Creating Better Support: Economics Students’ Recommendations for Success
Research shows that unclear or fragmented support structures in higher education increase cognitive load and can disproportionately affect students from underrepresented backgrounds. This has implications for progression, attainment and continuation (de Henau, 2024; Sweller, 2024; Strayhorn, 2021; Thomas, 2012). In this context, effective support provision depends not only on availability, but on clarity, accessibility, and how easily students can navigate systems in practice. To investigate this, I carried out focus group discussions with students towards the end of the first-year of their degree. Students shared their views on the current support offered and how this could be better tailored to meet their diverse needs. The recommendations presented below were constructed using inductive thematic analysis and are grounded in students’ views and perspectives, illustrated through direct quotes. While student insights form the foundation of the analysis, the recommendations do not simply represent direct student proposals. Instead, they reflect analytically developed responses to recurring barriers identified in the data, informed by evidence-based practice in student support and inclusive curriculum design (de Henau, 2024; Biggs and Tang, 2015; Thomas, 2012). The recommendations aim to improve the visibility, accessibility and effectiveness of student support. The findings are particularly relevant within the context of increasing sector-wide attention on student belonging, continuation, attainment and inclusive educational practices. Top five actionable suggestions from focus group discussions These findings build on complementary work examining barriers to student engagement with economics support schemes, which provides additional context on why students do not always make use of available support (Williams Higgins, 2026). 1. Use a centralised dashboard: a single hub outlining all schemes, their purpose and access details. Many first-year students are unsure of the purpose for each type of support they are offered. This is complicated by the fact that these are usually introduced during the induction/welcome week when students are presented with a large volume of information. Even at the end of the academic year, some students were still unclear or held misconceptions on the student support available. Students suggested that posting session timings on platforms that students regularly use – such as Blackboard or other virtual learning environments (VLEs) – would reinforce visibility and awareness. Email fatigue meant that they missed out on some resources. Students also reported that a mid-term/later reintroduction of support schemes was helpful. Reintroduction means that once students are more settled in the university the information becomes more relevant and its purpose more apparent. “Maybe having the timings of the different support sessions posted on Blackboard or the check-in app, somewhere everyone can see often, so you're constantly reminded. Mainly I get the info from emails, but we already get so many, so it's not a priority. I just tend to forget I can access this kind of resource.” “Yeah, I think it did take a bit of time to absorb all the different resources that we have to offer, like deciding which one to actually go to and which one use, especially for like the [peer-led] sessions. I didn't really realise it was a thing until a few months into university.” Using a support map is one low-cost and practical way to address this issue (see Figure 1). Support maps are a quick visual introduction to the options for student support and can be used by all university staff when assisting students. What’s more, these do not require all staff to have detailed knowledge of all the support available. This approach is grounded in evidence that shows how embedded, clearly navigable support structures reduce cognitive load and strengthen belonging and progression, particularly for students from under‑represented backgrounds (de Henau, 2024; Sweller, 2024; Strayhorn, 2021). Figure 1: Example of a student support map categorising key support options Source: Author-generated using Napkin AI It is also important to include the relevant first point of contact for university support in communication with students. That is, where students should go if they are confused. Usually, students talk to the first person they see or the person who they are most comfortable with, often their lecturer or a tutor. Using a support map is one way to ensure that all student facing staff have enough information to signpost and that a consistent message is being shared. Building on these findings, I recommend implementing a centralised dashboard, supported by a visual support map, to improve clarity, navigation and consistency in how support is communicated and accessed. 2. Incorporate flexible scheduling/hybrid formats: rotate times; offer online and in-person options; mix drop-in/bookable. When providing services, flexibility is key. Students suggested rotating times for some optional services. Office hours, while seen by institutions as a key resource are usually underutilised and research highlights a mismatch between institutional intention for office hours and student perceptions of them as the last resort in an academic crisis (Smith et al., 2017). Students also highlighted that office hours can clash with core units and at times, tutors’ office hours coincided with lectures for the same unit. As office hours can be seen as daunting, having such additional barriers can increase the likelihood of them being unused. “I don't really use the other ones, mainly because they're not convenient and they clash with other things that I'm doing...” “I think sometimes some of the support comes at the same time as I'm having another lesson… if they were maybe set at different times, I might go more.” Where possible, I recommend offering online and in-person options. For some students attending in-person requires significant time commitments and may be costly depending on where they live. 3. Provide prep guidance to reduce intimidation: help students to prepare for office hours and other sessions. Where there are many different types of support, students may be unsure where to seek help for specific issues or how to approach the support sessions available. As a result, they may not attend sessions to avoid looking foolish. Students highlighted this uncertainty, noting: “...maybe at the start of the [year] if you were told exactly like what the intended use are for each of the sessions, it would be a better way of knowing when you have a specific problem which one to use.” “I thought you only go [to office hours] if you have really big questions, but I realised, oh, even if it's like something small, at least I can still just go and ask because it's better to ask, like, rather than like, you know, you just sit in the darkness and you just think that you kind of know it. So I think it was also only because in [the spring term], my lecturer pushed us to use more office hours and just ask more questions. A lot of it, I think, was like a lot of people were just quite intimidated. Yeah, me included.” This is backed up by research that shows that students often state they have no idea what office hours are for (Smith et al., 2017). Given this context, I recommend that departments and schools implement clear guidance on how to approach the sessions as a part of standard support provision. This guidance should include the goal or intended use of the session and examples of appropriate questions. It should be delivered using a variety of media to ensure accessibility and consistency across the student cohort. 4. Enhance communication strategies: repeat key messages; promote via teaching staff; concise digests over multiple emails. Students are presented with a lot of information, as well has having coursework and deadlines. To avoid important details being lost along the way, students have indicated that when it comes to support schemes, staggered communication is effective. When they are re-introduced to a support scheme, once they are more settled in their course, they are more likely to remember, see the value of the scheme, and may even engage with it. “[The peer scheme] and [drop-in] café, I think they did do introductions as well in September… the fact they came in maybe one month later, to explain what they were for, that definitely helped a lot more. Because I think in the first few weeks of starting school, you're just learning new content…that's why I feel like I didn't really know about these sessions that much until they came back later.” One way to increase student engagement with support schemes is to embed reminders into their lectures and seminars/small group classes. Students highlighted that their use of office hours and discussion boards increased when their use was promoted and encouraged by their teaching team. Students called for a reduced reliance on emails, due to email fatigue (see point 1). Some would prefer having all support information published in one place: “I think just maybe like a singular blackboard post with each singular method of the kind of extra support you can get, because obviously it's all on blackboard, but it's all kind of in different places.. But I think that would maybe make it clearer than kind of just in welcome week. Each thing being advertised in things, because obviously with Blackboard there's the permanence about it, like it's always there on a singular post.” Concise weekly digests from programme teams and student support services could reduce fatigue and improve recall. This could be implemented through existing communications channels without requiring additional resource investment. 5. Streamline overlapping schemes: consolidate similar initiatives to reduce confusion and choice overload. Reducing and streamlining support options may be more effective to reduce duplication and overload. Where there are multiple options, it is important to be clear about their purpose (as discussed in point 1). “I feel like… it’s not clear how [the peer session] is different to office hours, [drop-in] café, or Q&A sessions… they seem to overlap in their functionality… I wouldn’t know what questions are better suited to one rather than the other… they’re kind of an undifferentiated block… if you were told exactly what the intended use is for each, it would be easier to know which one to use.” Nevertheless, having some variety is important to meet the needs of students with different learning styles, as well as the diversity of the student body in general. Students have suggested that instead of relying on office hours for example, instructors could consider adding an additional lecture or review session for complex modules or to provide assessment support. Such an approach can provide more even access to support and reduce the large number of students seeking support at peak times, which can result in increased staffing pressures and reduced access for students due to timing and capacity constraints. Discussion Effective student support requires more than just services. The focus groups highlight several important dynamics. First, there is a tension between the availability of multiple support options and students’ ability to navigate them effectively. Second, confidence and perception barriers influence engagement, particularly with resources such as office hours. Third, students rely on relational and contextual cues, such as encouragement from teaching staff, in deciding whether to access support. Finally, there is a mismatch between institutional assumptions and students’ lived experiences of navigating support systems. Taken together, the recommendations operate at different levels of implementation. Low-cost quick wins include support maps, clearer signposting, repeated communication, and guidance on how to use support services. Medium-term structural improvements include better timetable coordination, greater use of hybrid provision, and review of overlapping support schemes. At a strategic level, the findings suggest the importance of designing support systems that are not only comprehensive but also simple to navigate and inclusive by design. These approaches are particularly important from an inclusion perspective, as students from different educational backgrounds may interpret and use support differently, reinforcing the need for clarity, explicit guidance and accessible structures (Thomas, 2012; Lea and Street, 2006). For example, commuting students may benefit from hybrid and flexible provision, first-generation students may require clearer guidance about available support and how to access it, and students entering higher education through different educational pathways may have different expectations of when and how support should be used. In summary, effective support schemes are visible, well-timed, strengthen student confidence and incorporate the student voice (Figure 2). Figure 2: Key dimensions of effective student support: visibility, timing, confidence, and student voice Source: Author-generated using Napkin AI It is very important to note that providing a range of resources will mean that not all students will use all of the resources. As a result, student engagement should be considered across the range of available resources, rather than through the uptake of any single support scheme, to more accurately assess overall engagement patterns. This highlights the importance of evaluating support systems holistically, recognising that effective provision depends not only on the quantity of support available but also on how easily students can identify, access and use the support most relevant to their needs. Ethics Approval This study received ethical approval from the University of Bristol School of Economics Research Ethics Committee. All participants provided informed consent prior to taking part in the research, including specific consent for anonymised quotations to be used in publications and other research outputs. Procedures were implemented to ensure anonymity, confidentiality and the right to withdraw. Data were stored securely in accordance with University of Bristol data protection policies. References Biggs, J. and Tang, C., 2015. Constructive alignment: An outcomes-based approach to teaching anatomy. In Teaching anatomy: A practical guide (pp. 31-38). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08930-0_4 de Henau, J., 2024. The impact of academic skills development on student outcomes in higher education–Literature review. Academic Skills Development Project. University of Oxford. Literature Review| Centre for Teaching and Learning. Available at: https://www.ctl.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/ctl/documents/media/academic_skills_literature_review.pdf Lea, M.R. and Street, B.V., 2006. The" academic literacies" model: Theory and applications. Theory into practice, 45(4), pp.368-377. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15430421tip4504_11 Smith, M., Chen, Y., Berndtson, R., Burson, K.M. and Griffin, W., 2017. " Office Hours Are Kind of Weird": Reclaiming a Resource to Foster Student-Faculty Interaction. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 12, pp.14-29. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1152098 Strayhorn, T.L., 2021. Exploring ethnic minority first-year college students’ well-being and sense of belonging: A qualitative investigation of a brief intervention. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 6(1), pp.42-58. Available at: https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/11422 Sweller, J., 2024. Cognitive load theory and individual differences. Learning and Individual Differences, 110, p.102423. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2024.102423 Thomas, L., 2012. Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change: a summary of findings and recommendations from the What Works? Student Retention & Success programme. Higher Education Academy. Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/building-student-engagement-and-belonging-higher-education-time-change-summary Williams Higgins, M., 2026. Barriers to Student Engagement with Economics Support Schemes: Insights from First Year Students. Ideas Bank, the Economics Network. https://doi.org/10.53593/n4501a Image Credits: Melisa Williams Higgins / Economics Network This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here.
In many UK universities, students’ first-year grades do not contribute to their final degree classification. The first year provides a critical period of transition, shaping students’ confidence, help-seeking behaviours, sense of belonging and engagement with their subject and university life. Student support is an important pillar of this foundation, and students’ voices are important in creating the right type of support.
