Incentive Matters!—The Benefit of Reminding Students About Their Academic Standing in Introductory Economics Courses

In this article, the authors illustrate how incentives can improve student performance in introductory economics courses. They implemented a policy experiment in a large introductory economics class in which they reminded students who scored below an announced cutoff score on the midterm exam about the risk of failing the course. The authors employed a regression-discontinuity method to estimate the causal impact of their policy on students’ performance on the final exam. The results suggest that the policy had a significant impact on students’ performance on the final exam. In fact, the gain in test scores was sufficient to boost a student's overall course grade by one letter grade.     

Entrepreneurial Mind-Set Among Female University Students： A Study of University of Jos Students,Nigeria

In today＇s world, entrepreneurship is seen as the vital source for economic growth, and education in the creation and development of entrepreneurial attitudes. It is, therefore, natural to consider female students as the primary resource of future entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship as a career option is becoming increasingly desirable. Responding to this need, many colleges and universities around the world have significantly increased their offerings of entrepreneurship courses over the past 25 years. Entrepreneurship courses are not only offered by Business Institutes, but other faculties like Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Information Technology are also offering these courses in their syllabus. The problem under focus was to examine entrepreneurial mindset among female university students, a study of University of Jos. The study also ascertained the rate at which variables like： perception of entrepreneurship, role model and university＇s role to promote entrepreneurship are translated into entrepreneurial mindset of female students of University of Jos. A sample size of about 400 was adopted from the three Faculties of Management Science, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences which were selected at random. Furthermore, the data obtained were analyzed using simple percentage and presented in tables and charts, the hypothesis which states that there is no significant relationship between the teaching of entrepreneurship and university female students＇ entrepreneurial mindset which was tested using z-test analyses of population proportion earlier conducted. This implies a weak relationship between the teaching of entrepreneurship and university female students＇ entrepreneurial mindset. Based on the above inference, the research recommended that, as providers of entrepreneurship trainings, universities must create entrepreneurship supportive environment that could encourage entrepreneurial activity which would in turn help develop an enterprise culture among the female students.     

The Motor Tycoon of The world

NewDeparturesTosecureapositionamongthetopglobalcompetitors,acompanyneedstobeabletoadaptswiftlytochangingcondi-nons.Thereisnoalternative.Businesses,processandstructuresmustberegularlyscreenedtoensuretheircontinuingfitnesstomeetever-changingchallenges.TheDaimler-BenzGrouprecentlyconductedacomprehensivereviewofitsbusinessportfolio,whichresultedinthePrevious35businessesbeingreducedto23.FOllowingthisstrategicrepositioning,Daimler-Benzisnowactiveinthefol-lowingfields:Passengercars,commercialvehi…     

The Bernanke Agenda

Cool,calm,and collected,Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is driving Wall Street batty.When traders scream about a recessionary "credit crunch," the former professor acknowledges their concerns but predicts contin-     

The Technical City-Quebec

CapitaloftheProvinceofQuebec，whichrepresentsanareaof1522563km2withapopulationofonly7millionpeople,thecityofquebecisastrongtechnologicalcenter,withauniqueandextremelyrichhistoricalandculturalheritage,locatedinamodernenyironmentwithanexceptionalqualityoflife.DesignatedWorldHeritageSitebyUnesco,theCapitalofQuebecanditsirnmediatesurroundingsisoftenreferredtoasthemostEuropeanofNorthAmericancities,andreprescntsaprivilegedlocationfromwhiclionecaneasilyaccessthenortheasternpartoftheNorthAmericanc…     

The Quiets Americans

Since my daughter is graduatingfrom college today, I am thinking a lotabout the class of 2007 and the worldthey are about to enter. I'm not sure whatthey call this generation. Is it generation     

The Budget-Making Process

Ｔｈｅｆｅｄｅｒａｌｂｕｄｇｅｔｐｒｏｖｉｄｅｓａｎａｎａｌｙ ｓｉｓｏｆｉｎｃｏｍｅｔｈａｔｉｓｅｘｐｅｃｔｅｄａｎｄａｄｅｔａｉｌｅｄｐｌａｎｏｆｓｐｅｎｄｉｎｇｆｏｒｔｈｅｆｏｒｔｈｃｏｍｉｎｇｙｅａｒ．ＩｔｉｓｐｒｅｐａｒｅｄｕｎｄｅｒｔｈｅｓｕｐｅｒｖｉｓｉｏｎｏｆｔｈｅＰｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔ，ｔｈｅｎｓｕｂｍｉｔｔｅｄｔｏＣｏｎｇｒｅｓｓｆｏｒｍｏｄｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎａｎｄａｐｐｒｏｖａｌ．Ｔｈｅｂｕｄｇｅｔｉｓｅｎａｃｔｅｄｉｎｔｏｌａｗｔｏｌｅｇａｌｉｚｅｔｈｅｃｏｌｌｅｃｔｉｏｎｏ…     

Market Structure And The Adoption Of Innovations: The Case Of The Spanish Banking Sector ‡

This paper is an empirical study of the determinants of adoption time for the teleprocess terminal by Spanish commercial and savings banks. The explanatory variables include the characteristics of the adopting firms, size, and in the case of the savings banks, the structure of the market and concentration. The results indicate that the speed of adoption is maximized at intermediate levels of size and market concentration, confirming one theoretical prediction of models of diffusion: namely, that adoption time is minimized at intermediate levels of market concentration.     

