Economics & Business · Year 8

Active learning ideas

The Gig Economy and Future of Work

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to experience the risks, rewards, and problem-solving involved in entrepreneurship. By engaging in simulations, discussions, and analysis, they see how theory connects to real-world business decisions and market dynamics.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HE8K03

• 20–90 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 90 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Pitch (Shark Tank)

Students work in groups to identify a common problem and design a product or service to solve it. They then pitch their idea to a panel of 'investors' (peers or teachers), explaining their target market and competitive advantage.

Compare the flexibility and security offered by traditional employment versus gig work.

Facilitation Tip

During The Pitch, circulate and listen for precise language about market gaps and customer needs to guide students toward clarity.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a young person considering a career. What are the top two benefits and top two drawbacks of entering the gig economy versus pursuing a traditional job?' Facilitate a class debate, encouraging students to support their points with examples.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Australian Innovations

Students create posters showcasing Australian inventions (e.g., the Wi-Fi, the black box, the cochlear implant) or Indigenous innovations (e.g., the fish traps at Brewarrina). The class moves around to vote on which had the biggest economic impact.

Analyze the economic incentives driving the growth of the gig economy.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, assign small groups specific innovation sectors to research so every student contributes to the collective understanding.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one specific economic incentive driving the gig economy's growth and one challenge governments face in regulating it. Collect these to gauge understanding of core concepts.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why Businesses Fail

Students are given a list of reasons for business failure (e.g., poor location, high competition, lack of capital). They rank them in order of importance and then share with a partner to discuss how an entrepreneur might mitigate these risks.

Critique the regulatory challenges posed by the gig economy for governments and workers' rights.

Facilitation Tip

In Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence starters like 'One reason businesses fail is...' to scaffold productive discussions.

What to look for

Present students with two brief scenarios: one describing a traditional employee and one describing a gig worker. Ask students to identify three key differences in their work arrangements, focusing on flexibility, security, and benefits.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by framing entrepreneurship as a mindset, not just a career path. They avoid glorifying success and instead highlight the iterative process of testing ideas, failing, and adapting. Research supports using real-world case studies to build credibility and help students see patterns in innovation.

Successful learning looks like students taking initiative in problem-solving, collaborating respectfully, and using evidence to support their ideas. They should demonstrate an understanding of how entrepreneurs respond to market gaps and the balance between innovation and risk.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The Pitch, watch for students assuming new inventions are always required. Redirect by asking groups to explain how their solution improves an existing product or service.

  During The Pitch, ask each group to identify the gap in the current market they are addressing, emphasizing that innovation often lies in business models or customer experience rather than the product itself.

• During Think-Pair-Share, watch for students attributing entrepreneurs' success solely to luck. Redirect by reviewing failure stories analyzed in the activity.

  During Think-Pair-Share, have students share the failure stories they researched and highlight how persistence and adaptation led to eventual success.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share