How AI is Re-shaping Economics Postgraduate Education - An Insider View from a Current PhD Student
Below I present three main reasons why it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine postgraduate education without the use of AI. Whether you’re a student or a lecturer, knowing how to use AI effectively — or just being aware of how students are already making use of it — will help you succeed. 1) AI offers better searches for niche information Many of the common AI models can be used as a search tool, making them the first truly new innovation enabling Internet searches since the emergence of sites like Yahoo! and Ask.com - and of course google - in the second half of the 1990s. This search feature makes it a great study and research partner, beyond what a typical user can accomplish with a search engine. One of the weaknesses of traditional search engines is that it can be hard to find the specific information you need, especially if you’re searching for something niche, or if the language used for that topic is generic. For example, consider a scenario where your favorite bakery is a small mom-and-pop shop named “Croissant”. Or, for a more economics-relevant example, consider searching for content about the inverse elasticity of substitution in (specifically) the neoclassical growth model. In both cases, it can be extremely difficult to find the right information you need. In the first case it’s hard to craft a good search with such limited language, since “croissant” will return far too many irrelevant results. And in the latter case, the need to be extremely specific (thus using so many words) means that a traditional search will end up getting lots of irrelevant content as well. Even using advanced search functions might be ineffective, or at least time-consuming. But AI has the ability to sidestep a lot of these problems. That’s partly because if an LLM answers with something you weren’t looking for, you can just tell it that, and it will pivot to your intended meaning instead. This makes LLMs ideal tools to begin a search for esoteric information — although the ever-present chance of hallucination must be kept in mind (more on that later!). 2) AI models are great as study tools AI models can go far beyond being search engines — they can explain their output and interact with the reader. This is where one of their core use cases lies: as a study tool, or even a supplementary TA. AI models are frequently used by economics postgraduate students, with some using them on a daily basis to aid studies. AI can parse even the most complicated equations and break down complicated or long-winded paragraphs into more digestible bits. This helps students learn new concepts faster than if they’d spent time puzzling over arcane lecture notes, reading a textbook, finding a helpful YouTube video, or waiting to attend office hours. If someone is puzzled over how to get started with a difficult problem, asking an AI model can help them know where to begin. Still, there are limitations. There’s no shortcut to true understanding, and sometimes AI output isn’t sufficient. And of course, LLMs suffer from the hallucination problem, so AI output must be treated with suspicion and tested rigorously to ensure it’s accurate. In the context of an economics course, though, ensuring output is accurate can be a great way to learn! In my personal experience as a PhD student, fellow economics postgrads have agreed that AI is best used to either help with starting a difficult problem or help understand the steps taken in a sparsely-explained proof, problem, or model setup. Often, research papers, textbooks and lecture notes skip several important steps at a time when deriving or showing a concept, much to the ire of students. AI can help bridge the gap by explaining the omitted steps. This is something that AI models have grown quite adept at — given a specific enough prompt. In this way, AI takes on the role of a miniature TA, available at any time a student may be studying. Further, AI can even be used to generate practice problems and mock exam questions, making them good tools to ensure understanding. But these aren’t the only things AI can be helpful for. They can also help economics students parse long stretches of code… 3) AI is an ideal partner for coding Economics is an increasingly broad and cross-disciplinary field. As such, knowledge of mathematics and social sciences are important, but increasingly, data science competence and coding skills are becoming invaluable for economists. This is where LLMs are particularly useful, especially for postgraduate students who don’t have as much practical experience yet. One of the first things that a professor recommended to me during my economics PhD was to use AI to help me write code. Economists are increasingly required to use statistical software programs to do their jobs and their research, and even limited coding skills go a very long way. Even so, the vast majority of economics courses don’t teach software skills — often, there’s only time for an introductory course into one program, and students end up having to learn the rest on their own. This is a gap in the economists’ education that, for better or worse, degree programs often don’t have enough time to cover. Nobody should rely fully upon AI to code everything for them, and my professor wasn’t telling us to do so. Rather, as coding is an important but secondary skill for an economist, my professor recommended that we use AI to help us learn while doing. And, as he pointed out, using AI in this manner makes managing the hallucination problem quite easy: simply test the code the AI gave you. If it works, great! If not, clearly the AI made a mistake. Of course, this process works best for small pieces of code — asking the AI to change the color of a graph, or create a formula to update a matrix, for example. Asking it to write an entire research paper, or compile code to clean a whole database, is a recipe for disaster (and, as I argued before in an article justifying why I did not use AI for my PhD application, is only robbing yourself of the ability to learn). Conclusion: AI can be great, but remember: it’s only a tool There are, of course, pitfalls to avoid with AI. Relying on its output too much is a mistake, and students who over-use it may fail to learn as much as they thought. This is important because economics exams are typically held in person, without the aid of computational devices (outside of perhaps a small calculator). Thus, when grades are on the line, AI often won’t be available. For this reason alone, it’s imperative that students learn course content and how to think about and solve economics problems without relying on AI. In fact, the advent of AI makes it even more likely that, at least in the short run, economics degree programs will continue to rely on in-person exams to assess students. Yet aspiring economists shouldn’t fear this. Any economist worth their salt will know their field, and won’t need to rely on AI to do their job. Yet AI tools can — as with so many other industries — greatly increase the productivity of an already capable economist. Likewise, economics instructors shouldn’t be afraid of AI tools. Embracing them and training students to use them properly can actually increase engagement and learning. Even if you as a lecturer don’t feel confident teaching how to use AI, it’s imperative that you are aware of AI’s capabilities. This applies when designing any assessments, projects, or homework that isn’t done in person, as students could make use of AI while doing them. How has AI been used in your economics degree program? Have you experienced professors or students recommending it, or actively incorporating it into the syllabus? Share your experiences in the comments below! Header Image Credits: halfpoint, via Canva Pro License / Daniil Komov from Pexels, via Canva Pro License / metamorworks from Getty Images, via Canva Pro License
We all know that AI models are becoming increasingly commonplace, with hundreds of software companies now offering AI-powered tools, and dozens of iterations of ChatGPT and similar LLMs popping up every year. While some bemoan AI tools, they’ve also been lauded as powerful and helpful tools that we ought to be using every day. Regardless of where you stand on the AI-usage spectrum, one thing is certain: AI models are reshaping education, even at the highest levels. Economics is no exception. Even for PhD students like me, AI tools are becoming a feature of student life — and when used smartly, can be a great asset to learning.
Introducing a Handbook for Academic Advisors in a University Economics Department
Examples of academic advising from the UK and Europe A common theme across European and UK universities is a proactive approach to academic advising for student success, though delivery varies due to cultural and institutional differences. In Europe, institutions like Tubingen and Mannheim (Germany) offer students specialised advisory support that is tailored to the academic structures of their respective institution. In addition, many European universities provide walk-in or scheduled appointments with specialised study advisors to ensure timely support. At Tubingen School of Business and Economics, academic counsellors guide students on course selection, exam preparation and career planning. Mannheim’s economics department follows a similar structure, focusing on key programme requirements for academic success. In the Netherlands, the Utrecht School of Economics employs ‘study advisors’ to assist with, for example, study planning and academic skills development. While German and Dutch universities often follow structured advisory methods, UK universities emphasise personalised one-to-one support through assigned advisors (Jennings, 2021). In the UK, universities like Oxford Brookes, Bath and Warwick, assign each student an academic advisor for academic progress and personal development support. Academic support can include guidance on module selection, academic performance and progression, while non-academic support involves referrals to student services, like the wellbeing team. Many universities encourage regular advisor meetings to ensure continued support throughout the academic year – the University of Manchester is one such example. Common challenges Despite differing approaches between cultures, countries and each institution, academic interventions are often required in all systems to enhance student experience. The frequency and nature of these interventions can present challenges to the academic advisor on the best way to address students’ needs. Many academics recognise advising as a core job requirement. But high student-to-staff ratios in some departments can exacerbate capacity and workload issues as academics struggle to balance advising, teaching and administrative responsibilities (Mikluscak, 2010). This can have a knock-on effect of limiting staff engagement in the academic advising role and university level online training (Rogerson et al, 2024). Indeed, access to professional development and training is a major challenge often faced by academic advisors. This can be particularly acute if universities face funding and resource constraints. What’s more, generic training can be insufficient and fail to provide discipline-specific advising skills. However, supporting academic advisors is crucial for ensuring a robust academic experience, especially for underprepared and struggling students. To address these challenges, the University of Exeter’s economics department reformed its academic advising process to streamline workload and provide specialised support for colleagues. Standardising academic advising As discussed, high workloads can be a challenge but effectively managing these can help academic staff to cultivate strong advisor-student relationships (McIntosh et al, 2022). To help in this regard, within the University of Exeter economics department, we have provided tailored support to streamline the academic advising role for colleagues. A central part of this includes an academic advisor (AA) handbook for staff. Figure 1: Different example topics in the AA handbook Figure 1 shows some of the key sections in the handbook. For example, it includes a clear AA role descriptor and detailed guidelines on related responsibilities. Guidance on providing consistent answers to students’ frequently asked questions (FAQs) is also provided. In addition, the handbook offers email templates for all regular advisor check-ins, like ‘before assessments’, and ‘after examination results are released’. Our goal in developing this resource was to provide colleagues with a point of reference for all queries related to the AA role. We set out to ensure consistency with the departmental process and to increase the overall quality of our academic and pastoral care for students. We shared this handbook with colleagues in physical and online format and host this in departmental shared documents and signpost new (and old) colleagues to the resource regularly. The handbook is updated yearly with any institutional policy changes, and the FAQ section is revised based on new and regular student queries. Evaluation and feedback To assess the impact of our staff-support initiative, we asked colleagues to provide us with feedback on their use of the handbook. One colleague referred to it as “a clear, thorough, and useful handbook. A necessary companion for anyone acting in the role of tutor”. Another stated that “the FAQ section has been immensely useful for answering students' questions”. The following word cloud shows key sentiments about the handbook. Figure 2: Colleague feedback on AA handbook over two years In addition, there were also some suggestions for future improvements, such as “more subcategories for typical questions, for ease of reference”. Conclusion The role of the academic advisor is becoming increasingly important in universities, particularly in response to rising student mental health concerns. The introduction of the AA handbook at the University of Exeter’ economics department has proven to be impactful and helps to fill existing gaps around support and resources for staff. The handbook has enhanced consistency and efficiency of the academic advisor role and reduced staff confusion through streamlining flows of information. Given the diverse student communities within UK universities and the call to enhance the quality and consistency of academic and pastoral support, similar structured staff-facing approaches could be applied in other institutions to improve the overall student experience.
Introduction Academic advising refers to the process where appointed members of staff provide academic guidance, information signposting and other relevant non-academic forms of support to students to help promote their success and improve their overall higher education experience (Medernach, 2018). Its role has long been recognised as crucial for supporting students, especially those from under-represented minorities (Smith et al, 2009; Young-Jones et al, 2013). While practices across the UK and Europe appear similar in their foundations, the diverse nature of student cohorts suggests some different institutional priorities. At the university of Exeter, taking into account these different approaches, we introduced a handbook for academic advisors in the Economics Department. Here we share our experience.
Economic Development, Innovation and Growth (JEL O)
Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics (JEL E)
Agricultural and Environmental Economics (JEL Q)
Public Economics & Economic Policy (JEL H)
Urban, Rural and Transportation Economics (JEL R)
Econometrics, Statistics and Quantitative Methods (JEL C)
How to better engage economics students in work placements
A typical work placement can be embedded within a degree programme either as an additional year (typically, the third year of a four-year course), or as a module within a year of study, where students get practical training and work experience in an organisation (e.g. a consultancy firm or a government institution). Work placement experiences can be crucial experiences for economics graduates. Even though economics degrees equip students with many skills that are desirable by employers – like data analysis and problem-solving skills – a shortage of certain skills and wider technological challenges have still been observed among graduates. In this article, we discuss why and how to encourage economics students to participate in work placement programmes. Work placements help students develop transferable skills There is a broad spectrum of benefits associated with the ‘real-world’ experience that students gain through placements. By being immersed in a professional environment, students develop valuable transferable skills across different broad areas, like communication, taking initiative, planning and organisation, and professionalism. Further, students develop and enhance subject-specific skills and knowledge during placements. For instance, they gain data analysis skills by working on ‘real’ data, using them to produce charts and statistics, and critically analysing them. Industry knowledge is important not only in economics-oriented sectors like consultancy or banking, but also in those that require expertise from other disciplines, like energy or telecommunications. The industry knowledge that economics students acquire during their placements in these sectors can offer a strong advantage for certain careers and graduate schemes, like the graduate development programme at Ofgem, Britain’s independent energy regulator. Image credit: Pixabay. Another notable benefit of work placements, perhaps one of the most important, is that students tend to gain confidence in their skills. This includes improving their understanding of their skills, how academic knowledge from their studies is applied to real world settings, and confidence in articulating those skills. For example, at university, students usually learn econometric methods and use economic modelling in the first and second year of their studies. These skills can then be applied in research-oriented roles, like those offered by the Bank of England or consultancy companies that carry out forecasting and risk analysis. What’s more, the placement year offers students the opportunity to apply economic theories to real-life situations in different sectors. For instance, students might use core economic concepts to understand international markets and the economic performance of a country and draw insights from macroeconomic indicators, such as inflation and economic growth. Other benefits of work placements Networking is another important benefit of placements. Students meet and interact with new and different people, including peers from other universities, colleagues and managers. Students not only gain knowledge and experience from their placement work, but they also create contacts with line managers and other employees, who can share their insights into careers and support students’ applications for future job openings. Further, placements can be a useful way for employers to identify graduate talent. There are potential monetary benefits of placements too. Most economics placements are paid, typically offering annual salaries of around £20,000, but there are occasions that these may exceed £30,000 and even reach £40,000 (for more details see Arsenis and Flores, 2020). Furthermore, graduates can reap monetary benefits by securing graduate jobs with their placement employers. These earnings can alleviate students’ debt or help them to save. Obviously, such earnings need to be considered in conjunction with the costs associated with the work placement (including the reduced tuition fee for the placement year, and the delayed entry to the graduate labour market), which vary depending on individual circumstances. Overall, economics placements can be an important first step in career progression. They provide students with the opportunity to trial the world of work, gain valuable skills, and discover potential career pathways. Our recent study shows that graduates who have undertaken a placement are more likely to find graduate jobs that are aligned with their careers than those who did not have such an experience. Engaging economics students Students often need to be aware of placement opportunities early in their degree, or even before they begin their studies, as these opportunities are often competitive. Students’ first-year performance matters for securing a placement, while prior school performance, particularly in economics and maths, does not seem to matter. This creates the additional spillover effect that students are incentivised to engage more with the first year of their undergraduate studies. In UK universities, this year often does not count towards their final degree classification, even though it provides key, foundational training that is built on throughout their degree. Universities and economics departments can improve student engagement in different ways. First-year induction sessions could cover basic features of the available placement programmes and highlight their benefits as well as challenges (for example, the time-consuming process of applying for jobs while attending classes and sitting assessments). Career fairs and employability sessions could also be organised during the year to further motivate students and show them ways to improve their employability. In addition to the general employability sessions that careers services typically offer to students (including careers information and advice on skills development), economics departments can provide a more tailored learning experience that addresses economics graduates’ career paths and aspirations. To this end, inviting alumni to share their ‘success’ stories and advice with the current cohort is a great way to raise students’ interest in improving their own employability. Economics graduates tend to be employed in a wide spectrum of job roles; thus, it is important that invited alumni reflect that diversity. For example, economics graduates working in technology, media, and pharmaceutical companies can be invited along with graduates that have followed more traditional pathways, like banking and wealth management. Covering both private and public sector opportunities is important too. Indeed, there are lots of public sector roles available for economics graduates, such as those in the Treasury or the Government Economic Service. Crucially, students would need a dedicated point of contact - staff who can advise and direct them to the appropriate resources and services. Ideally, this person should be economics staff with a relevant role, like an employability or placement director, who also regularly liaises with the university’s employability and careers service to organise and advertise relevant events and resources. Image credit: Pixabay. Academic support for placement success Academic support can be crucial for students’ success in securing placements. One type of support is the role of placement tutor. Placement tutors typically visit students on placement (or meet them online), keep track of their progress, advise them on tasks they need to perform to complete the placement year, and assess students’ performance on related assessments. The placement tutor also fosters links between the university and employer, and keeps track of skills that are necessary in the graduate labour market. That part of the placement tutor’s role is important as it can also help to shape curricula. These days, a diverse set of skills is expected of economics graduates, including knowledge of data analysis and visualisation, coding, even machine learning. By creating syllabi and assessments that help students develop these skills, not only are students better prepared for the graduate labour market, but they also have better chances of securing a placement (and eventually a job) too. Academic support is a crucial element of work placement degrees, where a supportive learning environment can be enhanced by the contribution of placement tutors. Indeed, there is evidence suggesting that student access to academic support throughout the placement is an important aspect of the design of such programmes. The placement tutor can also contribute to a smooth transition from university to the graduate labour market. Challenges While adopting these approaches may go a long way towards engaging students with placements, it may not always be enough. Nowadays, a rising number of students in higher education come from different socio-economic backgrounds and face different challenges. But unfortunately, it is noteworthy that the economics discipline performs particularly poorly in terms of inclusivity. For example, it has a remarkably low share of students from low socio-economic backgrounds and from neighbourhoods with low participation in higher education (relative to the average student). Economics educators should be concerned about these challenges, as university degrees have arguably become increasingly necessary to be competitive in the labour market. It is crucial to first acknowledge these challenges, and to take appropriate action. Acknowledging the issue suggests that economics departments should not present the option of placements as the only path to developing employability while studying. Instead, alternative pathways should be promoted, like paid internships, which require less time to complete and usually take place outside of term times. But importantly, they still offer some of the benefits of work placements, such as creating new professional contacts and gaining insights into careers. Another way to encourage employability is by designing a curriculum that explicitly addresses it; for instance, by introducing modules or changing existing ones to involve opportunities for self-reflection on skills that students developed while working on assignments. Taking appropriate action involves supporting students who may want to go on placement but face financial constraints. For example, bursaries can be offered to students who come from low-participation neighbourhoods or low-income families. Clear widening participation criteria should be set and advertised to promote inclusivity, and to encourage students from different backgrounds to apply for placements. Summary In this article, we have set out the benefits of work placements and showed ways to engage students with them. Economics departments should be actively involved in this process and tailor their information to economics students. Economics educators should also be aware of the challenges that many students face and adjust their engagement strategies and support accordingly.
