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Biz/ed share frequently asked questions

Biz/ed share frequently asked questions.

Biz/ed share Frequently Asked Questions

These frequently asked questions should address most of the common issues with regard to Biz/ed share . Please contact us through our feedback form if you need any further assistance.

Q1 - What is Biz/ed share ?

Biz/ed share is an exciting new platform geared to making social networking a central element of your teaching. share establishes social networks of educators, and enables them to exchange, use and comment on resources in an environment of openness and transparency.

Q2 - Is it free/How much does it cost?

Some offerings on Biz/ed share may be available to access through free registration. If you wish to register for your free user account, follow the Register for a free user account link making sure you select which products you wish to access.

Other offerings may only be available through paid subscriptions on either an individual and/or institutional subscription basis. Follow the Buy paid Biz/ed share subscriptions link from the Biz/ed share homepage to view prices.

Note that some offerings may have different pricing for institutional and individual subscription prices. Subscription prices for individual educator and user prices may also differ.

Switching the radio buttons from 'Individual' subscription type to 'Individual' will show the different price options (if available) for each offering. If selecting individual subscriptions, switching between 'Educator' and 'User' radio buttons will show the difference in pricing (if any) for these different user types.

Please refer to FAQ 21.

Q3 - What does share help me do?

With share you can:

  • network with other Biz/ed share users
  • access, exchange and comment on resources in a secure environment
  • get hold of lesson plans, activities, great teaching ideas, podcasts and video content
  • aggregate RSS feeds
  • upload your own materials for others to share

All this is possible within Biz/ed share - your brand new, innovative, educational platform.

Q4 - What products can I access on the Biz/ed share platform?

On Biz/ed share , there are several products, each offering different benefits, but all harnessing the power of Web 2.0 technology to help you:

  • Experience and exchange resources that work in practice.
  • Benchmark your work against that of educators across the business subjects' spectrum.
  • Communicate with educators throughout the digital world.
  • Adapt and apply resources in your own teaching work.
  • Set up learning spaces for your own student groups.
  • Create and manage discussion forums at the press of a button.
  • Invite other educators into your own learning spaces.
  • Save time by accessing resources and ideas in a single space.

Currently available are:

See the following FAQs for more information on each great product. More will be rolled-out soon on the Biz/ed share platform.

Q5 - What is Biz/ed Network?

Network is a free resource which enables you to share files, engage in forums, post blogs, create and edit Wikis and comment on or amend resources to suit your own needs.

  • How many times have you felt like you are reinventing the wheel or that you have created a teaching and learning resource that you wish you could share with other colleagues? Well, now you can.
  • Network can help you reduce time spent planning and preparing new materials and enables you to access resources that have been tried and tested and which work.
  • Got a query that you need help with? Network can help put you in touch with thousands of other teachers and students across the globe to help you get the answer you are looking for.

Accessing Network is simple - complete this short form which will trigger a username and password to be sent to you via e-mail. Once you have received your login details you can access Biz/ed network by logging in at http://share.bized.co.uk - and it is completely free.

Q6 - What is AS Business Studies by Collins and Biz/ed?

This was a joint offering from Biz/ed and Collins. Is is no longer available for subscription.

Q7 - What is Tourism on Biz/ed share ?

Note for lecturers:

If you are a lecturer and would like to take advantage of our exclusive educator resources, you will need to obtain a PIN code from your sales representative at Cengage Learning. Once you have registered and have obtained a valid PIN code, you can upgrade your account through your profile page. Click on 'My profile', scroll down until you come to role, click on 'change my role to educator' and insert the pincode.

Tourism on Biz/ed share helps educators and students save time by accessing added-value resources, and compelling new content on an innovative new platform. In addition to the resources you would usually find accompanying our books, this brand new platform supports multimedia and Web 2.0 tools such as video case studies, blogs and podcasts.

Teaching support includes everything you would expect to find on a typical book companion website:

  • The book structure shown diagrammatically to aid navigation through the book
  • Author-generated additional tasks and activities
  • Extra case studies with supporting notes and discussion questions

The brand new platform, including Web 2.0 tools, also allows you to use and comment on content provided by the authors, the Biz/ed team and other users. In addition, you will also have access to:

  • Biz/ed's own unique materials linked to textbook chapters
  • Up-to-date sources of industry news including RSS feeds, blogs and forums
  • Multimedia learning including tourism-related podcasts and a selection of the best publicly available tourism video content

Students will also have their own dedicated space with study tools such as multiple choice questions, glossary terms and annotated weblinks. You will also be able to send messages to other students on your course creating a support network completely online.

Tourism on Biz/ed share gives educators the tools they need and students the learning they want, all in one easily accessed space.

Q8 - What is Blythe on Biz/ed share

Note for lecturers:

If you are a lecturer and would like to take advantage of our exclusive educator resources, you will need to obtain a PIN code from your sales representative at Cengage Learning. Once you have registered and have obtained a valid PIN code, you can upgrade your account through your profile page. Click on 'My profile', scroll down until you come to role, click on 'change my role to educator' and insert the pincode.

Blythe on Biz/ed share helps educators and students save time by accessing added-value resources, and compelling new content on an innovative new platform. In addition to the resources you would usually find accompanying our books, this brand new platform supports multimedia and Web 2.0 tools such as video case studies, blogs and podcasts.

Teaching support includes PowerPoints, case study notes, answers to the book's questions, as well as a set of resources providing everything a lecturer needs to start using this book on their course. Also, lecturers can download new content and exchange materials they wish to share with others.

