Curriculum Development Council Committee on Applied Learning
Stage 3: Assessment and Moderation
5.5 Self-confidence and self-esteem, such as being
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples (Optional) 5. Values and Attitudes
5.1 Honesty and integrity, such as understanding the
importance of perseverance and transparency
- Understand the critical importance of honesty and integrity in communications that reach and influence a wide range of audiences
- Pursue targets and goals with disciplined application
5.2 Dependability and
Annex C
Applied Learning Curriculum Framework
Focus: Business, Management and Law
Applied Learning – Business, Management and Law
Business, Management and Law are interrelated. There is a focus on creating value through commercial transactions in products and services in business. Both business and law are served through the promotion of strategic and operational practices to ensure efficient and effective outcomes in management. Law involves the regulation of personal, social, commercial and international business relationships and agreements.
In the context of Applied Learning, students taking courses in Business, Management and Law are provided with the opportunities to apply business principles and develop methodical approaches for analysis, problem-solving and decision-making in their daily life. Students acquire the knowledge and skills to establish facts which help them to arrive at evidence-based decisions, taking into account the ethics in creating value (including its cultural, ethnic, social and national dimensions) and the legal environment in business.
They also learn to identify the relationship between opportunity and risk and how to sustain value over time.
Business, Management and Law is a broad area of studies, including business administration, accountancy, financial management/services, entrepreneurial studies, legal studies. Through these contexts, students learn that sound decision making in business involves a holistic approach in utilising knowledge, skills and insights. With the cognitive skills acquired as well as the values and attitudes developed, students are equipped for their further studies, future career and adult life.
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples 1. Career-related Competencies
1.1 Understanding the context of the course within the wider area of studies
1.1.1 Cluster of professions/
trades/industries related to the course
Contexts could include but are not limited to:
- business administration, where students learn about office administration (which may also involve some finance and human resources issues), covering areas such as contract law, general office administration, property management, management accounting and people management
- accountancy, where students learn the language of business, the principles and techniques for financial recording and reporting, planning and budgeting, analysis, and how to competently manage the financial resources of companies
- financial management/services, where financial management students learn about the characteristics and risks of different kinds of retail financial products and regulations of the financial market, the financial planning process and construction of investment portfolios. In financial services, students learn about the role of different intermediaries in the financial market, the nature and process of different kinds of financial transactions, best practices for servicing clients and client relationship management
- business communications, where students learn about the identification of stakeholders and communication strategies for different stakeholder groups, which may cover areas such as business writing and presentation techniques, media relations, image and profile management
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples
- marketing, where students learn how to analyse customer markets (through data management), and how to determine product mix, pricing, promotion, distribution and customer support services
- entrepreneurial studies, where students learn to recognise and act on new value-adding opportunities by providing value-added solutions (including brand building, product development and production, marketing, operations and management, managing people, office administration for small and medium enterprises)
- legal studies, where students understand how the law affects businesses and the individual in sustaining a just society based on equality, rights and responsibilities
1.1.2 Future global and local outlook
- Students learn how rapid technological changes and increasing global competition have moved Hong Kong’s economy up the value-added chain towards higher value-added products/services and a more knowledge-based society, harnessing the attributes of quality, speed and creativity which they experience in daily life
- Students also learn that political and economic alliances narrow the spatial distance between countries and increase the interdependency of different business sectors. Local political, socio-economic and environmental changes can create chain effects on business, and vice versa, for example, the future impact on human capital, financial resource and raw material movement
1.1.3 Beginners’ skill set to facilitate entry to further studies and/or work
Students will be able to:
- identify value-adding opportunities - develop a business case
- identify and assess the legal (regulatory) requirements that businesses commonly
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples face
- apply the principles and techniques of management to maximise and sustain value
- plan, organise, allocate and account for personal and corporate resources
- understand business ethics
- become aware of legal issues related to different professions
- understand and evaluate the interrelationship of political, socio-economic, technological and cultural factors on business, management and law
- analyse a business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats - understand and explore careers in
business, management and law 1.1.4 Foundation knowledge
developed in junior secondary education and Secondary 4
Building upon the foundation acquired in:
- Technology Education, such as strategies and management, information processing and presentation, consumer education
- Personal, Social & Humanities Education, such as resource usage in economic activities, social systems and the meaning of citizenship
- Chinese Language/English Language Education, such as the capability to use language to acquire, apply and communicate knowledge
- Mathematics Education such as number and algebra, measures, shape and space, and data handling
1.1.5 Possible further study and career pathways
business administration
- post-secondary courses in business administration and management, commerce, human resource management
- career development: office manager, administrative assistant, business executive
accountancy
- post-secondary courses in finance and accounting, commerce, business studies,
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples law and taxation
- career development: accountant, auditor, tax assessor, business executive, management consultant
financial management/services
- post-secondary courses in financial and banking studies, economics, actuarial science, investment and risk management, accounting
- career development: financial planner, investment adviser, insurance agent, broker, bank officer, customer service representative, account relationship manager
business communications
- post-secondary courses in business administration, public relations
- career development: public relations officer, brand executive, corporate communications executive
marketing
- post-secondary courses in marketing, global trade
- career development: market research analyst, marketing executive, sales representative
entrepreneurial studies
- post-secondary courses in business administration and management, commerce
- career development: entrepreneur, business executive
legal studies
- post-secondary courses in legal studies, criminal justice and public order, public administration, social sciences
- career development: solicitor, barrister, legal counsel, police officer, law enforcer, paralegal, company secretary
1.1.6 Relations with core
subjects and other elective
enhancing and enriching, e.g.
