Conference sessions in Technology in the classroom
Introducing economics to millennials using short YouTube movie clips
Presentation at DEE 2017,The objective of this paper is to show a way to improve the understanding of foundational economic concepts to millennials. Students’ answers to an anonymous survey show that the objectives of this method have been reached: students achieve a better understanding of the concepts; they realize that microeconomic models can be useful in their daily lives; they undoubtedly consider that thanks to the YouTube clips, Economics models can be applied to other situations apart from the problem sets; they improve their learning and retain concepts better; and they even think of analyzing some personal experiences through the prism of Economics. Therefore, this is an effective method. The low cost of this proposal also makes it efficient. This paper also provides links to YouTube clips and examples that instructors can use in their own presentations and problem sets.
Online assessment, adaptive feedback and the importance of visual learning for students
Presentation at DEE 2017,The objective of the paper is to point out the importance of two recent developments in online practice and assessment that could allow instructors to move away from standard and repetitive MCQs, significantly improving the learning experience of students. The first development is the possibility to create questions that adapt to students' performance; for example, questions that, if answered incorrectly, provide additional questions and hints to induce the student to reach the correct answer using alternative paths. The second innovation is the use of interactive visual material, such as clickable images and interactive diagrams. To make our point, we introduce the advantages, with a few caveats, of the use of the platform MapleTA.
Using polling to elicit students' uncertainty
Presentation at DEE 2017,This paper explores how polling within a lecture can be used to assess students' reactions to different types of argument and evidence, in this case to the debate on whether minimum wages increase unemployment. The exercise was run with first year students in two UK universities using different polling tools but asking largely the same questions. The responses show that from an initial position of believing that minimum wages do increase unemployment, the students shifted to one of uncertainty, saying 'maybe' or 'don't know'.
