Online Discussion and Learning Outcomes

This paper describes how we used Facebook as a discussion tool in the instruction of a principles level economics course and reports empirical estimates of the affect of that use on learning outcomes. Social media as a tool for promoting classroom discussion has advantages and disadvantages. For example, its omnipresence and flat learning curve can promote academic discourse. However social media can promote nonacademic “chatting”, and its omnipresence means the user needs more than a passing knowledge of the privacy settings to have control of their “digital identity”. For a Principles of Microeconomics taught in 2011 we collected data, with permission from our institution’s Institutional Review Board, on student use of Facebook, academic and demographic characteristics, learning style preferences and learning outcomes. Our research hypothesis is that an empirical analysis will find a positive correlation between student in-class use of Facebook and learning outcomes. Among our findings are that students should receive more coaching on the use of privacy settings, and qualified evidence that there is a positive net effect on learning outcomes of using Facebook as a discussion tool.     

Using Electronic Response Systems in Economics Classes

College instructors and students participated in a pilot project at the University of Akron to enhance student learning through the use of a common teaching pedagogy, peer instruction. The teaching pedagogy was supported by the use of technology, an electronic personal response system, which recorded student responses. The authors report their experiences in using this technology-enhanced teaching pedagogy and provide another example of an active and collaborative learning tool that instructors can use to move beyond “chalk and talk.” Preliminary survey results from students participating in this pilot project are also reported.     

Programmed Learning-Policy Analysis: An Experiment in Teaching Principles of Economics

Darnton reports on an experiment using programmed instruction in macroeconomics. He also explains how assignments to write “position papers” on economic policies are used. An analysis of the experiment deals with the time devoted to the course by students and instructor, student understanding of economics and student attitude toward this approach. The TUCE was used as the testing instrument, and Darnton asserts that the experimental group did better than the control group on complex application questions. The experimental approach proved to be popular with the students, and the author claims that it provided for a more efficient use of faculty resources.     

Some Evidence on the Value of Instructors in Teaching Economic Principles

Using data collected from three universities, the authors of this article attempt to show that student attitude is “an important dimension of learning” and that the quality of instruction is indeed associated with attitude. The attitude referred to here is that of student opinions toward economics (as measured by Karstensson's “Questionnaire on Student Attitude Toward Economics”) rather than opinions on economic issues. Posttest scores on the TUCE and the attitude instrument were the dependent variables, while scores on the TUCE pretest, ACT scores, sex, major field, economics background, university attended, and quality of instruction were used as independent variables.     

论高校体育教学目标的发展趋势

传统体育教学模式是以教师为中心建立的，学生始终处于被动学习状态，每一步教学程序都是学生按教师的指令运作的。而国内外出现的种种现代教学模式，其发展的趋势之一，就是强调学生在教学中的主体地位，注重调动学生的主体性和积极性。强调教学着眼于发展学生的智力，培养学生的能力，这是现代教学的时代特点。因此，作为高校体育教学必须落实到提高学生知识质量的基点上，从而达到使学生最大限度的获得知识，提高能力和锻炼身体的教学目标。     

Promoting Active-Student Learning Using the World Wide Web in Economics Courses

During the past 10 years, teaching with computer technology, such as e-mail and the Web, has become customary throughout undergraduate economic education. The authors review the literature on the implications for student learning, present specific educational activities that use a number of different computer technologies, and discuss growing problems, such as "cyber-plagiarism," along with suggesting potential solutions. The future of using technology for teaching economics will be the continuation of recent trends: increased portability in the access to instruction and increased opportunities for interaction, including students' interaction with the material and with the instructor and other students.     

团队精神在学生工作中的应用

在大学生的教育工作中,人们无法将智育与德育分开,也就是说智育不是任课教师的专利,德育也不是辅导教师的专利,学生任何一方面素质的发展与提高都包含在教育的各个环节当中,分析了在＂院长—分院院长—系主任—导师＂的四级管理模式下,辅导教师与导师如何默契配合,共同做好学生教育工作的问题。     

How important are school principals in the production of student achievement?

As school leaders, principals can influence student achievement in a number of ways, such as hiring and firing of teachers, monitoring instruction and maintaining student discipline, among many others. We measure the effect of individual principals on gains in math and reading achievement between grades 4 and 7 using a value‐added framework. We estimate that a one standard deviation improvement in principal quality can boost student performance by 0.289 to 0.408 standard deviations in reading and math, while the principal at the 75th percentile improves scores by 0.170 to 0.193 relative to the median principal. Our results imply that isolating the most effective principals and allocating them accordingly between schools can have a significant positive effect on reducing achievement gaps.     

An Evaluation of the Vanderbilt-JCEE Experimental PSI Course in Elementary Economics

This is considerably longer than articles normally accepted by the JEE, but we considered it to be an important follow-up of our Special Issue No. 2, “The Vanderbilt-JCEE Experimental Course in Elementary Economics.” (Winter 1974.) The authors address a number of aspects of PSI, some of which have rarely been touched upon by other researchers interested in this method. This paper deals not only with student learning and student reactions to PSI, but with its effects on performance in higher level economics courses, its impact on the student proctors in terms of their learning of economics, and the costs of establishing and maintaining a PSI course. Siegfried and Strand have not answered all the questions pertaining to self-paced instruction but, along with Allison, Billings, Fels, Soper, Spector, Tietenberg and others, they have contributed significantly to our knowledge of the effectiveness of PSI.     