Employability is a key concern for students, educators and employers in the UK. Indeed, many students want to see employability playing a bigger role in their courses. One way in which universities can foster graduate employability is through work-based learning (WBL) programmes, such as work placements.
Climate change is at the centre of public discourse, and a degree in economics can equip graduates with tools to analyse the challenges it presents and to find effective solutions and policies in response. In this article, building on the Royal Economic Society’s climate summit, we share a few thoughts on how to embed discussion of climate change and environmental sustainability into economics pedagogy. Climate change can sit at the heart of the economics curriculum Many economists see the environment as an essential part of the economic system. Indeed, CORE Econ defines the discipline⁠ “as the study of how people interact with each other and with their natural environment in producing and acquiring their livelihoods, and how this may change over time and differs across societies”. Considering the central role of the environment within real-world economies, the study of climate change and sustainability should be integrated throughout the economics curriculum and not relegated to optional units in the final year. This approach can embed the pressing societal issues our world faces within the subject, helping to motivate students and support their learning. Students studying CORE Econ are regularly asked at the beginning of their programme about what they believe are the most pressing problems that economists today should be addressing. In 2021, climate change and resource challenges featured strongly in answers from students across the world. We also need to consider how to embed climate change in students’ studies. Indeed, some of the work in environmental economics is technical and advanced – think for example of integrated assessment models or the valuation literature. Nevertheless, the research often has very straightforward intuition. For example in microeconomics, public goods, externalities, co-ordination problems, prisoners’ dilemmas and the tragedy of the commons can all be introduced through the lens of climate change. Similarly, in macroeconomics, we can discuss policies such as green new deals and stimulus packages that are becoming increasingly common in political discourse. While the models that students see as first year undergraduates are often simple, they offer students the chance to gain deeper insights, and ask important questions. These could include: what is the optimal level of pollution? Or what determines the optimal carbon price? Once students have developed sufficient empirical and theoretical foundations through their degrees, these ideas can be revisited in more depth in later years. Using real-world examples as a launchpad for learning is not new. Case studies and problem-based learning underline the pedagogical value of starting with a particular scenario (a case) and then thinking about how discipline methods can help to understand it (see for example Volpe, 2002). This approach can be applied to climate change and environmental sustainability, whereby students would learn micro and macro-economics through the lens of environmental challenges. This pedagogical method engages students and can facilitate deep learning (see for example Basu, 2021). For example, economics has a lot to say about the most efficient ways to reduce emissions, mitigate the costs of climate damages, the economic impact of strategies used to reduce emissions and lower risks from climate emergencies, and more. Consider using a real-world example from your area, such as imposing a carbon tax or building clean energy sources (such as windmills or nuclear power facilities) to host a classroom discussion (or assign empirical work – more on that in the following section). A chapter in the newly published Sustainability Handbook by the Economics Network shares various ideas and examples of how to motivate teaching through environmental challenges. Empirical units can be enhanced by discussions of climate change Using real-world data relating to environmental sustainability and climate change is another way in which these issues can be embedded in economics programmes. This approach can motivate students, help to develop empirical techniques and employability skills and provide framing opportunities to help students to apply economic reasoning. There are a range of data sources that can be linked to climate change: Basic climate relationships such as the link between CO2 emissions and the rise in average global temperatures (global warming) can be identified using data from OECD, Our World in Data, United Nations and NASA Global Climate Change. Climate attitudes and perceptions are captured in large scale surveys such as Eurobarometer and the British Social Attitude Survey. This can aid discussions in the classroom about the socially optimal amounts of intervention or discussing the challenges of intervention. Household datasets in most countries have information on spending, work, and health, which can be linked to the environment and climate change (see for example the OECD Household Surveys, EPIC). The CORE project has prepared tasks on measuring climate change and the willingness to pay for climate change mitigation using real world data. Instructors could, of course, construct their own examples for students based on the technicalities they would like to focus on. Assessment can be authentic, and focused around climate change Climate change offers an opportunity to embed authentic assessment into the curriculum –encouraging students apply the economics they have learned in various contexts. For example, assessments could include: Coursework policy reports to inform, for example, local or national governments on an environmental question. This could include an economic evaluation of the expansion of fisheries, increasing on- and off-shore wind-energy, introducing a ‘meat tax’ to reduce carbon emissions, etc. An empirical project set around environmental data sets. For example, finding the impact of a carbon tax in a specific market using OECD data. Exam-style short answer questions where students interpret research findings for a given scenario. Students sometimes struggle with making new connections between economic ideas and real-world applications, so it is important that scaffolding is provided. Educators should ensure constructive alignment between the learning outcomes, the assessment, and what happens in the classroom. Challenges to embedding climate change There are a number of challenges to embedding climate change and sustainability within an economics curriculum that need to be considered. 1. Climate change deniers may challenge the classroom experience Just as in any area of life, there are some individuals who challenge the dominant paradigm, and climate change is not immune to this. As such, instructors may encounter climate scepticism of both the extent of the problem, and the possible solutions. Scepticism and pluralism of ideas in higher education provide lots of opportunities for exploring issues in more depth. For instance, they provide an opportunity to discuss empirical evidence and explore causality of relationships. They also offer opportunities to discuss opposing normative views, and analyse important questions such as whether developed countries, or developing countries, or all countries, should seek to de-carbonise, and the costs associated with that. 2. Be aware of climate anxiety As with any topic that has the potential of having negative impacts in years to come, there is a chance that teaching climate change may provoke anxiety in students. Climate anxiety is the fear that people experience about the climate crisis, and it is soaring. Research suggests that climate anxiety can affect mental, emotional and physical health. But at the same time, it is associated with guilt and feeling responsible for climate change, which increases interest in studying and discussing the topic (see for example Hickman et al, 2021). While novel for some economics instructors, dealing with sensitive topics that students may have personal associations with is not new in higher education. Economists can learn techniques for holding classroom discussions on such topics from other disciplines such as psychology, gender studies, medicine, education, or creative arts. The creation of an inclusive learning environment, feedback mechanisms, and clear guidelines on how to communicate and debate become important when planning lessons about sensitive topics. The evidence on content warnings is mixed, but instructors may want to consider the use of them, as well consider providing flexibility and options around assessments as a way of mitigating the risk of anxiety. Summary Teaching about climate change economics and environmental sustainability within the economics curriculum is arguably a civic duty in a discipline that engages with major societal challenges. Economics has a lot to offer both in terms of analysing the past and present, and proposing effective solutions for the future. Educating students to help them develop the hard and soft skills that they need to shape the debate around environmental sustainability does not only foster employability, but is also likely to increase students’ engagement in their learning. This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here. Header image credit: Pixabay.
In 2019, the University of Bristol became the first UK university to formally declare a climate emergency. In the following year, a further 36 institutions in the UK followed suit. Beyond their own climate research and agendas to achieve carbon neutrality, universities play a key role in educating their students and the public about the climate crisis.
Encouraging collaboration in teaching data analysis skills
We propose three tips on how to successfully encourage collaboration between students in learning data analysis for applied courses: (i) design engaging teaching materials, (ii) get students to work in pairs during classes, (iii) use peer feedback for formative assessments. How to prepare: Engaging teaching materials Figure 1: Cheat sheet used in a session on data analysis and visualisations in Python for complete beginners (Image Credit: Author Generated / Economics Network) First, when choosing the materials, it is key to use real world datasets that are relevant for your students and that they will be interested in exploring further. In this way, even the process of data cleaning, which is quite feared by many students, can turn into a more engaging exercise. Second, during the applied classes (or labs), ask students to solve new exercises that they haven’t seen beforehand. Third, it is important to design cheat sheets that students can use in class, to enhance autonomy during the sessions. This enables students to develop their technical skills and focus on the exercise, rather than spend the session struggling to discover basic commands they need to employ. A cheat sheet also acts as a revision aid for students later. Thus, these cheat sheets should include the key commands (or functions) needed to tackle the exercises. Rather than making this a long list of commands, set up examples that students can follow easily. Then, it is up to them to find the commands from the cheat sheet that are relevant to each exercise. We have included an example of a cheat sheet used during a session on data analysis and visualisations in Python for complete beginners (Figure 1). Students were provided the cheat sheet and given a set of exercises, using a completely different dataset. How to deliver: Work in pairs in classes To facilitate the use of cheat sheets, get students to work in pairs. Pair programming is widely used by data scientists in industry for coding tasks: two people use one computer, where the “driver” controls the keyboard, and the “navigator” observes and supports (Williams, 2001). The driver and navigator swap roles regularly, and discuss their work throughout (Demir and Seferoglu, 2021; Hannay et al, 2009). Using this technique for data analysis encourages cooperation between students in the classroom, enhances learning by doing, and builds relationships between students. The teams can be set for the term, or they can change every class. What is important is that students work together and do not feel overwhelmed by the task at hand. How to assess: Peer feedback formative assessments Finally, use formative assessments (i.e., assessments that do not count towards the final course mark). These have been shown as central in promoting students’ learning and understanding (Wu and Jessop, 2018; Black and William, 2019; McMallum and Milner, 2021). The challenge with these assessments is that many students do not engage with them and even if they do, many do not collect or incorporate the provided feedback in future assessments (Duncan, 2007). But evidence suggests that students find assessing the work of their peers quite motivating, enhancing their learning and development (Ballantyne et al, 2002; Vickerman, 2009). Short regular formative assessments where students can offer peer feedback can be very easily incorporated into a course with a learning outcome of developing data analysis skills. First, students attempt the questions; next they submit their answers; finally, each student reviews another student’s attempt and provides written feedback. In this way, students get to see how other students have solved the questions, learning different ways to approach the exercises, while also checking the validity of the solution given by their peer and reflecting on the validity of their own proposed solution. It is up to each teacher to provide guidelines for feedback, but we have found that it is best to initially give some guidance on what was well done and what could be improved, and to release the full solutions after the students have given feedback to each other. In this way students get to review the feedback received one more time after the answers have been made available, and reflect more when providing feedback to their peers. Conclusion While the task of working with and analysing data can be daunting for students at first, educators can make the learning engaging and more approachable for students by rethinking the design of the material, the delivery, and the assessments. Our tips get students to learn-by-doing and encourage them to be very active in classes, as well as outside the classroom when working on their assessments. References Ballantyne, R., K. Hughes, and A. Mylonas, (2002). “Developing Procedures for Implementing Peer Assessment in Large Classes Using an Action Research Process.”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 27(5), 427–41. Black, P., and D. Wiliam, (2009). “Developing the Theory of Formative Assessment.”, Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability 21 (1), 5–31. Demir, Ö., and S.S. Seferoglu, (2021). “A Comparison of Solo and Pair Programming in Terms of Flow Experience, Coding Quality, and Coding Achievement.”, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 58(8), 1448-1466. Duncan, N., (2007). “‘Feed-forward’: improving students' use of tutors' comments.”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 32(3), 271-283. Hannay, J. E., T. Dyba, E. Arisholm, and D.I. Sjøberg, (2009). “The Effectiveness of Pair Programming: A meta-analysis.”, Information and software technology, 51(7), 1110-1122. McMallum, S., and M.M. Milner, (2021). “The Effectiveness of Formative Assessment: Student Views and Staff Reflections.”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(1), 1–16. Vickerman, P., (2009). “Student Perspectives on Formative Peer Assessment: An Attempt to Deepen Learning?”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 34(2), 221-230. Williams, L. (2001). “Integrating Pair Programming into a Software Development Process.”, Proceedings 14th Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training. 'In search of a software engineering profession' (Cat. No. PR01059), 27-36. Wu, Q., and T. Jessop, (2018). “Formative Assessment: Missing in Action in Both Research-Intensive and Teaching Focused Universities?”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 43 (7), 1019–1031. This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here. Header image credit: StockSnap onPixabay.com (free for use under the Pixabay Content License) Additional image credit: Image Credit: Author Generated / Economics Network
Given the increase in data availability worldwide and the surge in demand for data literacy in the labour market, more and more economics courses are including data analysis skills in their intended learning outcomes. As a result, helping students to develop these skills in the classroom is increasingly important for economics educators.