Teacher training for PhD students and new faculty in economics

Past studies suggest that a majority of economics graduate students engage in teaching-related activities during graduate school and many go on to academic positions afterwards. However, not all graduate students are formally prepared to teach while in graduate school nor are they fully prepared to teach in their first academic position. The authors characterize current teaching experience and training of graduate students from the point of view of directors of graduate studies and of newly minted academic economists. The authors also query department chairs and new faculty about teacher training, support available for new faculty, and the degree to which newly hired Ph.D. economists are prepared to teach. Findings indicate that while some training is available, there is room for enhancing teacher training in economics.     

Preparing Graduate Students in Economics for Teaching: Survey Findings and Recommendations

Survey data from PhD-granting economics departments are used to assess the teaching preparation of graduate students in economics. The results show that relatively few departments require graduate student instructors to take a credit course in teaching before teaching their own course or leading a recitation section. Although more graduate student instructors are required to take a noncredit course in teaching before serving as an instructor or recitation leader, the value of such noncredit courses may be limited. The assessment of teaching preparation by department chairs shows mixed responses, with about three-fifths rating it as very good or good and about two-fifths considering it to be only adequate or poor. Recommendations are offered for improving the teaching preparation of graduate student instructors in economics.     

水利专业课程设计和毕业设计教学改革浅析

课程设计和毕业设计是各工科院校培养和提高学生应用知识能力的重要手段，也是培养创新意识和创新能力高素质人才的重要途径。目前，水利专业的课程设计和毕业设计存在着设计形式简单、教师指导困难、设计质量下降等问题，需要采取建立完整设计教学体系、强化指导教师实践教学水平、改善设计教学条件、调整毕业设计时间等有效措施进行改进。     

美德日三国大学生就业服务体系比较分析

大学生就业已成为中国当前日益突出的社会问题。为不断完善中国大学生就业服务体系，促进大学生顺利就业，通过比较分析美国、德国、日本三国大学生就业服务体系，借鉴三国构建大学生就业服务体系的先进经验。指出中国应从法律法规、就业政策、就业指导、培训等方面入手，优化大学生就业服务体系，为大学生提供系统的就业服务。     

法商复合型国贸人才培养中法律实践教学方法新探

自从我国加入WTO以来,高校普遍加强了对法商复合型国贸人才的培养。但问题是如果仅采用注重理论灌输而缺乏对学生实践能力培养的传统教学方法,其不足之处是显而易见的,主要体现在国贸专业毕业生普遍缺乏国贸实务工作的能力,而相应的与涉外经贸密切相关的法律实践能力更是一片空白。故传统的教学方法明显已难以适应社会主义市场经济发展的客观需求。为此,在教学过程中在对传统教学方法进行理性抉择和改革完善的基础上,特别强调应更多地采用庭审观摩教学法、模拟法庭教学法和法律诊所教学法等法律实践教学新方法,来有效地提高国贸专业毕业生的法律实践能力,最终使国贸专业毕业生获得更大的生存空间和取得良好的发展机会。     

Challenges in teaching large economics classes

Large classes require special preparation and organization to ensure an excellent learning experience. The challenge is to motivate students, answer questions, and offer frequent evaluation of progress, in spite of class size. The challenge can be met with appropriate lectures complemented with small weekly discussion sessions led by graduate students or senior majors. This paper draws on the author's experience at Princeton University teaching classes with more than 300 students.     

How Should the Graduate Economics Core be Changed?

The authors present suggestions by graduate students from a range of economics departments for improving the first-year core sequence in economics. The students identified a number of elements that should be added to the core: more training in building microeconomic models, a discussion of the methodological foundations of model-building, more emphasis on institutions to motivate and contextualize macroeconomic models, and greater focus on econometric practice rather than theory. The authors hope that these suggestions will encourage departments to take a fresh look at the content of the first-year core.     

大学生考研的社会支持网浅探——以西北民族大学2010届考研学生调查为例

人类生活在社会大背景中,不是作为单独的个体存在,而是和其他社会个体相联系。个人从社会和他人行动者那里获得的支持的总和构成社会支持网。利用西北民族大学考研学生社会支持利用度调查,从社会"互构"的理论视角出发,运用统计调查的研究方法,考察考研学生社会支持网络的构成要素,包括物质性支持、情感性支持和社会支持的利用情况,总结出学生获取社会支持的渠道以及运用社会资源的能力和成效。结果表明,在考研过程中考研学生主动开发有利于自身发展的社会支持的意识;在内化了社会支持意识之后,群体主动寻求并且开发对自身有价值的社会支持。     

角色扮演对旅游管理专业基础英语教学的影响分析

角色扮演已经成为外语教学的重要方式之一。对中南林业科技大学旅游管理专业58名学生进行调研,就角色扮演对旅游管理专业基础英语教学的影响进行了研究。研究发现：角色扮演可以有效地促进大学生的专业英语的学习;在活动上较为喜欢以小组为单位的活动;在内容上更加关注目的地文化与社会生活;在形式上多偏好旅游事件评论与多方旅游议题研讨。     

Do Recent PhD Economists Feel Prepared to Teach Economics?

A survey of recent economics PhDs who graduated from U.S. PhD programs and are now teaching in either the United States or Canada revealed that only half of the respondents who taught a stand-alone course during their doctoral program had any teacher preparation training. Those who did have training only felt “adequately” prepared for teaching. However, as a general rule, the respondents felt that they were well-prepared for teaching at the completion of their graduate program. The authors did not find significant differences in the responses of those who did complete formal pedagogical training during their doctoral program and those who did not. Those who completed training during their doctoral program appear to currently be more enthusiastic about training.