Scholastic Effort: An Empirical Test of Student Choice Models

A measure of student effort based on time and the efficiency of its use was found to be significant in several learning models. The report discusses variations of a generalized learning model, different definitions of student input, and the use of pre-TUCE scores as a variable. The authors ask whether the pre-TUCE is more appropriate as a measure of economic knowledge or as a proxy for student aptitude. The findings and methodology should be of considerable interest to others doing research on student effort.     

Perspectives on Economics in the School Curriculum: Coursework,Content, and Research

This review describes the conditions for teaching economics in the kindergarten through twelfth grade (K–12) curriculum in U.S. schools. The first section presents data on course-taking in economics in high schools and state mandates for economics instruction. It discusses the value of the infusion approach to teaching economics either in place of a separate course or as a complement to it. The second section describes the economic content that is taught to students as presented in content guides and standards. The final section presents research findings on (1) test instruments for measuring outcomes from economics instruction, (2) the effect of teacher coursework and training on the student economic understanding, and (3) how instructional materials complement or substitute for instructor selection and training.     

植物学实习教学在网络教学模式中的应用

笔者针对传统植物学实习教学方式存在的弊端及网络教学在植物实习中的优势,结合多媒体教学、网络教学和实习课教学的特点,全面系统地探讨了植物实习网络教学系统的设计制作过程,为提高植物实习课程教学效率和效果及进一步建设与实现其它课程实习教学的网络化提供了一条新的思路。     

Computer-Assisted Instruction and Student Performance in Macroeconomic Principles

Steven Cox reports on a research project in which computer-assisted instruction was tried at Arizona State University. He explains the experimental design which involved a comparison of student learning of macroeconomic principles by CAI with that of a control group. Fairly detailed accounts are given of the computer simulations Cox used. The statistical significance of nine student characteristics in terms of their impact on overall test performance is discussed. This article should have practical value to others doing research in this field.     

A Characteristics Approach to the Evaluation of Economics Software Packages

Using the Bloom taxonomy of learning, the authors identify elements of student and instructor interest and then develop characteristics that are useful in analytically evaluating software packages for instruction in economics. They illustrate the technique with the extensively used software package Running the British Economy.     

An Economic Model of Faculty Grading Practices

The statistical evidence examined by the author indicates that faculty members with relatively few students tend to assign higher grades than would be expected otherwise. In evaluating student achievement and faculty performance, therefore, one must not only be aware of this association, but also be able to assess its significance.     

A signalling model of school grades under different evaluation systems

We examine the role of school grades as a signal of worker productivity under different examination systems in relation to errors that may affect student performance. Firms use school grades as a signal of workers’ effective skills, taking into account that these evaluations are effected by stochastic shocks. We show that more precise evaluation systems, being associated with a higher reactivity of wages to school grades, induce students to provide more effort. Low ability students tend to react less than high ability students. Moreover, individuals with low abilities may prefer less accurate evaluation systems. Nevertheless, when productivity increases, these systems become less convenient and the number of individuals preferring them diminishes. Our analysis highlights an important trade-off between centralised and decentralised evaluation systems. On the one hand, frequent evaluations, typical of decentralised systems, weaken the impact on grades of those errors which influence student performance and, so, reduce signal noise, while, on the other hand, different teachers generally adopt different performance assessment standards, leading to noisier evaluations.     

Leveraging the power of experiential learning to achieve higher-order proficiencies

Although experiential learning approaches, such as service-learning, have been shown to increase student motivation and academic achievement, faculty concerns about the costs of developing and implementing such courses have limited their adoption within economics. One cost that can be eliminated is the opportunity cost typically associated with “required” reflection exercises that are often perceived as taking time away from economic instruction. This article contributes to the existing literature by introducing a reflection mechanism based on programmatically appropriate project-management reports. This approach not only links experience and course content, essential elements of service-learning best-practice, but also facilitates the successful management of a complex project, thereby contributing to the development of higher-order proficiencies.     

基于生态学视角的高校学生管理工作研究

高等学校作为一个独特的生态系统,学生管理是学生这一生命主体在高等学校特定环境中的生态发展过程,而管理质量则是生命主体与其所处环境相互作用的结果。以生态学视角探析高校学生管理工作,就是借用生态学理论和方法论原则,运用其所确立的研究视角,以学生生命的充分发展为目的,探讨环境对于学生管理的影响,探寻提高学生管理质量的路径方法,为高校学生管理工作提供创新思路。     

The relationship between business diversification and productivity: considering the impact of process innovation at different corporate life cycles

This paper investigates the link between a firm's process innovation (PI) and its segment productivity at different life cycles. The results show that business diversification is negatively associated with a firm's productivity, and further reveal that a firm's PI moderates the above relationship. In addition, the corporate life cycle literature builds blocks for this study to explain that the involvement of administrative costs varies across life cycles when diversified firms get mature and bigger. Our empirical evidence indicates that the potential costs of a complex organisational structure contingent on business diversification at a firm's mature life cycle could be alleviated by the conduct of process innovation. As process innovation at different life cycles may alter managerial incentive that leads to different firm performance, the managerial implication is that diversified firms should appropriately engage in process innovation to prevent unfavourable liability from the development of their businesses.