How (and why) can we embed employability within economics degrees?
Introduction: The motivation for embedding employability skills Undergraduate economics degrees have traditionally been designed to develop a range of analytical skills, including solving economic problems using simple (mathematical) models, evaluating causal relationships via quantitative analysis of (complex) data sets, and the holistic combination of theory and empirics to communicate results to politicians, decision-makers, and the general public. Many of the skills that we think good economists should develop during their undergraduate studies are valued by employers. For instance, the 2019 employers survey from the Economics Network identified that employers value skills such as abstraction; analysis of economic, business and social issues; presenting quantitative ideas; and communicating economic ideas. However, the survey also shows that economics graduates often enter the workplace with gaps in skills that are sought. For example, while economics graduates are likely to have very high proficiency for analysing quantitative data, other key skills – such as the ability to apply economic concepts to a wider context – are scored poorly by employers of economics graduates. Employers also see gaps within economics degrees, suggesting that courses need to improve training in areas such as communication of economic ideas. Another example: while most economics degrees provide students with opportunities to develop skills using software packages such as Stata and R, employers also highlighted that this was still an area that required improvement. Employers emphasised a need for greater understanding of programming, through languages such as Python. Image credit: Pixabay.com. In addition, throughout their careers, graduates will need to develop new skills and learn to adapt in a rapidly changing world. This has led to an increasing demand for graduates who can demonstrate an awareness of key environmental issues, such as sustainability. Further, students will be expected to respond to new technologies and tools, such as artificial intelligence – the use of which has expanded significantly in recent years. This will require universities to strengthen the delivery of innovative pedagogical methods, including assessments, to better reflect the complex trade-offs and decision-making processes that graduates will face throughout their careers to meet increasingly complicated challenges. Embedding employability The employers’ survey identified key skills that students need to develop within undergraduate economics degrees, but a key question that remains is how these should be embedded in the classroom. 1. Application of concepts to the real world The typical economics graduate shows strong abstraction skills. But, their ability to apply economic models developed in one area to another area of the real world was a weakness identified by employers. One reason for this may be biological – parts of the brain that allow students to make connections between existing knowledge and new concepts may develop more slowly (e.g. Howard-Jones et al, 2018). This highlights the important role that a teacher can play in providing the scaffolding to allow students to develop these connections. Assessments can be designed to encourage students to use a more holistic approach to learning, understand the big picture, and find innovative solutions to real-world problems through rigorous analysis. For example, some innovative pedagogies such as Core-Econ start with problems faced by society (such as climate change and inequality) and use economics to explain these key challenges. This immediately allows students to think about the application of (often abstract) economic models to real-world issues. Research-based assignments can additionally provide the opportunity for students to explore how concepts can be applied in different environments. For example, educators might provide a scenario of how competition between healthcare providers affects quality of the care provided, and ask students to build on this to evaluate the impact of competition in a different scenario. The assessment could be a traditional essay, or to build in other “soft” employability skills, educators could have students create presentations, blogs, videos, or other types of media. These alternative formats can help develop students’ ability to communicate the key concepts to different audiences, and think about how they have been adapted from another area. The climate emergency is also transforming universities with concepts such as living labs, where students engage in projects with external stakeholders (e.g., local councils and charities) to apply theoretical models to real-life issues related to sustainability. 2. Communicating ideas and economic concepts A key element within an economist’s toolkit is the ability to communicate (sometimes complicated) ideas in a way that is understandable to policy-makers and the general public, as well as other professional economists. Economics as a discipline has a lot of great ideas to share with the public, but even academics may not always succeed in communicating them effectively. Image credit: Pixabay.com. Communication is not just limited to written formats, and well-rounded students will need to be able to communicate across a range of media, including through data, presentations, videos and podcasts. Providing students with authentic opportunities to communicate in safe spaces in class is a great way to prepare them for communicating in their careers. For instance, you could ask students to prepare the same “economics content” in several different ways; ask them to explain (for example) adverse selection firstly in a newspaper article, secondly in a policy brief for ministers, and finally to an expert audience. Consider having different small groups of students complete and present each one of these to the class, and discuss how each different group of stakeholders might respond. For more, see the Economics Network videos that touch on this topic: Clear communication is vital in economics How can economists better engage with the public? Further, the Economics Network has produced a range of advice for economists to help them communicate their ideas. These tools can also be adapted when designing assessments for students. 3. Beyond data analysis Aside from real-world application and communication skills, economics degrees should help students to develop research skills, quantitative skills, and data-based and IT skills. Quantitative (or numeracy) skills include the ability to gather, interpret, analyse and communicate mathematical information to solve real-world problems. Of particular importance are data analysis skills, including the ability to manipulate spreadsheets and visualise data. This involves acquiring, cleaning and collating data, creating descriptive statistics, and analysing broad outcomes. These core competencies are typically covered in economics curricula already. Strong numeracy skills, coupled with subject knowledge and analytical thinking, signal that a student can readily translate knowledge in a way that is useful to employers. Yet as identified by the Economics Network employers’ survey, these skills are not the only ones graduates should possess. In an economics course, research skills involve gathering information from various sources and analysing, interpreting, and evaluating the information/data, and then communicating the results to others. This hones students’ ability to generate innovative ideas and research new concepts, products, and ways of working. Students develop these competencies by solving complex problems. Assessments that might help develop these skills include problem sets and individual or group research projects. These should be designed to test fundamental and more advanced numeracy skills in quantitative modules. Students should be asked to solve complex mathematical and analytical problems and interpret the results to apply to real-world scenarios. Emphasising software programs such as R and Stata (or even Microsoft Excel) are a must, and these can be easily incorporated into these types of assignments. Educators can require students to use these or similar programmes to conduct their data analysis. Consider providing more time than usual for students to complete projects assigned in this way if your students are still new to the software. It may also be worth spending some lecture time working through a simple example and providing base code or “cheat sheets” for students to work with, or directing them to an appropriate resource to learn themselves. This will go a long way towards developing students’ software and programming skills to a level that employers are looking for. Summary In this article, we have made the case for embedding employability skills within economics degrees, and provided some motivation. Authentic assessment used across economics degree courses can help further embed employability within the curriculum for students. This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here. Header image credit: standret on Freepik.de / Magnific (free license). Other Images: This_is_Engineering on Pixabay (free for use under the Pixabay Content License) Crystal710 on Pixabay (free for use under the Pixabay Content License)
The higher education (HE) sector is under increasing pressure to embed employability skills within the curriculum to prepare students for the real world and create responsible graduates and citizens. This article reflects on how (and why) we, as educators, can better incorporate highly-demanded employability skills into the economics curriculum.
The GRE is changing: ETS to streamline the test in September 2023
As such, many of the most educated people in the world have spent time studying the GRE and taking the test. There’s a plethora of resources to help students study the test’s structure and the materials likely to be on it while they prepare to get the highest score possible. Because of the GRE’s importance in graduate admissions, it’s beneficial for educators, university staff, and prospective graduate students to stay up-to-date with the exam. On that note, a new announcement from ETS – the company that owns and administers the GRE – came out on May 31, 2023 with details on new changes that are coming to the test. GRE being shortened to quicken scoring time and reduce test-taking fatigue ETS is making significant changes to reduce the length of the GRE. Specifically, their press release states that the GRE (which currently takes about 4 hours to complete) “will take less than 2 hours to complete — roughly half the time of the current test”. Notably, this will make it one of the shortest major tests available in university admissions, particularly at the graduate level. This is being done for a few reasons. First, ETS is aiming to “offer candidates a better experience that values their time and reduces anxiety and fatigue”. With stress and anxiety prevalent in our society, this is a welcome change. The second major reason for introducing a shorter test is to provide a faster turnaround on scoring. The new test will reduce scoring time from 10-15 days to 8-10 days. This change will additionally help students complete and submit their graduate applications more quickly. Adjustments to GRE structure to allow for these changes You might be wondering how this new goal will impact the test structure; after all, cutting the time to take the test in half must involve some sort of sacrifice. To that end, ETS has described the actual test structure changes on their website. It appears that they have aimed to “trim the fat” by reducing the size of certain portions and eliminating non-scored sections, without reducing the GRE’s usefulness as a gauge of a student’s academic preparedness. First, the number of questions in both the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections are being reduced by 46 questions (specifics are not given, but this is 46 among both sections; for example, perhaps 23 questions from each section will be cut). Further, the Analyze an Argument task is being cut from the writing section, there will be only one essay instead of two, and the unscored section is being removed from the test entirely. Despite featuring fewer questions, the test still aims to provide graduate admissions offices with the results and tools they need to assess applicant’s cognitive skills. The test will continue to measure the same things it always has; the question types are not being changed, and neither are the test sections. They’re only being streamlined. A full, more detailed breakdown of the new test’s exact structure can be also found on the ETS website. Note for students planning to take the GRE The fact that the questions themselves are not changing – only the test structure – means that GRE prep being done now is still valid for the shorter test. So, if you’re a student preparing for the GRE, keep doing what you have been already and you’ll be in good shape. Registration for the new GRE is already open. To sign up, simply register for a test date after the change takes effect on September 22, 2023. More details can be found in their new FAQ document available for download. — We would like to thank ETS Global for their support in the production of this INOMICS article.
The Graduate Record Examinations, more commonly known as the GRE, is one of the most important standardized tests in the world for admission to post-Baccalaureate programs. It’s very often required by universities when considering admission into their Master’s or even PhD programs.
How to incorporate macroeconomics in environmental economics courses
Macroeconomic tools play an important role in addressing global environmental challenges, but they are not yet part of the standard environmental economics curriculum. This content deficit remains even as William Nordhaus won a Nobel Prize in 2018 for integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic models. In this post, I outline teaching resources that will help instructors include macroeconomic content in undergraduate environmental economics courses. Textbooks Most environmental economics textbooks contain some coverage of macroeconomic topics. However, this content is typically covered in less detail than microeconomics topics, and often appears in chapters at the end of the book that are less likely to be assigned due to time constraints. One exception is the book titled Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: A Contemporary Approach by Harris and Roach (2023). This textbook includes macroeconomics content integrated throughout, with the second chapter focusing on the environment and economic development. The book also covers “green” national income accounting, climate change policy, and population and the environment. A unique aspect of this book is that the authors utilize a dual approach by including ecological economics, a perspective that treats the economy as a subset of the larger ecosystem, in addition to the traditional neoclassical economic framework. This comprehensive coverage makes the textbook suitable as either a primary text or supplemental resource. <11an>limit:3;categories:Conferences</11an> Empirics One way to introduce macroeconomic concepts into environmental and natural resource economics courses is to present timely empirical results and stylized facts. For example, recent research by Metcalf and Stock (2020) indicates that carbon taxes do not reduce GDP growth or employment. Instructors can present an overview of their empirical results, published in Resources Magazine, that is straightforward for students to understand. Some faculty may want students to practice collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting real world data. Adjusted net savings (ANS) is a national income accounting measure that accounts for resource depletion and pollution. It provides an estimate of whether savings and investment can compensate for depreciation of physical capital and degradation of natural capital. To that end, consider having students gather gross savings and resource depletion data from the World Bank World Development Indicators to compute ANS in Excel for a selection of different countries. Students can consider which countries have the highest rates of saving, resource use, and what these statistics actually mean in terms of how much each country is actually investing in their future. Theory Faculty set learning goals for students that extend beyond knowledge of specific content. In other words, it is important for students to work through economic models to develop critical thinking and analytical skills. Students can achieve this learning goal by – for instance – learning how pollution and resource constraints can be incorporated into macroeconomic models. Image credit: wirestock on Freepik.de. For example, Heyes (2000) adds an ecological constraint to the IS-LM model, a standard Keynesian tool that is commonly taught in principles and intermediate macroeconomics classes. Faculty can use this augmented model to illustrate the impacts of fiscal, monetary, and environmental policies through the usual comparative statics. Most textbooks include an overview of empirical evidence for the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), the hypothesized inverted U-shaped relationship between per capita income and environmental quality, but offer few or no analytical exercises related to this subject. To remedy this gap, I proposed a simplified version of the “green” Solow model from Brock and Taylor (2010) that is accessible for undergraduate students. The “green” Solow model provides theoretical support for the EKC hypothesis by adding pollution and technological progress in abatement to the Solow growth model. My adaptation of the model does not require calculus or differential equations to understand and can be taught to students at various levels and in various formats (online, in-person, and flipped classroom). Conclusion According to a recent paper by González-Ramírez et al. (2021), climate change and sustainability are among the least developed topics in environmental economics pedagogy. Yet, student interest in these subjects is rising as the world changes around us – and these topics are becoming increasingly relevant to economics in general. Importantly, there are a variety of resources available for economics faculty to bring in macroeconomics content to build timely and effective courses. References Brock, W. A., & Taylor, M. S. (2010). The green Solow model. Journal of Economic Growth, 15, 127-153. González-Ramírez, J., Caviglia-Harris, J., & Whitehead, J. C. (2021). Teaching environmental and natural resource economics: A review of the economic education literature. International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, 15(3), 235-369. Harris, J. M., & Roach, B. (2023). Environmental and natural resource economics: A contemporary approach. Routledge. Heyes, A. (2000). A proposal for the greening of textbook macro: IS-LM-EE. Ecological Economics, 32,1–7. Metcalf, G. E., & Stock, J. H. (2020). Measuring the macroeconomic impact of carbon taxes. American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings,110, 101-106. Milani, S. (2023). Teaching Environmental Macroeconomics to Undergraduate Students. Eastern Economic Journal, 1-17. Header image credit: onlyyouqj at Freepik.de.
