{"title":"The impact of distributed homework on student outcomes","authors":"Sylvia Kuo","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Distributed practice improves learning by requiring the brain to expend extra effort retrieving prior learning after a time delay. I examine whether repeating the most troublesome homework question on the next assignment improves exam performance within one large upper-level undergraduate economics course. I compare exam outcomes of students enrolled in Fall 2017 as my control group (N = 136) with those of the intervention group in Spring 2018 (N = 163). Adjusting for differences in student characteristics, the intervention was associated with a statistically significant (at the 90% level) increase of 2.44% in final exam scores, with raw average scores of 84.6% versus 81.7%. No difference was found post-intervention in overall course scores, while small increases for midterms. Subgroup analysis suggests the benefits may accrue more to the strongest and weakest performers. Findings suggest that repeating troublesome problems could improve learning in economics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100243"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Teaching with Twitter: An extension to the traditional learning environment.","authors":"Paul Middleditch , Will Moindrot , Simon Rudkin","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100252","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Recent global events have forced a reexamination of the teaching tools that we make use of in higher education. We present our findings from a pilot, using Twitter as an extension to the learning environment for economics students at the University of Manchester and draw lessons for the use of this platform as part of a taught course. We suggest that, whilst popular in terms of personal adoption with students, the use of the Twitter platform is not empirically important for learning outcomes, with the important exception of where students have a history of lower performance. As a result, we suggest that targeted use may prove more warranted where the range of abilities is wide.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100252"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Do laptops in the classroom produce negative externalities? Evidence from a classroom field experiment","authors":"Kevin Meyer","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100254","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100254","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper uses a semester-long field experiment to analyze the effect of the use of laptops in the classroom on a neighboring student’s ability to learn. Students were randomly assigned a seat during each lecture, creating random exposure to laptops. Each lecture concluded with a short quiz to assess learning outcomes. Simple OLS estimates show statistically significant but practically small effects of laptop exposure. However, these effects are not significant when using a panel data approach, suggesting they are the result of omitted variable bias.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100254"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Damian Whittard , Elizabeth Green , Mariyam Shaffau Shareef , Idrees Ismail
{"title":"The Multidimensional Model of the One-Minute Paper: Advancing theory through theoretical elaboration","authors":"Damian Whittard , Elizabeth Green , Mariyam Shaffau Shareef , Idrees Ismail","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The One Minute Paper (OMP) is a formative assessment technique which provides scaffolding for students to build knowledge. This study uses a theory elaboration approach to develop the Multidimensional Model of the One-Minute Paper. The model is conceptualised by connecting preliminary models with the empirical observations from a qualitative study. The findings are based on the results from student OMP responses, student focus groups and lecturer interviews.</p><p>The study takes advantage of a natural experiment to provide a multidimensional view across five facets (student/teacher perspective; time; culture; teaching delivery method; and class size). Thematic analysis supported a re-conceptualisation of the model. Using economics as an exemplar, the research indicated that the OMP supports learning and teaching via the three core constructs (Connections; Functionings; and Environmental Context), which are all influenced by a number of identified and distinguishable sub-constructs.</p><p>The identification of the importance of the Environmental Context was a novel finding, as were two of its distinguishable sub-constructs. First, cultural differences can impact the perceived effectiveness of the OMP and therefore they should be accounted for in the design and implementation phase. Second, there are potential additional benefits to the OMP when used in an online environment. These findings take on greater significance in a post-pandemic world where inevitably more teaching will be delivered virtually.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100248"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477388022000159/pdfft?md5=f4b8599666b68967acd695b140184582&pid=1-s2.0-S1477388022000159-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Which online learning resources do undergraduate economics students’ value and does their use improve academic attainment? A comparison and revealed preferences from before and during the Covid pandemic","authors":"Lory Barile , Caroline Elliott , Michael McCann","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100253","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The rapid shift to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic led to widespread migration to online / blended delivery across UK Higher Education. This has prompted renewed interest in identifying the features of virtual learning environments (VLEs) which students value and are most helpful in academic development and attainment. Using the experience of delivery on an undergraduate module both before and after the introduction of an online delivery model, we use a revealed preference framework to analyse the influence of cognitive load on the value students attach to VLE features in combination with other learning resources. We also use regression analysis to examine which learning resources are crucial to attainment. Our findings suggests that students avoid cognitive overload by being selective in their use of learning resources. They showed a greater preference for both familiar and passive learning resources like lectures, lecture recordings and seminars in both learning environments. Students exhibited a lower preference for active VLE features - multiple-choice quizzes, open-ended questions and discussion forums. Nonetheless, use of open-ended questions along with lecture recordings and lecture slides had a significantly positive impact on academic attainment in the online learning environment. This supports instrumentalism in the use of these resources. Students were more selective in developing deeper understanding using online open-ended questions. Our results imply that module designers need to accept that such resources will be used more selectively. However, they should still be provided to encourage active, deeper learning.