Students have their own dedicated resources with study tools such as interactive multiple choice questions, glossary terms and a guide to writing marketing plans.

Among the resources hosted on this site are:

  • Everything you would expect to find on a typical book companion website, including PowerPoint slides, electronic copies of the book's figures and an instructor's manual
  • Author-generated additional material, including lecture plans, useful web links and teaching notes
  • Extra case studies with supporting notes and discussion questions
  • Multi-media learning including video cases and a selection of the best publicly available marketing video content
  • Biz/ed's own unique materials linked to the book

Blythe on Biz/ed share gives educators the tools they need and students the learning they want, all in one easily accessed space.

Q9 - What is a Learning Space?

A Learning Space is a zone within Biz/ed share where people can interact with each around a learning topic. Interactive features include the ability to contribute to resources, share files and view content provided by the Biz/ed team.

Q10 - What should I use the blog for?

The blog should be used to contribute commentary on any topic and encourage others to leave comments.

Q11 - What should I use the wiki for?

The wiki should be used to create resources and enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content on a particular issue or topic.

Q12 - Who can subscribe to Biz/ed share ?

There may be a number of options for subscribers depending on the Biz/ed share offering. Although each offering will differ in its target audience, Biz/ed share products may be available to individuals (paid subscriptions and free registrations) and institutions (for paid subscriptions only).

Q13 - I think my institution has already subscribed to share. How do I check?

  • Follow the link to Register for a free user account.
  • At the next screen, enter your educational email address to check if your institution has subscribed (look for a section that says "The following will be added to your account (available through your institution)".
  • If your institution has purchased any institution-wide subscriptions, your email address will be recognised and you will be able to register to use them.

Q14 - I've forgotten my password. What can I do?

Follow the link from the Login screen for Forgotten your password? and enter the email address you used to register for Biz/ed share . An email will be sent containing your password.

Q15 - What are shared files?

Shared files are, in some senses, at the heart of Biz/ed share . With this facility you can:

  • Upload files of useful resources, activities, guidance to less experienced teachers, or whatever seems relevant to the specific Learning Space.
  • Attach descriptions and keywords to the file for easy retrieval by other share users.
  • Edit, modify and delete files that you have contributed.
  • Comment on and rank resources shared by other users.

With these functions, share aims to create a quality-controlled source of materials for all, maintained and checked by the community itself.

Q16 - When can I expect updates to be made to the AS Business Studies product?

New resources for AS Business Studies will be added throughout the academic year. This may include:

  • exam questions on the areas of the specification plus associated mark schemes.
  • ten questions in each area plus associated mark schemes.
  • exemplar answers and teacher comments.
  • case studies and blogs on topical news issues.

With this level of updating, you can be sure that AS Business Studies on Biz/ed share is the essential source of up-to-the-minute exam resources.

Q17 - Who is the 'primary contact' my institution?

The primary contact for your institution is the person who purchases any Biz/ed share product subscription on behalf of your institution. This person authorises new teacher/lecturer registrations, using an institutional code. If you are the primary contact for your institution, you can nominate a new primary contact in your user profile. Click the 'Profile' link.

Q18 - What is my institution's 'registration code'?

Each institution has a registration code which can be used to register as an educator of an institution for paid subscriptions. It is important to give this code only to educators of your institution.

Q19 - What's the difference between an 'Educator' and a 'User'?

Biz/ed share has two user 'roles' built into the system which are used for both pricing paid products and also allowing access to some resources specifically for educators or instructors. In order to see educator/instructor only resources, your account needs to have 'Educator' status. If you have an ordinary user account, you can upgrade your account to 'Educator' status by using a PIN code in your profile page. See FAQs 7 & 8

Q20 - How do I receive messages?

In order to receive messages, you must enable messaging in your profile. Please log in and click on 'My Profile'. Then select 'Yes' from the drop-down box next to 'Allow other users to message you?'. If your account is an 'Educator account', only other 'Educators' will be able to message you. If you have a 'User' account, anyone will be able to message you.

Q21 - What's the difference between an Individual and Institutional subscription?

An individual subscription allows one person to set up one user profile using one email address. The platform is based on each person having an individual user account, much like Facebook, so that contibutions are attributed to individuals.

An institutional subscription allows an unlimited number of people with email addresses from the same academic domain (e.g. j.blogs@academic_domain.ac.uk) to set up multiple individual profiles and utilise the Biz/ed share offering that has been subscribed to. Institutional subscriptions are only available for paid offerings.

Q22 - How do I see educator/instructor only resources in Biz/ed share ?

Access to Biz/ed share is based on two roles which have differing privileges for viewing and accessing resources: a) user & b) instructor/educator. If you register for a free Biz/ed share account you will automatically be assigned a 'user' account. If you are a lecturer and would like to take advantage of our exclusive educator resources, you will need to obtain a PIN code from your sales representative at Cengage Learning in order to upgrade your account to the instructor/educator role.

Instructions for changing your role in Biz/ed share:

  1. Log in (at http://share.bized.co.uk) using the email address you registered with and the password provided in the email sent to you.
  2. Click on 'My profile' (top left of the screen).
  3. Scroll down until you come to 'Role'.
  4. Click on 'Change my role to educator'
  5. Insert the PIN code in the "By PIN code" box. If your role is already set to 'Educator', you currently have access to all instructor/educator only resources
  6. Click the 'Submit' button.

If you receive a message contrary to your role being changed, this could be one of a number of issues, including:

  • The PIN code has expired
  • The PIN code has already been used

If you experience any problems, please contact your Cengage Learning representative.