At the undergraduate level, environmental economics is typically taught as an applied microeconomics course. However, while topics like externalities and common property resources are great for emphasizing efficiency, they don’t always prepare students to consider environmental concerns as part of the broader economy. Incorporating macroeconomics into these courses can help students understand problems that deal with both scale and efficiency, such as how to reconcile economic growth with environmental quality.
10 Tips to Make Your Classes More Engaging for Students
As if this wasn’t hard enough, it can be very difficult to keep students’ attention during class time. We live in a world of constant distraction, and often it’s difficult for students to engage in classroom material – especially difficult material – for an entire classroom session. The very best teachers know that engaged students learn well, and aim to make their classes not just informative, but also interesting and engaging. This is no easy feat; how can instructors make their economics classes more engaging? INOMICS has collected some tips and tricks, some of which were inspired through our time in economics classrooms. Read on for our top 10 tips on how to better engage your students to help them stay focused and learn. 1. Ask questions and seek your student's opinions One of the best ways to increase student engagement is to directly solicit their thoughts on the material at hand. Giving your students the expectation that you might call on them will inevitably cause them to handle the materials more critically, and pay more attention. It’s an excellent way of focusing students’ minds and instilling in them a healthy scepticism that’s essential to all good study. Be wary, though, some students can be shy when it comes to contributing to class discussions. To counter this, try and create an atmosphere in which questioning is encouraged and students feel comfortable offering an opinion, even if they're unsure. If a student answers a question incorrectly, but elements of their answer are correct, be sure to acknowledge the good parts of their answer before calling on the next student. This will help all of your students recognize that participation won’t punish them. Another tip - your more confident students are likely to be constantly participating while your more quiet students won’t get the chance to talk. To balance this out, ask for hands raised and call first on those students who don’t participate as much; consider “cold calling” students on occasion (but make sure this expectation is set beforehand); and do your best to respond encouragingly when the quieter students do choose to participate. Image credit: pressfoto on Freepik.de. 2. Assess the level of knowledge in the room and tailor your teaching accordingly Most classes that you’ll teach probably come with certain requirements about course content, including necessary prerequisites that students must pass first. Even so, your students will quickly grow bored and disengaged if your lecture material is either too basic or too advanced for them. Mitigate this by ascertaining the class’ general level of ability, and adjusting the complexity of your teaching accordingly. For instance, this could be done by getting your students to do a short introductory quiz before your first class. This type of differentiation (or differentiated instruction) can help students stay engaged in various ways. For example, advanced students will likely appreciate additional content (like proofs) that may not be core exam material. These types of students will typically ask questions proactively during the normal lecture to ask “why”, as they enjoy knowing the inner workings of the course’s content. These students might also appreciate assignments that include one or two very difficult questions that might be too hard for an exam, but great learning material for a more relaxed setting. Meanwhile, students who might not be comfortable with prerequisite material would greatly benefit from quick refreshers. This can help them remember older material before learning new concepts that build on that older material. They might also appreciate a slower pace of lecturing that allows them time to take sufficient notes. To this end, consider providing printable notes (with a few blank spaces to fill in) that students can bring to lecture. When students are merely copying down everything they hear, they might not have mental space to truly engage critically with the material. Pre-written notes or copies of your slides can make students feel more free to question, comment, and think about the material you're teaching, without missing important notes. 3. Get students to present work themselves It's said that one of the best ways to understand something is to teach it, and you can use this to help your students learn. Including student presentations will work better for classes that have material that can be dissected and spark discussion, as opposed to classes that teach irrefutable truths. For example, a course about economic history or behavioral economics – where economic theories are still being tested and debated – will probably have more opportunities for good presentations than an advanced econometrics course, where quantitative truths are more or less irrefutable. If time allows, consider asking each student to prepare a short presentation on each topic you plan to teach. You can use this as an introduction to your classes throughout the semester. For example, a course that discusses macroeconomic models or schools of thought (i.e., neoclassical vs. Keynesian theories) can feature a short student presentation about each model. This can give a high-level overview for the whole class, before you dive into the details. 4. Use multimedia like video or audio clips Dropping a short video, image or audio clip into your presentations can help freshen the heavily text-based format of most lectures, and will help those students who are more visual or auditory-based learners. Video clips of interviews with prominent economists, about relevant historical events, or the like can be particularly effective. Humorous but relevant videos or images can also be highly effective. For example, consider the below xkcd comic, shared during an intermediate economic statistics course: Image credit: xkcd. This comic is effective and engaging for a few reasons. First, for advanced students who already understand the basic differences between Bayesian and frequentist statistics (i.e., the fact that Bayesian statisticians use a prior distribution), this comic is pretty funny. It points out the absurdity of blindly trusting a frequentist approach all the time. Second, for students who don’t get the comic, explaining the joke helps them understand the main difference between Bayesian and frequentist statisticians, at which point the comic becomes funny to them as well. Wanting to understand the joke also gives students motivation to think critically and engage with the learning process, so they can join in the fun. Finally, the joke is actually very relevant to the class material. In this case, in order to understand the joke, the student must understand an important fact about Bayesian statistics and how it’s different than the frequentist methods. Breaking up the monotony of a lecture with something humorous or interesting, but also informative and relevant, is a great way to keep students engaged. 5. Encourage group discussion Consider breaking up your lectures by having a segment in which the class splits into small groups of 3-6 and discusses a topic or specific question amongst themselves. Good examples can include coming up with critiques of a specific economic model, attempting to derive a specific result from a model or a proof, listing examples of relevant economic policies, etc. After 10 or so minutes of discussion each group should then report back the most interesting points their conversation brought up, hopefully then facilitating further class discussion. This also helps engage students who might be too shy to engage proactively with the entire class, as point number 1 discusses. Image credit: cookie_studio on Freepik.de. 6. Change up the format of your classes As countless studies have proven, it's difficult for any of us to concentrate for longer than an hour (many actually suggest the limit is closer to 45 minutes), so try breaking your classes into manageable chunks. For example, if you have an hour to teach, you could give an introduction to the topic for 15 minutes, then give students 10 minutes to re-read the class material, follow this with a 20 minute discussion in small groups, and finally finish off with a 15 minute class discussion at the end. Changing format frequently will help to keep students engaged. It might even benefit you to completely change the class format from one week to another. Consider which types of exercises or discussions lend themselves to the different topics in your course – group discussions might make a lot of sense for some topics, but perhaps short presentations or a pop quiz work better for others. 7. Set up a debate In any field, there will be theories, models, or concepts which are contentious. Try splitting your class into small groups and asking them to present each side of an issue in a debate. In economics, this can include topics like the value of the different economic schools of thought, pros and cons of the minimum wage (or other economic policy proposals), whether technological progress is good or bad for the labor market, etc. Even if students don't agree with the side that they've been asked to represent, this is a great way for them to practice argumentation and critical thinking skills, as well as learning the material at hand. And it can help to engage the class, breaking up the rhythm of typical lectures and notes. 8. Allow breaks or changes of setting in longer classes It's a rare student who is capable of concentrating for the full length of a three hour lecture. Be realistic about the needs of your students (and of yourself as a teacher!) and allow short 5-10 minute breaks every hour or so, so people can stretch their legs, use the bathroom, and get a (possibly much needed) cup of coffee. 9. Work on your presentation skills Many of the tips for giving a great presentation – having an engaging voice and attitude, knowing your material inside and out, engaging your audience with a bit of humor, asking questions, etc. – apply to teaching in the classroom too. Great instructors have mastered the art of giving a great presentation, and students absolutely notice which instructors are good at this type of public speaking versus those who are not. 10. Make use of technology Don’t forget all that you learned during the pandemic! Continue to make use of the terrific technological tools that help make your teaching more engaging. For instance, your institution may have an electronic content management system like Moodle or Blackboard where you can share materials and set up discussions for your class. Instant polls have become quite common in recent years, using apps like Socrative, Poll Everywhere, or Kahoot!. Using games to teach economics is also becoming quite popular, and can go a long way to helping your students stay focused. It pays to try and stay abreast of new ways technology can be brought into the classroom to liven things up. Header image credit: Pixabay.
Teaching is an honorable, but difficult, job to do. Economics instructors working in higher education must rapidly and thoroughly communicate complex concepts and theories within tight semester time frames, effectively enough that most students will learn the concepts and pass the course.
Using data visualization as a learning tool One way of motivating students to engage with economic concepts is to begin by showing a visualization of the data, to stimulate students’ interest. Evidence suggests that these visualizations can increase student learning and engagement and deepen their understanding of economics, particularly at an introductory level. An important aspect of the visualization is that there needs to be a striking feature to draw the student’s attention to an issue, concept, or theory, creating a narrative for students to investigate. A time series graph with spikes or trends in the series can be a useful way of drawing the eye and stimulating interest. The visualization should prompt questions that start the learning process: what is going on? Why is this happening? Data visualization is a powerful tool to raise awareness and interest in many economic concepts, topics and theories. It facilitates the application of economic analysis and therefore aids with the consideration of debates, controversies and alternative schools of thought around those issues. As an example, Figure 1 shows one important macroeconomic indicator: the rate of Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH) inflation in the UK. The CPIH is the preferred inflation measure of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Figure 1: UK rate of CPIH inflation Note: CPIH is CPI plus owner-occupied housing costs and council tax. Source: Based on time series data, ONS (series L55O) In the graph above, student’s attention will probably be drawn to the sharp uptick in inflation from 2021. They should be suitably intrigued and quickly follow up with the question as to why this is happening. Sometimes a chart that shows a contrast between two economic data series can be a powerful tool for illustrating changing relationships. For instance, Figure 2 shows the term structure of interest rates (yield curve) for the United States (US) at two different points in time. Figure 2: US yield curves on 1/4/2021 and 1/4/2022 Source: US Treasury When addressing that first question in the learning process, students should see that at the start of April 2021 the relationship between yield and maturity was positive, while a year later it was very different. The visible difference in the graph can be used to prompt students to consider why the relationship changed. In both cases above, answering why this relationship exists involves developing a conceptual understanding of the economic phenomena observed. For example, after students understand the reasons for the inflation shock shown in Figure 1 or the changing slope of the term structure in Figure 2, formal economic models can be introduced to develop students’ conceptual understanding. The intention is that when confronted with economic data in the future, students can intuitively apply the underlying economic theory. The importance of data analysis The analysis of data is one of three core competencies, alongside the application of findings and the effective communication of knowledge, that is identified by the Government Economic Service (GES) technical framework 2022. This document details the technical standards expected from UK government economists. Components of this core competency include the sourcing, organizing, interpreting and presentation of data, and the application of appropriate statistical and spreadsheet software. Data-based projects that require students to source and analyze their own dataset will help to teach them key employment skills, and align with the practice of authentic assessment. There are important pedagogical benefits from encouraging students to identify and source their own unique evidence to demonstrate their understanding of a particular issue or economic concept. Firstly, working with data can foster student confidence and help them to overcome any data-related anxieties that could be detrimental to their development as economists and interest in the subject. Secondly, data-based projects can enable students to feel that they are discovering things for themselves and constructing their knowledge and understanding as they do so. Consequently, they may develop a potentially unique perspective or research process to bring to discussions on a particular topic. Such active assessment has been found to improve engagement and academic performance. To illustrate the latter, consider CPIH inflation further. We can decompose movements in the CPIH inflation by reference to 12 broad divisions based on the Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (COICOP). Students could, for example, look at rates of inflation in particular divisions, such, as transport (Division 7) and housing, water and fuels (Division 4), alongside the overall rate of CPIH inflation. This is illustrated in Figure 3. Students could also analyze inflation rates of classes within the broad divisions. The key is that students are able to take ownership of the task and, through research and enquiry, deepen their understanding. Figure 3: Rates of inflation by specific divisions Notes: CPIH is CPI plus owner-occupied housing costs and council tax; core inflation is CPIH inflation excluding energy, food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Source: Based on time series data, ONS (series L55O, L55S and L55V) Conclusion By incorporating data visualization and analysis in our teaching, we provide an authentic learning and assessment experience for students. This will help to further develop the competencies demanded by employers of economics graduates, such as the Government Economic Service in the UK. Further, it will stimulate student interest in the subject – principally students see the relevance of the discipline and its tools of analysis by working with data in an active way. This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here. Header image picture credit: Pixabay.com
Real-world data in their varied forms are the authentic artifacts through which we observe economic phenomena. Such data can be used in economics courses as part of learning and assessment activities to help students construct economic meaning and develop important employment skills in organizing, interpreting and presenting quantitative data.
