provision of skilled advisors who would meet and instruct students.
The provision of virtual stock exchange accounts.

Financial support could involve the sponsorship of

Preparatory meeting of teachers involved
Travel for bilateral meetings of students to see their partners Stock Exchanges in operation.
Provision of attractive prizes for the winning investors.

Contact Details

	Germany	Ireland
Name:	Eugen Gerst	Pat Seaver
Address	Europaschule Gladenbach Kehlnbacher Str. 2 D 35075 Gladenbach Germany	Pobalscoil Neasáin Baldoyle Dublin 13 Ireland
Webpage	http://www.eurogla.de	http://www.psn.ie
Telefon	+49 (0)6462 9174-11	+353 (0)18063092
Fax	+49 (0)6462 9174-19	+353 (0)18392543
Videoconf.	+49 (0)6462 9174-44	+353 (0)18063080/1
Email	egerst@t-online.de	pat@psn.ie

Electronic Brokerage Project 2001

Euronetwork

Electronic
Brokerage Project 2001