- while Business, Accounting and Financial
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples
subjects Studies provide students with a macro view of business, Applied Learning courses in accountancy, finance and marketing provide a platform to enhance the breadth and depth of studies in specific fields
cross-fertilisation, e.g.
- the application of concepts from Economics in Applied Learning courses such as accounting and entrepreneurial studies consolidates and reinforces the learning of both subjects
expanding horizons, e.g.
- students specialising in Science or Humanities may broaden their horizons, explore their aptitudes and develop their different intelligences, thereby enhancing their all-round development through enrolling in Applied Learning courses in Business, Management and Law
consolidating and synergising students’
studies, e.g.
- students undertake an in-depth study into a topic/domain of their own choice, which is not limited to the area or any area(s) of Applied Learning, where they have the opportunity to draw upon and integrate the knowledge and skills acquired and developed in their prior learning
1.1.7 Relations with other areas of studies/courses of Applied Learning
Applied Learning courses in Business, Management and Law can be enriched by the knowledge and skills from other areas, and vice versa. For instance,
- the other five areas of studies can supply ideas for creating new value-adding opportunities
- the other areas of studies also provide complementary knowledge and skills, such as the concept of customers orientation from Services, the spirit of innovation from Creative Studies, and logical thinking from Applied Science
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples
1.2 Understanding and interpreting workplace requirements through practising the basic skills in an authentic or near authentic environment
1.2.1 Practice learning within at least one representative domain related to the course
Students are given hands-on experiences in an authentic or near authentic environment to explore at least one activity, product or service in depth. For example,
- in the financial services industries, students can explore products manifesting different levels of financial risk for customers with different profiles.
They should also explore the functions of the regulatory bodies, and the requirements applied to the non-banking financial sector such as insurance or securities, through regulators and self-regulatory bodies
1.2.2 Experiencing workplace requirements through practice
- For example, students of accounting can discuss the role and requirements of an auditor
- Similarly, logistics students can discuss the function and requirements of a freight forwarder in serving the needs of customers
1.2.3 Acquiring the knowledge and skills essential to enable further learning within the area
- Use knowledge acquired and research skills to explore career opportunities in business, management and law
- Communicate effectively in diverse social and business settings
- Use information and communication technology tools for making personal and business decisions
1.2.4 Transferring learning to unfamiliar situations within related domains
- For example, students can be challenged to transfer the skills acquired in marketing to situations in which they are consumers - Similarly, they can apply the critical
thinking and problem-solving skills required by various roles to other roles, e.g. being a business owner to being an employee
- Students should demonstrate the interpersonal, teamwork, and leadership skills needed to function in diverse business settings
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples
1.3 Developing and applying conceptual, practical and reflective skills to demonstrate entrepreneurship and innovation
Through elective studies, case studies, project, etc, some students, with the support of tutors, may be able to demonstrate their learning beyond the level of information, knowledge and skill development to the level of conceptualising and meta-understanding, by drawing upon and integrating their learning across the curriculum and applying it to solve daily problems.
For example, students can apply the knowledge and skills derived from building up an investment portfolio to the creation of their own portfolio of studies. In the process, students:
consider their goals (e.g. what careers they aspire to)
analyse their personal assets (e.g. individual skills and abilities, interests and aptitudes, strengths and weaknesses, and values)
undertake research to identify the skills and education that the careers require
decide how much they can afford to invest in such requirements in terms of time and effort
determine how much risk they are willing to take (e.g. consider what if the outcomes do not turn out as intended because of constraints in capability, resources, or changes in the environment, etc)
solicit guidance and advice; put together the portfolio of studies (e.g.