How to improve diversity in an economics department - a reflection
It is important to have a diverse classroom in economics, because it brings richness in intellectual exchange, and because economics deals with contemporary policy issues that affect everyone – not just the visible majority. In the economics department at St. Lawrence University, a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, we considered ways to increase the diversity of our majors while improving the professional climate in our department. We developed our diversity plan in the academic year 2021-2022 and immediately started work on implementation. This brief reflection on our comprehensive approach to diversity offers some advice to academic departments who are looking to make a difference. 1. Acknowledge the problem but highlight existing strengths Before investing in diversity initiatives, it is important to conduct an honest assessment of the status quo. Using institutional data from 2011 to 2015 curated by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, we took a critical look at the demographics of our majors and found that women tend to major in economics at lower rates, both at St. Lawrence and in our “New York 6” liberal arts college peer group. However, 21.7% of African American men at St. Lawrence major in economics, more than twice the rate of any other school in the peer group. St. Lawrence also has much higher rates for Asian American men (31.3%) and Asian American women (14.8%) than similar schools. While women remain underrepresented among our majors (5.6% of white women and 3.9% of minority women study economics at St. Lawrence), racial minorities tend to choose economics as their major at relatively higher rates and this is something to be recognized. Economics is a global profession. According to the 2020 NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates, 56.6% of US doctoral recipients in economics were temporary visa holders. Likewise, our department contains economics professors from six different countries. To capitalize on this strength, we developed a learning goal centered around understanding inequities in both the United States and abroad, a focus that will expose students to international perspectives on economic issues. We also found that faculty in our department teach diversity or equity content in 10 regularly offered courses, including topics related to discrimination, income inequality, and how macroeconomic policy impacts different demographic groups. This provides a strong starting point for integrating these issues more broadly into our curriculum. 2. Start small The lack of diversity in economics can seem overwhelming, but starting small helped our department build momentum. We first focused on things we could do right away, such as updating our website imagery and building a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion tab that provides our department’s diversity statement and resources for both faculty and students. We also expanded our elective course offerings to include the economics of gender, immigration, and the Chinese economy to attract students from a variety of backgrounds and better utilize faculty expertise. Further, by using our existing research seminar series, we invited a speaker to discuss gender pay disparities. We were also able to support the founding of the Women in Economics Club, a student organization that focuses on professional development, financial literacy, and creating an inclusive environment for students of all genders. These simple efforts garnered support from across the university, encouraging us to continue working towards larger aspirations. 3. Approach the issues from different angles Diversity issues that impact our students are inherently linked with issues that affect faculty, and vice versa. In recent years, the economics profession has faced a reckoning in response to a long-standing culture of bias and discrimination. We recognize that these issues in the broader profession affect all departments and understand the importance of proactively maintaining an environment that is welcoming to all. Specifically, we considered the challenges faced by international faculty and are exploring ways to improve tenure-track faculty mentoring across diverse cultural backgrounds. In fact, foreign-born faculty in our department may play an important role in improving the diversity of our undergraduate majors as they include both women and people of color. Recent research suggests that students are more likely to select economics as their major if they learn from a faculty member who looks like them. Therefore, fostering an inclusive environment for existing diverse faculty can also improve student outcomes, especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds. 4. Expect challenges There are many challenges with promoting diversity initiatives. We learned to expect resistance and to respond, not with discouragement, but with careful reflection and improved communication. Resource limitations can be difficult to overcome, and that is why it is useful to take advantage of outside programs. We developed a relationship with the University of Chicago’s Expanding Diversity in Economics Summer Institute, a workshop for undergraduate students aimed at increasing diversity in the profession. Last summer, two St. Lawrence students participated in this competitive and prestigious opportunity, where they engaged in skill developing coursework taught by top scholars in the field. Diversity and inclusion work also includes taking risks, because not every effort will be effective. For example, a recent study indicates that “light-touch” interventions or “nudges” such as e-mail messages with basic information on the economics major do not increase the probability that female students will go on to study economics. Our knowledge about what works continues to evolve, but if we expand our efforts across many dimensions, we are more likely to be successful. 5. Document your efforts We found it important to outline our diversity initiatives in writing to encourage commitment, to foster transparency, and to think tangibly about our efforts. We developed a comprehensive strategic plan that contains concrete steps, responsibilities, and timelines for putting the department’s goals into practice. Documenting efforts can also make it easier to apply for external funding or to prioritize existing resources. It also helps ensure that goals are feasible, assessable, and forward-looking. Importantly, we should recognize and codify diversity work as a valued service in the economics profession. We have already observed student interest in diversity issues in response to our plan of action. A course on the economics of gender, offered in spring 2022, filled on the second day of registration with several students requesting a spot on the waitlist. At our university’s student activities fair, 80 students signed up to receive information about our Women in Economics Club. While this is promising, it will take time for the benefits of our efforts to be fully realized. We need to be comfortable with the fact that diversity work will be ongoing and requires persistence, resilience, and pragmatic solutions. Header image picture credit: Pixabay.com
Economics is a popular major in the US, but relatively few women and historically underrepresented minority students choose it as their field of study. This reality is reflected in stagnant US graduation trends; women earn approximately 30% of bachelor’s degrees in economics, and Black, Hispanic, and Native American students earn less than 15%.
Developing a teaching profile: Why and how?
Teaching related metrics have also gained prominence. The annual National Student Survey of final year undergraduate students’ views of their programmes and universities; the greater attention paid to various national and international university rankings and the more recent Teaching Excellence Framework exercises have led to more attention being given to teaching and learning. Possibly reflecting this, there has also been a noticeable shift in the academic composition of many UK university economics departments. While historically departments recruited colleagues on research and teaching contracts, there are a growing number of departments that are recruiting academics with a greater emphasis on teaching (and administration) in their contracts. Regardless of the type of contract an academic is on, they increasingly need to demonstrate teaching effectiveness to ensure permanent contracts and promotions. In addition, a greater number of universities are also placing value on (and in some cases insisting upon) academics getting Advance HE teaching recognition in the form of Fellowship, Senior Fellowship or Principal Fellowship qualifications. As a result, academics are being asked to produce teaching profiles, teaching- focused CVs and evidence of their effectiveness as an educator. This article provides advice on how to approach writing these teaching profiles, including suggestions for the evidence to collate and include. How to evidence teaching effectiveness Academics should be consistently collecting evidence to demonstrate the quality and impact of their teaching. This information will be crucial if and when you are required to present a teaching profile, and can also be useful as a source of information (selected and probably in abbreviated form) for a teaching-focused CV. Most obviously, we should keep a record of the modules we teach each year, noting whether we take on the role of module leader, lecturer, or tutor, as well as the approximate number of students that we teach on each module. Keeping a record of the administrative/management roles undertaken that relate to teaching, learning, and assessment within a department and/or faculty is also important. We should similarly record the number of undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations supervised, and if we take on the role of PhD supervisor, we should also keep a record of the students’ names, thesis title, year of completion, and, if relevant, their job post-graduation. Record any professional qualifications related to teaching, such as from Advance HE including the date of any award, i.e., Associate Fellow; Fellow; Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow. Also keep a note of any teaching prizes at departmental, university or national levels. In the UK, National Teaching Fellowships are the most prestigious, as each university can only nominate three individuals per year across the entire institution for these. We should save module evaluation results, not only scores and response rates but also any particularly insightful comments. There is much debate around the validity of module evaluation results but universities still often consider these at least an imperfect indicator of teaching quality. Saving module evaluation comments that say ‘Professor X is amazing’ may be nice for our egos but more valuable are the comments from students that explain why a particular lecturer or tutor is effective as an educator. Teaching observation feedback from others is helpful. While it is fine to keep complimentary feedback, saving details of how we’ve responded to suggestions from observers is also valued. Also record information on any teaching observations you have conducted and ask colleagues to let you know if they make any changes to their teaching as a result of the feedback you have provided them. This allows us to demonstrate the impact we have had on others’ teaching. Similarly, keep a record of colleagues that you have mentored and any changes that they’ve made to their teaching and assessments stemming from mentoring advice offered. Noting the teaching and assessment technologies we adopt and why we use them is important. While using PowerPoint / LaTeX slides can be taken for granted, we should save information on additional technologies we use, for example online polling technologies or technologies used to make asynchronous lecture films and so on. Always save details of teaching / learning / assessment / pedagogy presentations made to colleagues and at conferences etc. In addition, publications make up an important part of any teaching profile. These may take the form of pedagogy research articles published in peer-reviewed academic journals, such as the International Review of Economics Education and the Journal of Economic Education, as well as more general pedagogy academic journals. However, there are many other possible, more informal outlets, including INOMICS Teach (of course); the Economics Network; the Economics Observatory; The Conversation; the Economic Review A-level magazine etc. There is also scope to write blogs, book chapters and texts, and to create podcasts. Check whether data on the number of views / citations are available and record this information too as this can give another indication of the impact of your scholarly activities beyond your immediate colleagues and department. Record all external examiner appointments including the dates of the role, and similarly note any external assessor appointments. All degree programmes / departments across the UK need to be reviewed periodically, with input from external academic reviewers. Finally, keep a record of any continuing professional development (CPD) courses attended. It can be helpful in promotion applications to be able to demonstrate that a conscientious approach to CPD has been taken. Demonstration of CPD is also essential for any Advance HE qualification applications. This could take the form of an internal training course or a workshop with an organisation like the Economics Network or Advance HE. Efficient use of teaching profile materials The above list of teaching related information may seem odious to maintain. However, once we get into a habit of collecting and collating these details it becomes easier, and it also saves time when we come to having to write an application. The above are only suggestions of information to keep. The key is to always collect details not only on roles and duties, but also on the impacts we have. Fortunately, if we collect such information then it can be used for a variety of purposes, including to create a teaching profile document or a teaching -focused CV, as may be needed to support a promotion or academic job application. In addition, the information can be used to enhance Advance HE qualification applications and maybe one day can be used to support a successful National Teaching Fellowship application. This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here.
The increasing importance of evidencing teaching effectiveness In recent years, the UK higher education environment has noticeably changed. Research Assessment Exercises and then the Research Excellence Framework have highlighted the importance of academics not only being research- active but regularly publishing high quality outputs in internationally recognised academic journals.
In our experience, using short in-class games is a great way to engage students. In addition, it makes it easier to get across the underlying economic theory and bring out the implications of the resulting predictions. There is also evidence to suggest that introducing games can have a positive impact on students’ learning. These games typically take between 20 and 40 minutes to run. During this time, students make decisions and find out the implications of their payoffs (winnings) at the end of the round. Then, in subsequent rounds they can respond to the outcomes from their own and their classmates’ previous behaviour. Traditionally, in-class games were played in a paper-based format in face-to-face classes. For example, experimental economics pioneer Charles Holt demonstrated that ordinary playing cards can be used to facilitate the running of games. However, over the last ten years, many online versions of economics games have been developed. Students can play these games on laptops, tablets or even mobile phones. As a result, it is now possible to play online games in the classroom or even through remote delivery. The following websites provide, typically for free, a wide range of single player and interactive games covering topics including game theory, industrial organisation, macroeconomics, the environment, and finance: Vecon Set up by Charles Holt, this site provides a wide range of games for free. These include classic lottery and intertemporal decision making games and a host of market-based games as well. They are all presented with simple graphics and easy to use interfaces. The results can be presented in graphic form and saved to be revisited in subsequent classes. Economics-Games Again free, this site provides a range of single and multiplayer games. These include both simple games and more involved simulations, for example on pricing strategies and competition in markets. ClassEx This is another site that provides a wide range of games for free. One very nice feature is that instructors can access the code underlying these games. It is straightforward to learn how this code works. Then, the games can easily be modified to suit your needs. Furthermore, it is also possible to create your own games. This feature also allows you to imbed student questionnaires at the start, during and after playing a game. Moblab Accessing the games on this site requires a subscription fee. The games are presented with sophisticated graphics and are based on a range of real-world settings. There is the option to have students play games against pre-programmed robotic players. In addition, polling software is embedded, and it is possible to set assignments based on gameplay. A good way to learn how these online games work is to set yourself up as the instructor on a laptop or desktop and as separate players on your phone or tablet. After spending 10 minutes or so playing a few rounds, it will become much clearer how the game works from both the tutor’s and the students’ perspectives. In addition to these suggestions, the Economics Network has a range of resources to help with using games in the classroom. We encourage you to experiment with this engaging method of teaching! This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here.
The playing of simple, short games has become an increasingly common way to teach a range of key concepts and theories in economics.
Recent research has suggested that feedback is more effective if we stop seeing it as an event that students receive, but rather as a conversation enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of the material. Effective feedback should be timely, encourage students, and provide useful tips for how to improve. Audio feedback - whereby the instructor records a clip for the student to listen to - is an easy-to-implement alternative to written feedback that acts as the beginning of this conversation. Audio feedback may have better engagement from students and be easier to provide in a timely manner. Compared with written feedback, it can be more interesting and unique as students feel the person marking their work is talking to them. As students perceive verbal feedback as more personal than written feedback, they respond more positively since it feels closer to a dialogue. This short guide can help you get started with providing audio feedback. How can I provide audio feedback? Most virtual learning environments (including Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas) and marking platforms (such as Turnitin) have the functionality to record audio feedback. This allows users to record directly on the platform, making it significantly easier and quicker. The audio feedback is then directly linked to the corresponding submission, so there is nothing more you need to do. If you don’t have access to a marking platform that allows audio feedback, or you want the opportunity to edit or add a transcript, you can record locally on a desktop/laptop or even a smartphone. Then, you can use an app to manage and send your feedback. There are many free apps and software packages available to record audio feedback that, in many cases, also allow you to edit the recordings. However, it should be noted that the sound quality might be affected by the microphone or the software used. If you are manually recording the audio feedback for a large course, make sure you carefully name the files, so that you can easily link the feedback to the correct student! Useful tips Providing an appropriate amount of feedback is important; too much or too little can make the feedback less useful for students. One way to ensure that you offer an appropriate amount is to set an average recording time. It is usually a good idea to avoid providing very long feedback, to prevent the student’s attention from drifting, and to ensure that the feedback is concise. In fact, many learning platforms have a maximum recording time of 3 to 5 minutes. An audio recording of between 40 seconds and 2 minutes should be adequate for a piece of student work. Before you start, you might need to do a few practice runs. This will help you ensure that you do not exceed the maximum recording duration, understand the amount of content that can be covered within the available time, and ensure the recording is audible. Decide on a specific structure for giving feedback to students. It is always nice to start in a friendly way, such as addressing the student by name. Some instructors find it easier to provide holistic feedback by connecting comments to the marking criteria, while others prefer to address the work by section. Use the structure that is most appropriate, but remember to include suggestions on how to improve for future work, as this tends to be very important to students. One of the reasons that students prefer audio feedback is that it can convey nuance through tone of voice, which may not be captured by written feedback. It is often helpful to keep notes as you are reading an assignment. The notes do not need to be detailed, as they should be used as guidelines to make sure that you focus on the key areas for improvement. With audio feedback, students are often forgiving of minor issues, such as grammatical errors or stumbling over words. Such mistakes are common in spoken language. You should not feel that you need to delete or redo the feedback so long as any verbal mistakes do not affect its quality. That being said, if you are not happy with the recording, it is often quicker to redo it than to edit it. Do not forget to inform students that you have provided audio feedback, show them how to access it, and explain what to do in case they face technical issues. If you don’t let students know about the feedback, they might not notice there is an audio file. Or, they may think that their assignment has not been marked or that they didn’t receive feedback. Audio feedback can be inclusive as it supports students with different learning styles who might prefer to listen rather than read. Recent research has shown a strong link between the type of feedback students prefer and their perceived learning style. Nonetheless, there might be students who strongly prefer written feedback. To help these students, and to make audio feedback more accessible for students with disabilities (or to overcome significant language barriers for non-native speakers) you may wish to provide transcripts. Some recording apps offer direct AI or human transcription of your recordings. Windows 10 offers a fully integrated voice recognition function, but there are also websites such as Veed or 360 Converter that are very accurate and easy to use. Written and oral feedback might be used as complements. You might want to use one to give generic comments, and the other to focus on specifics. For example, written feedback can be in the form of an evaluation rubric with a Likert scale that captures performance in a range of criteria, while audio feedback can focus on particular weaknesses, or vice versa. Key things to avoid Make sure the assignment is appropriate for this type of feedback. For example, when marking mathematical problems, it may be easier to identify where there are errors by directly writing on the students’ work. This may be more difficult to express verbally. Another aspect that should be considered is the length of the assignment. A long piece of academic work, such as a dissertation, might not be ideal for audio feedback. In this case, audio feedback might not be sufficiently detailed to cover the key elements, or the recording would be overly long if it did so. Technical issues may arise when creating a recording and/or accessing it. Some web browsers might not allow you to use the audio feedback function or might not have created an audio file after the recording has finished. This is very simple to check, and using a different browser (such as Firefox or Chrome) can easily correct the issue. If problems persist, you might need to check the browser’s privacy settings for your microphone. Students might experience similar issues accessing or listening to the recording – again, this is likely to be related to the web browser. To find out more about audio feedback, see the Assessment and Feedback Handbook produced by The Economics Network. This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here.
