May 4
Presenter: William G. Wolfson
Title: Student Engagement in ECO 200 – In-class Assignments and Student Perceptions
Abstract: To encourage students to actively engage with the concepts discussed in lecture, I’ve recently introduced (ungraded) in-class problem sets in my section of ECO 200 (Microeconomic Theory for Econ majors). The session will discuss my thinking behind the design of these worksheets, my observations on its effectiveness and student feedback on them. Over the last few years, I have administered student surveys to gather student perceptions of various course elements. While it has helped me improve course instruction, the consistent themes that have emerged over the years also provide insight into student perceptions which may be useful to instructors teaching these students in other courses.
May 11
Presenter: Jonathan Hall
Title: Virtual Tutorials in ECO 333 (Urban Economics)
Abstract: In place of TA lead tutorials, in ECO 333 students watch videos or listen to podcasts related to course material and submit a short response form before class. In class, students first discuss what they learned in small groups and then we broaden it to the entire class. In this session, I will discuss the motivation behind this strategy, ways to implement it effectively, student feedback and examples.
May 18
Presenter: Robert Gazzale
Title: Using Games and Student-Response Technology in Tutorials [Slides]
Abstract: In the just-completed academic year, I introduced an online platform (MobLab) in required ECO100 tutorials to promote active learning in tutorials. In addition to participating in in-tutorial experiments and market games (8 of 19 tutorials), students used MobLab to complete low-stakes writing assignments (15 tutorials) and answered clicker-like questions (9 out of 19 tutorials). In this session, I will discuss implementation issues, and present initial (student and TA) feedback and usage data. I will also demonstrate the technology, so please bring an internet-connected laptop, tablet or smartphone!
May 25
Presenter: Michelle Alexopoulos
Title: Data Literacy in the Classroom
Abstract: The University has taken a number of initiatives to improve the writing skills of our students. While these short assignments are useful for a number of purposes, they do not fully address a related shortcoming for many economics students – data literacy. In the presentation, I will discuss feedback I have received from the Bank of Canada about their
experiences in interviewing Economics students from UofT and other universities, and discuss how we might be able to overcome some of the identified issues. In addition, I will discuss some of the data literacy exercises that I have utilized in ECO208.
June 1 – No Meeting
June 8
Presenters: Avi Cohen, Gillian Hamilton and Dwayne Benjamin
Title: Why Aren’t We Teaching Introductory Economics in a Pareto Efficient Way?
Abstract: Introductory economics courses provide graphical and mathematical tools majors need, but the vast majority of students who then stop studying economics waste course and study time trying to master tools and concepts they will rarely use and soon forget. An alternative, economic literacy approach focuses on a shorter list of core concepts that students can use for the rest of their lives, supplemented by active learning to pursue higher-level mastery. Research (Gilleskie and Salemi 2012; Benjamin, Cohen, Hamilton 2017) shows that introductory economic literacy courses still provide the preparation for upper-year courses if a student decides to major in economics. This talk explores the content, evidence, and controversy of economic literacy courses and their integration into a university curriculum.
References:
Gilleskie, D. B., & Salemi, M. K. (2012). The Cost of Economic Literacy: How Well Does a Literacy-Targeted Principles of Economics Course Prepare Students for Intermediate Theory Courses?. The Journal of Economic Education, 43(2), 111-132.
D. Benjamin, A. Cohen and G. Hamilton, “How Well Do Students in Introductory Economic Literacy Courses Do in Upper Level Economics Courses? The University of Toronto Model” Presentation to AEA Conference on Teaching and Research in Economic Education, Denver, 2017.
June 15
Presenters: Pamela Klassen and Jennifer Esmail
Title: Community-Engaged Learning: Theory in Practice
Abstract: In a Community Engaged Learning (CEL) course students work for a set number of hours (unpaid) at a local non-profit organization. The link between their experience at this placement and their academic learning in the course is bidirectional with both elements being equally important. How does one create a learning environment that facilitates a positive feedback loop between them? One that allows students to intentionally learn from their experience and facilitates the application of course concepts. Pamela Klassen will talk about how she approached this challenge when developing and teaching her “Religion in the Public Sphere” class.
The other challenge for instructors is finding the right placements with all of the effort and bureaucracy it entails. The Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) at the UofT helps you with this aspect and others. Jennifer Esmail will provide an overview of the support they provide and will highlight resources available to instructors considering adding a CEL component to their courses.
Resources:
- Jennifer Esmail’s handout and list of resources
- Furco, A. (1996). Service-learning: A balanced approach to experiential education. In Corporation for National Service (Ed.) Expanding Boundaries: Service and Learning (pp 2-6). Columbia, MD: Cooperative Education Association.
- Hatcher, J. A., & Bringle, R. G. (1997). Reflection: Bridging the gap between service and learning. College teaching, 45(4), 153-158.
- Howard, J. (1993). Community service learning in the curriculum. In J. Howard (Ed.), Praxis I: A faculty casebook on community service learning. (pp. 3-12). Ann Arbor: OCSL Press
June 22
Presenter: Ismael Mourifié
Title: From Theoretical Econometrics to an Empirical Research Paper.
Abstract: ECO 475 is usually taken by students trying to get into good graduate programs. In this course, I try to reach two objectives that are challenging to combine in one course – (i) To teach students various advanced theoretical econometric tools and (ii) to guide them through the process of writing a research paper that explores an empirical research question in economics using adequate econometrics tools. Both objectives require students to work on several skills. For example, to complete their paper they need to learn how to tackle a general research question, gather data, and work on their writing, oral and software skills. The question for the session is how can we design a course that effectively achieves these two objectives simultaneously in a half year course? I will explain the thinking behind the elements (assessments, support etc.) of my course and how it has evolved over the years.
June 29
Presenter: Jennifer Murdock
Title: Crowdmark
Abstract: Since the first use of Crowdmark in 2014/15 in our department, the voluntary adoption of this technology has ballooned and both the software and our use of it have evolved. In this roundtable session, I will share experiences from ECO220Y in 2016/17, showing marked sample test and exam papers. These illustrate two deployment methods: a hybrid paper-online approach (four term tests) and a fully-online approach (final exam). I will also share new survey results highlighting the extremely high value students ascribe to Crowdmark and TAs reactions to it. We can also discuss effective test/exam design, commenting, and benchmarking within the Crowdmark environment. Given the now broad experience with Crowdmark in the department, I expect lively discussion that would be of interest to both seasoned users and potential new users of Crowdmark.