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100253"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477388022000202/pdfft?md5=a776f4403010f0f97e2ff94451610c90&pid=1-s2.0-S1477388022000202-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Man Who Discovered Capitalism: A documentary on Schumpeter for use in the classroom","authors":"John T. Dalton , Andrew J. Logan","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100250","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We describe how the 2016 documentary <em>The Man Who Discovered Capitalism</em> can be used in the classroom to provide an entry point to the life and economics of Joseph A. Schumpeter, whose work on innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative destruction remains relevant for students today. We summarize the key ideas conveyed in the documentary and offer four criticisms: its failure to capture the role of fin-de-siècle Vienna on Schumpeter’s intellectual development, its incomplete understanding of Schumpeter’s theory of innovation, its overstatement of Keynes’s influence relative to Schumpeter, and the overly generous credit it gives to government for spurring innovation. We show how the documentary can be used in the classroom, complete with sample discussion questions grounded in the criticisms we identify. We argue <em>The Man Who Discovered Capitalism</em><span><span> is an effective teaching tool suitable for a variety of courses, including those on economic growth, intermediate macroeconomics, and the </span>history of economic thought, among others.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100250"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The many faces of the taylor rule for advanced undergraduate macroeconomics","authors":"George A. Waters","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100242","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Taylor Rule<span><span><span> and Fisher Relation can be represented on a graph that allows for discussion of the zero lower bound on </span>interest rates<span>, the existence of multiple equilibria, secular stagnation and Japan’s lost decade, among other issues. The Taylor Rule and Fisher Relation can also be included in a small macroeconomic model that can be used to study the stability under various interest rate rules under </span></span>adaptive expectations<span> or solved under rational expectations. There are a number of related empirical exercises using both descriptive statistics and regressions for undergraduates with intermediate macro level knowledge.</span></span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100242"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paul W. Grimes , Jane S. Lopus , Dwi Sulistyorini Amidjono
{"title":"Financial life-skills training and labor market outcomes in Indonesia","authors":"Paul W. Grimes , Jane S. Lopus , Dwi Sulistyorini Amidjono","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examines the relationship between a United States Agency for International Development financial life skills training program for poor and vulnerable youth in Indonesia on labor market outcomes two years following the training. Longitudinal results indicate that self-efficacy and financial behaviors improved from pre-training to two years after the training, and a logistic regression analysis finds significant correlations between self-efficacy and financial behaviors with finding new or better employment. Because financial literacy education can be associated with improved financial behaviors, and soft skills acquisition can be associated with improved self-efficacy, we conclude that the training program led indirectly to new or better employment outcomes for participants. Reinforcing this result, between 92 % and 97 % of the trained youth attributed the training program to their observed improvements in work performance and/or to new or better employment opportunities.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100255"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477388022000226/pdfft?md5=5d87c5ae510b71ac5e663406ea3c1e71&pid=1-s2.0-S1477388022000226-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Student performance under asynchronous and synchronous methods in distance education: A quasi-field experiment","authors":"Burak Kağan Demirtaş , Umut Türk","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examines student performance<span> under asynchronous and synchronous methods in a microeconomics course during COVID-19 pandemic. We conduct a quasi-field experiment in a state university in Turkey. In the experiment, students were divided into synchronous and asynchronous groups and were taught the same weekly material of microeconomics by the methods respective to their group. At the end of the week, both groups took the same multiple question test. Our results showed that asynchronous group performed significantly better than the synchronous group. While showing the comparative advantage of the asynchronous method, our study also underlines the importance of interaction between instructors and students. We discuss our findings from a socioeconomic perspective, where we argue that the flexibility that the asynchronous method offers might have compensated for the accessibility issues (internet and/or computer) during the COVID-19 outbreak. As a policy recommendation, universities can offer lectures with a recorded option to allow students to interact with the course material multiple times.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100244"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Variation in individual engagement in team-based learning and final exam performance","authors":"Molly Espey","doi":"10.1016/j.iree.2022.100251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iree.2022.100251","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>I analyze the relationship between individual contributions within a team in a team-based learning environment and performance on the final exam in three different economics courses over thirteen years. All students are assigned to teams but vary in their degree of engagement or effort in the learning activities in the classroom. Controlling for both general and course-specific academic ability, I document individual learning gains, as reflected in final exam scores, associated with higher levels of engagement in team activities, as reflected in peer evaluations. A one standard deviation increase in an individual’s average peer evaluation above the mean correlates with a 2 to 3 percentage point higher final exam score, a result that generally holds for all class levels, grade point averages, and by gender.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":45496,"journal":{"name":"International Review of Economics Education","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100251"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71855396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}