Good feedback helps students to understand the scale of any weaknesses in their understanding. To be effective, it will also be timely, encourage students and provide useful tips for how to improve in the future.
Teaching Economics with Real-World Context
Today’s students share a collective angst, an anxiety about the future—and rightfully so: worried about getting a job, worried what the planet will look like when they are ready to settle down and raise a family, and even angry that they had nothing to do with climate change; it was not of their doing, but placed on their laps - a negative externality if you will - only to unravel and become their responsibility. Students (and the public) look to economics and the economics profession for help and guidance. Probably at no time in recent history have we had a greater ethical obligation to educate our students within a context of hope and aspiration so that all can successfully (and sustainably) provision for themselves and for others. Based on our collective years of teaching, as well riding the waves of pluralism, sustainability, and rethinking economics, we offer the following suggestions for would-be teachers of economics and, of course, veteran teachers as well. 1. Align Course Content with Current Issues We need not become messengers of doom and gloom; instead, emphasize the role of education in giving students the ability to think and to solve problems. And, most importantly, let’s instill students with a sense of optimism and empowerment (for a helpful resource, see Boyd and Reardon 2020). Construct the course so it aligns with the big issues of the day, and today there is no bigger issue than climate change, and how we can live our lives sustainability (A helpful guide is the UN 17 SDGs; also see Reardon et al. 2018, and Reardon 2021). Doing so will make the course more thematic and interesting to students, while still covering core topics, but grounded in the context of the 21st century. And it will shed light on other pressing problems such as inequality, migration, species depletion, technological change, and even the coronavirus itself, all of which are interrelated with climate change. Our goal is to educate and not to proselytize. Not all economists think alike, and this is something we should celebrate. But we must teach our students to communicate their results and thoughts clearly. The world needs graduates who can be critical thinkers, who can listen, engage in dialogue, and respect and work with others with whom they disagree. 2. Teach Multidisciplinary Thinking and Cooperation Once the course is re-structured to align with the big issues of the day, i.e., climate change and sustainability, pluralism automatically follows: “It is absolutely impossible to discuss sustainability from one perspective. It is absolutely impossible to discuss sustainability without discussing justice, ethics, and power. And it is absolutely impossible to discuss justice and power without developing the skills to listen and dialogue. It simply cannot be done. Start teaching the UN 17 SDGs [with its emphasis on sustainability], and pluralism with its myriad benefits becomes inevitable. Thus, recognizing and incorporating sustainability is a game changer” (Reardon 2021, p. 294). Pluralism, like sustainability (and democracy and freedom) is a complex and multi-faceted concept. A simple, working definition is a willingness to listen, engage, and dialogue with different and often opposing views. This is necessary because pandemics and climate change do not respect well-established intellectual silos nor international borders. Workable solutions are not the prerogative of one discipline as if only one discipline has the answer. Does pluralism mean that every issue must be taught from every possible school of thought? And that every instructor should master every ideology? Absolutely not. At the individual level, pluralism is a modus operandi, in which one humbly accepts what one does not know, works with others to understand their point of view, listens, and dialogues with others. This is something that every instructor can and should do; and is probably the best thing with the most far-reaching benefits that a professor can instill in his/her students. For even more credibility, invite guest lecturers from politics and sociology. While most of the social sciences are still ensconced in silo-based teaching and research, students (and society) would most benefit from our disciplines pooling together—generating positive externalities if you will. 3. Be Realistic by Discussing Societal Power and Model Efficacy Speaking of power, don’t ignore it. Students see it every day in their relationships with landlords/landladies, in their summer jobs and internships, in their colleges and universities, and sometimes in their own family and relationships. Power in any economy is central and ubiquitous, and must become intrinsic to the economics curricula. To ignore it in one’s teaching is to lose credibility with students. The preponderant lesson from Jared Diamond’s Collapse is that elites and vested interests have universally used their power to thwart and parry necessary reforms which would have benefitted all. In today’s economy, what are the contexts in which power takes place, and how can the existence of power be mapped, understood, and incorporated into the economics curricula? Here students and faculty alike can benefit from an active perusal of the history of economic thought. Not only does it showcase how economic thinkers were well-focused on the issues of their day, but how various configurations of power either promoted or thwarted the adoption of various ideas. Use models that are realistic and empirically based. Every discipline uses models, but economics (especially neoclassical) is notorious for using models that are overly deductive and anti-historical, or lacking in empirical validity. If we want to teach our students how to be critical thinkers, we must roll up our sleeves, so to speak, and get our hands dirty. Data, evidence, and discussions of how the foundational models of economics have outdated assumptions (but can be modified to incorporate new learning) will gain you credibility and teach your students to test everything. After all, this is what they should be doing when they graduate into the real world. 4. Don’t be Discouraged by Having to Work Within the System Now wait a minute, you might say: I accepted a tenure track position and am expected to teach standard economics; I will be evaluated by my colleagues and our department will assess students. So what? Yes, we are all constricted by working within the current system, but that doesn’t give one a license to do nothing. Teach our students to listen, dialogue, and work with others—much-needed skills that are in short supply not just in economics, but throughout society. Isn’t this what good teaching is all about? Have we become so inured to the drudgery of teaching the bread-and-butter issues that we forget what it means to be a good teacher? It doesn’t matter if the course is online or face-to-face (although after two years of virtual teaching, students welcome the chance to be back in the classroom); learning is a unique and exciting opportunity. Working with students, getting to know them individually, and teaching them to listen and dialogue with others, in a spirit of humbleness, will ripple and multiply throughout society. Teaching economics is an honorable profession. We have an ethical obligation to educate our students and to teach them how to think critically, and how best to live and provision in a world that is becoming increasingly warmer. Let’s make it happen. The above article first appeared in the INOMICS Handbook 2022. Download the INOMICS Handbook References: Boyd, Graham and Reardon, Jack (2020) Rebuild the Economy, Leadership, and You: A Toolkit for Builders of a Better World, Evolutesix, London. Diamond, Jared (2005) 'How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,' Penguin, New York. Reardon, Jack (2021) 'Improving Pluralism in Economics Education,' in Hermann, Arturo and Mouatt, Simon (Eds.) Contemporary Issues in Heterodox Economics: Implications for Theory and Policy Action, Routledge: London, pp. 282- 298. Reardon, Jack, Madi, Maria and Cato, Molly Scott (2018) Introducing a New Economics: Pluralist, Sustainable, and Progressive, Pluto Press, London.
The following article first appeared in the INOMICS Handbook 2022. Download the INOMICS Handbook While every generation claims its problems are the most formidable and pressing in the annals of humankind, our generation certainly has a strong case: a global pandemic that has already taken five million lives, and a world seemingly headed toward catastrophe, unable to keep global temperatures from rising and thus contain climate change.
World, Business, & Financial News Apps 1. The Economist App Store / Google Play This app from The Economist magazine focuses on news and analysis for economics topics from around the world. It offers a selection of free articles from The Economist, plus reports on current affairs, science, technology, and other news. You can save articles to read later and share articles over social media. If you’re a regular reader of The Economist, then this app is a must-have. 2. Yahoo Finance App Store / Google Play One of the most popular finance apps is Yahoo Finance, which you can use to track the stocks that you are interested in and get real-time information on the stock market. There is also a section for finance news which has all the headlines you need to read to stay updated about the current economy. The app is mostly aimed at investors, but with all this information it’s also helpful for economists (particularly those in the finance industry) who want to stay informed. 3. Castbox App Store / Google Play A great way to keep up with the latest news and discussions in economics is to listen to podcasts. Podcasts like Marketplace, Planet Money, or Bloomberg Taking Stock are great ways to learn about current events with an economics angle, and you can listen to them while you are exercising or pottering around the house. Castbox is a free and easy to use podcast app. 4. Bloomberg App Store / Google Play Another very popular finance app like Yahoo Finance is Bloomberg. This app has sections for business and finance news, market data, and portfolio tracking. The news section is also outstanding and offers analyses and opinion pieces as well. Economic Databases 5. FRED App Store / Google Play Another fantastic place to find economic data, the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED) app contains “nearly 810,000 economic data series from 108 regional, national, and international sources”. These data series include a myriad of economic indicators and variables, like interest rates, prices, international trade volume, etc. over time. The app is perfect for economists, financial industry professionals, academics, and anyone else interested in economic data. 6. IMF App Store / Google Play Simply titled “IMF”, the International Monetary Fund’s app contains news, press releases, podcasts, and other insights. It also contains a huge amount of economic data. One of the coolest features is the app’s Data Visualizations tool; with it, users can easily visualize color-coded maps, charts and graphs of worldwide economic data with the touch of a finger. The app also contains country-level data on a wide variety of statistics to dive deeper into specific regions. This is a great way to explore macro-level economic data in style. Calculators & Tools 7. PocketCAS lite for Mathematics App Store If you’re doing advanced calculations for your data analysis, then it’s useful to have a scientific calculation app on your phone. The PocketCAS app (for iOS only) has advanced features like creating 2D and 3D plots, performing calculus operations, algebra functions, and conversion of physical units. For advanced statistics users, this app is a must. 8. HiPER Scientific Calculator Google Play A free calculator option that can be used with Android, HiPER includes writing expressions as fractions, symbolic algebra, integral and derivative functionality, and up to 100 digits of significance and 9 digits of exponent. It can also detect repeating decimals. There is also a Pro version that is a paid upgrade option. 9. Oanda Currency Converter App Store / Google Play When you need to stay informed about fluctuations in world currencies, it helps to have all of the important information in one place. This is what the Oanda Currency Converter offers, letting you track daily rates for different currencies and including an option to add a percentage to rates to simulate the actual rate offered by banks and credit card companies.
In spite of all its distracting qualities, your phone is one of the most useful tools you’ve got, whether you’re studying or working in the field. It’s simply a question of how you use it. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of apps that are helpful for economists to have. They can help you find data, stay up to date, and crunch numbers on the go. INOMICS takes part in the Apple affiliate program. This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn money through any qualifying purchases made after you click through. However, this is not a sponsored post.