subject combination, studies pathways, participation in school or community activities, career exploration activities, checklist for building up collection of exemplary classroom work and awards)
test the initial plans; re-evaluate the portfolio and make changes as appropriate
1.3.1 Transferring learning to new environments
- Students can apply their business knowledge and skills to developing value-adding opportunities
- Students test their capacities and capabilities through:
conducting research to explore knowledge and establish facts
identifying opportunities to add value
building up a case
communicating it to the target group
realising and servicing it under anticipated constraints
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples 1.3.2 Demonstrating the
understanding of key issues in a chosen domain, including cultural aspects
(1) Conducting research with a view to exploring knowledge and establishing facts
Students should understand:
- the importance of arriving at conclusions based on established facts when making decisions
- how to locate sources for information and conduct analysis employing basic skills such as drawing questionnaires in conducting interviews
- the distinction between qualitative and quantitative research and the drawbacks of improper samples or biased data (2) Identifying opportunities to add value Students should understand:
- the concept and the importance of adding value and the risks involved
- the ethics in creating value, including the cultural, ethnic, social and national dimensions
- how to sustain value over time (3) Building up a case
Students should understand:
- the importance of maintaining and sustaining resources, whether human, physical or financial, in all environments - the tools to manage financial resources,
and the risks involved in making financial decisions
- the value of planning for sustainability (4) Communicating to the target group Students should understand:
- how to communicate with an audience, the success of which depends on the ability to understand them and be able to get messages and ideas across
(5) Providing quality services Students should understand:
- how to meet the needs of customers - the value and sustainability of customer
satisfaction
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples 1.3.3 Discussing the global and
local environment in that particular domain
Students should be able to explain how changes in society, economy, technology, etc may affect the market, consumer behaviour, the operation of businesses, etc
1.3.4 Suggesting and illustrating opportunities for learning, development, etc related to the course
For example, students can be encouraged to:
- build up a career portfolio in the area of business, management and law
- take an inventory of personal strengths and weaknesses by constructing a personal scorecard
- explore up to three selected career clusters and up to three pathways within these clusters (in terms of the required aptitudes and abilities)
- relate their personal scorecard to these selected career clusters, identifying their roadmap to these career clusters and acquiring the basic knowledge and skills for sustainability in career development
- understand the ever-changing requirements of the workplace, the development trends of the field and the relationship of lifelong learning to career development
Integration of foundation skills, thinking skills, people skills, and values and attitudes through application in the career competencies related to Business, Management and Law
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples (Optional) 2. Foundation Skills
2.1 Communication skills (including languages), such as understanding, developing and communicating ideas and information and interacting with others
- Communicate in a clear, courteous, concise, complete and concrete way, appropriate to the purpose and the audience, through spoken, written and graphic expression, e.g.
communicate in a way that takes account of differences in the background of target audiences
compose business documents that reflect house practices and protocols
research, analyse and prepare oral/written responses in different
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples (Optional) business situations
demonstrate skills in negotiation and compromise, sustaining the commitment to achieving the business goals
2.2 Mathematical skills, such as integrating and applying numerical and spatial concepts and techniques
- Apply mathematical knowledge in analysing, interpreting and presenting data collected from different sources for tasks such as market research
- Calculate and compare budget, cost, profit/loss by different modes of operation
- Analyse statistical data for forecasting 2.3 Information technology
skills, such as using and adapting technologies
- Employ information and communication technology as a tool to gather and
organise information for decision-making and problem-solving
- Employ business applications such as accounting software
- Use the Internet and other information and communication technology equipment to facilitate projects and presentation to customers
3. Thinking Skills 3.1 Problem-solving and
decision-making skills, such as identifying problems and providing appropriate solutions, taking into consideration social,
economic and technological developments
- Identify problems, and master data to make informed decisions in a fast-changing business and social environment
3.2 Analytical skills, such as recognising when and what information is needed,
locating and obtaining it from a range of sources and evaluating, using and sharing it with others
- Review and analyse the effectiveness of different corporate strategies by quantitative and qualitative methods - Compare and contrast the strengths
and weaknesses of particular corporate strategies for specific situations
Curriculum Components Area Specific Examples (Optional) 3.3 Creative thinking skills,
such as visualising consequences, thinking laterally, recognising
opportunities and potential, testing multiple options, and engaging with the artistic, cultural and intellectual work of others
- Generate creative ideas for grasping new business opportunities, such as playing out alternative scenarios of risks and opportunities
- Predict future development trends in business and society from data collected and case studies
- Consciously adopt other cultural perspectives to challenge assumptions and values
3.4 Understanding interdependency and relationships between different areas of studies, societies and civilisations to form regional/global perspectives on social, economic and
technological changes, such as describing patterns, structures and relationships, and making and interpreting predictions
- Understand the impact of globalisation on the local business environment and society
- Understand how business relates to the wider environment shaped by history, culture, politics and geography, and how changes in these factors can generate consequences for businesses and society