A growing number of universities offer different career pathways into teaching roles, making it possible to pursue a career in academia tailored towards your specialism. This might be a traditional teaching and research role or a teaching and scholarship-focused role. For a research and teaching role, universities will often place a great weight on your published and ongoing research, your potential for producing world-leading research, and how well your research fits into the overall balance of the department. Institutions will also look at your statement of teaching philosophy. Though, in some institutions, research potential may be given more weight in decision making. However, for teaching-focused positions the balance of the role will be skewed towards teaching. So, institutions will be looking for evidence of your teaching philosophy and engagement in thinking about pedagogy, alongside your research. Some institutions will expect academics working in teaching and scholarship-related roles to continue with discipline-focused research, whereas others will place more emphasis on scholarship of teaching and learning, such as through evaluation and development of pedagogies. It is likely that a teaching-focused career will require you to engage with a higher teaching load than a traditional research and teaching role. In some institutions, teaching-focused academics may teach twice as many hours as “research and teaching” academics. Any application will need to be tailored to the role and institution to which you are applying. Be passionate about teaching and pedagogy! If you intend to start a teaching career in economics, it is important to have a passion for teaching and the ability to motivate and inspire students. Teaching with passion means bringing knowledge into the classroom with enthusiasm, creating interaction with students, and sharing your own interests and research, where relevant, for discussion. If you are passionate about education, a teaching career in economics can be highly rewarding. However, you will need to spend time on preparation and be wise enough to accept that you don’t know everything. At times, it could be tough, as you may be asked to teach material that will require you to familiarise yourself with a new topic that you have never come across before. You should also be aware that the breadth and depth of learning material is likely to vary as students advance their knowledge of the discipline in their degree (e.g., undergraduate versus postgraduate modules), and depending on the institutions you are working in. Furthermore, be aware that innovative pedagogy and engagement with appropriate technology may be more crucial than ever before. Over the past couple of years, education has seen a fundamental structural change in the different ways to support student teaching and learning. This has been brought into further focus by the COVID-19 pandemic. Blended learning and flipped classrooms are becoming increasingly normalised in the higher education environment, along with tools such as message boards and in-class learning aids. Alongside this, institutions are developing online course offerings. Thus, make sure you don’t forget to mention your innovative practices during an interview as, in the current times, this is very much what employers are looking for. Teaching-specific career pathways are relatively new across the sector, and whilst many institutions have teaching-focused roles, some of these may not be part of a career framework, limiting progression. However, in a growing number of institutions, teaching pathways can lead to a career ranging from teaching assistant to professor. Pathways to Professor The titles that individual institutions use for teaching roles can vary quite a lot across the sector. In some institutions, there may be a clear demarcation between traditional research and teaching “lecturers” and their teaching and scholarship equivalents (often using terms such as “teaching fellow”). But in others, this may be much less clear. We have tried to illustrate the equivalent levels throughout this article. Teaching Fellow/Assistant Many teaching-focused academics begin as a teaching assistant or teaching fellow. These roles are designed to support teaching, led by more senior academics within your department. For instance, they might include leading large- or small-group seminars, marking assignments and examinations, and helping to enhance the student experience. Alongside these tasks, you will normally be expected to continue your own personal and professional development, which may involve engaging with research, developing your own pedagogies and/or teaching innovations, and attending departmental and institutional seminars and national/international conferences. With this in mind, when writing your application and preparing for your interview, you may want to think about how you could help improve the student experience. Providing evidence of previous teaching experience in higher education could also help you succeed in getting the post. Assistant Professor (teaching-focused)/Senior Teaching Fellow/Lecturer (teaching focused) At Assistant Professor level, you are likely to begin to demonstrate leadership. You will usually be expected to lead individual modules, or you may be required to take a programme leadership role. In addition, you may be asked to engage in student pastoral care (such as personal tutoring) and lead on developing activities that aim to provide additional academic support for students, and engage collegiately within the wider institution. These activities may be focused on applicants (e.g., open days and widening participation events/initiatives), current students (e.g., work on the development of key study skills within the degree programme), or post-university activities (e.g., support for alumni relations). Alongside this, you will normally be expected to engage with scholarship, which may be discipline-related research, pedagogic research or other scholarly activities. The latter may include contributing to the identification of sources of funding and the process of applying for and securing funds for scholarly activities, as well as their dissemination. Evidence of teaching excellence is crucial for these types of posts. Thus, accreditation (such as a fellowship from Advance HE in the UK) would be very helpful. You might want to consider working towards this qualification as soon as you start your academic career in a teaching-focused role. Candidates should also demonstrate a good understanding of the wider student experience, particularly in relation to welfare, student support, study skills, internships, and employability. Associate Professor (teaching-focused) Moving onto the role of Associate Professor (teaching-focused), your role will likely become more concentrated on academic leadership through programme directorships, mentoring of peers and colleagues, and more general leadership within your academic department and the wider university. Engagement with external organisations within the discipline or other institutions is also likely to be valuable in these roles. This could involve joining a committee of a learned society, contributing towards quality assurance processes across the sector, serving as an external examiner, or engaging with an organisation such as the Economics Network. Among other teaching responsibilities, you may be required to engage more with curriculum design and planning learning activities to support the implementation of new modules/degree programmes. Similarly, as a course leader or equivalent, you may provide leadership in coordinating the work of others to ensure that courses are delivered effectively. You may also contribute to colleagues’ professional and career development, acting as personal mentor and providing advice. You should also have an in-depth understanding of your own specialism. A track record of publications in your area of expertise and/or pedagogic research would be desirable at this stage. You should show ability and major achievement in teaching, demonstrated by high quality instruction and a substantial teaching record. Professor (teaching-focused) Becoming a teaching-focused professor in economics involves demonstrating sustained impact, not just within your institution, but within the discipline more generally. Just as with traditional research and teaching roles, a teaching-focused professor will be expected to provide leadership both within the university and beyond, within the discipline. There is a wide variation in what your leadership role could look like. Some may take editorial roles with scholarly journals, others may have administrative leadership roles at their universities, and others may have leadership roles within the sector to shape economics teaching. Moreover, teaching-focused professors will build upon their scholarship, and may produce subject-specific or pedagogic research of international quality to inform research-led teaching practice. They may also work collaboratively and collegially on academic, pastoral and other administrative duties within their department. A career on a teaching pathway can be extremely rewarding. As you progress in your role, you may have the opportunity to shape university education of economics in your department and beyond. This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here.
This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here. When you enter the job market for teaching economics, the institutions that you are applying for may well have different characteristics. Therefore, you may need to tailor your application to the type of institution and the role specifications in the job advert.
How to research and publish in economics education
A recent article introduced a range of publications and conferences focused on teaching, assessment and pedagogy in both economics and more widely. This article may help motivate you to adopt a more innovative approach to teaching, and may also spark the desire to share your work in pedagogy. Just as with research in economics, there are a wide range of areas within pedagogy that you could focus research in, and the skills developed as an academic economist are often transferrable when thinking about teaching and learning more generally. In this article, we will discuss some of the key elements needed to publish research relating to economics education. 1. Develop teaching innovations A first step towards developing research in pedagogy might be to explore new teaching innovations. These don’t need to be radical innovations, but just need to be novel. For example, you might introduce a game within a principles of economics lecture to illustrate marginal productivity through active learning. A good understanding of what has been developed and evaluated previously is important here. Economics journals such as the International Review of Economics Education, the Journal of Economic Education and the Journal of Economic Teaching may provide you with inspiration. They can also help identify what has worked, and what has not. Some journals will publish work introducing an innovation, but for most journals it will also be important to evaluate the teaching innovation. 2. Evaluate economics teaching innovations Having introduced a new teaching innovation, it is usually important to evaluate the innovation. Economists have significant training in evaluation, and this can build upon the applied economics you have learned during your PhD, or earlier. The principal reason for evaluating the innovation may be to check that it is having the desired effect, and is not having any deleterious effect on student outcomes. Of course, the act of evaluating the innovation may also mean that you have the opportunity to share it, and your skills as an economist will be beneficial when evaluating the quantitative or qualitative impact of the study. If you are submitting an evaluation of a teaching innovation, editors in the review process will be looking to see that you have connected your research with the existing literature, and that the empirical evaluations are sound. For instance, if you claim the innovation is having a causal effect on grades, they will want to check that your identification strategy is sound. Similarly, they will want to check details such as that you have a suitable sample size to evaluate the effect, whether you are using the correct econometric tests, and whether your control group is sound as well. For publication, editors will usually be looking for research which will be of interest to the general readership. If your innovation is too niche, or is only applicable to a very small group of economics educators (e.g. if the innovation would only be relevant to the structures in your own institution), then editors may reject the research. However, you should also be careful not to claim too much. If there are limitations to your evaluation, you should make these clear to the reader. 3. Review the existing literature Of course, you don’t have to be developing brand new ideas yourself in order to carry out research and publish in the area of economics pedagogy. Often reviews of the existing literature, drawing upon evidence from a range of fields, can be very beneficial, and can be highly cited pieces of work. For example, Julien Picault’s recent paper “The economics instructor’s toolbox” provides an excellent overview of the development of pedagogies across economics. Many subjects can become stuck in silos when it comes to thinking about the best methods for education. Economics is a subject that, because of its nature - combining mathematical technicality, statistical tools, and the ability to explain and argue concepts - means that there are real benefits to drawing together evidence from a range of disciplines including both sciences such as mathematics and physics, and the humanities. 4. Develop new curricula Whilst “developing a new curriculum” may sound like a Herculean task, there is constant debate in a range of journals about what should go into an undergraduate economics curriculum. Economics is a constantly developing field, and as such, curricula also need to change over time. One area in which there is much work is developing the debates about what should go into curricula, including what is important and what should be left out. As higher education has become more market-based (particularly in the UK and US), the role of an undergraduate degree has been shifting as well. In many institutions, it is no longer seen as sufficient for a degree to merely teach students more about a subject, but other skills need to be embedded visibly within the curriculum. For example, employability skills are often seen as an important element to be embedded within courses. Research on embedding these skills could be based on empirical evidence of efficacy, or could involve qualitative studies about students’ wants and reactions to these innovations. 5. Innovative assessment The type and format of assessment is just as important as the pedagogies being used, and the curriculum being followed. All three should be constructively aligned. While closed-book exams do constitute a large proportion of assessment in economics, there are opportunities for evaluating and investigating these methods, many of which will follow a mixed-methods approach. If you are writing about an innovation in assessment, it’s important to think about what the assessment looks like and what its outcomes are. These can be in terms of the observed skills that students develop, or their progress in subsequent years of study. But it’s also important to note how the assessment ties in with the curriculum and teaching. On its own, an innovative assessment may be of interest, but it is unlikely to generate good outcomes for students unless appropriate changes are made to the pedagogy as well. At its most extreme, if you ask students to write a policy report (say) as the assessment for your unit, but all of the preparation is mathematical problem solving, it is unlikely that the assessment will gain good results. And, it will be unlikely that a journal would be interested in publishing your research! Summary If you are innovating in your teaching, or are reading widely about novel pedagogies, you can also add depth to your academic CV by writing for publication. However, as with your research in economics, for work to be published, it needs to be innovative, rigorous, and provide a wide interest to the readership! This article was produced in cooperation with the Economics Network, the largest and longest-established academic organisation devoted to improving the teaching and learning of economics in higher education. Learn more about the Economics Network here.
As you develop your career in higher education economics, you will likely be carrying out research within a field in economics. But you will also likely be involved in delivering and developing teaching within your department. As a result, you may be interested in developing and disseminating an understanding of what students should learn and how they learn.
Top YouTube Channels to Learn Econometrics and Economics
So, are you looking for resources to learn economics online? INOMICS has got you covered, whatever your reason. We’ve published various articles that aim to help our readers make the most of online resources already out there. Some of the most popular thus far have included free and paid for online courses in econometrics, lessons in mathematics and statistics, and a list of the best (in our humble opinion) economics podcasts. Continuing in this vein, we would now like to share with you a list of the best YouTube channels we could find, updated for 2022 and useful for any student of economics. For more online learning opportunities click here INOMICS We’re big readers here at INOMICS, but did you know that you can watch our content, too? Aimed at young economists, our Youtube channel’s fun, short, and informative videos help explain all those economics terms you should know, but often don't...Need a quick definition of the prisoner's dilemma? INOMICS has just the video for you. New Economic Thinking It’s important to question conventional understandings of economics, especially when they may uphold systems of oppression or hide ideological assumptions that need unpacking, debating and challenging. The Institute for New Economic Thinking’s channel does an excellent job of this, featuring regular interviews with economists at the front-line who are moving the discipline forward. Marginal Revolution University Marginal Revolution University believes that economics has the power to change the way you see the world. Their mission is to help you discover your inner economist, one video at a time. With full courses like the principles of micro and macroeconomics, mastering econometrics and series like everyday economics, checking out MRU really is a must for any budding economics student. <11an>limit:2;categories:jobs|courses|conferences|Professor;disciplines:Econometrics, Statistics and Quantitative Methods (JEL C)|General Economics (JEL A)</11an> EconplusDal Next up is EconplusDal. Frustrated by the lack of economics help available when studying economics himself, EconplusDal is trying to right that wrong. Now as a fully trained economics teacher, he makes videos especially for economics students to help them pass their exams. If you are an International Baccalaureate student or studying for an A Level exam in the UK, his specialized exam content makes this the channel for you. Jacob Clifford Meanwhile, if you’re a student in the United States Jacob Clifford has specialized exam content just for you. With over 500,000 subscribers, he's definitely doing something right. Khan Academy Khan Academy is a non-profit organization with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. With over five million subscribers, they cover a lot more than just economics topics, but their economics content is really great. If you need to understand a particular theory, the chances are they’ve covered it. One Minute Economics All of One Minute Economics videos are lovingly animated and narrated by Andrei Polgar who has a passion for teaching people economics. No long introductions, or unnecessary fluff, Polgar gets straight to the point and therefore well worth a look. Economics Explained In the video essay genre, Economics Explained takes a wide-ranging look at a whole host of economics topics. They are particularly well-known for their deep dives on the economy of a particular country. It can be a fun break from all the lesson-style economics content available. Ben Lambert Ben Lambert's videos provide detailed commentaries on the main undergraduate and graduate courses most universities offer in economics. They are taught through a series of lectures given on an animated chalkboard. Watching his videos, you get an impression of exactly what an economics degree will be like - without having to pay the admission fee! Ashley Hodgson An associate professor of economics at St. Olaf College, Ashley Hodgson has been busy making lots of videos on her channel. Her favorite topics include behavioral economics, blockchain, health care, game theory and microeconomic theory. These videos are great for university level students! She also includes videos on fun and interesting behavioral economics topics, like love and kindness. The Economist First up, you really can’t go wrong with a quick follow of The Economist’s YouTube channel. Every Thursday they post a video that highlights the best of its reporting from its print and digital edition. This is also a good way to stay on top of current events relevant for economists. The Financial Times The Financial Times’ YouTube channel showcases some of the best of their journalism in visual form. With the stated aim to inform and inspire you, a quick follow can add color to the latest economics stories of the day. If this list still has not quenched your appetite for economics content, you can check out our own Economics Terms A-Z or our Blog to see what our economist contributors are writing about!
Online learning is not a novelty anymore. During the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown, many institutions were forced to invest in their online program offerings - or simply adjust their courses to be online-friendly. But sometimes it’s nice to learn without having to fully commit to a long program. Other times, learning from a different source can help new concepts make sense, or can refresh the memory.