Econometrics as a Capstone Course in Economics

The author describes an econometrics capstone course design at a large public university that offers economics degrees in both business (BBA) and liberal arts (BS). The goal of the capstone is to provide a research experience similar to those in the honors college but on the smaller scale of a one-semester course. The revisions for converting an existing course to a capstone, the student activities adopted, and sample outcomes are addressed. The hurdles overcome within the respective colleges in order to create a capstone course are discussed. Summaries of several student projects as well as publication of faculty-mentored student research papers illustrate the viability of econometrics as a capstone course for institutions unable to establish a stand-alone research course for that purpose.     

Undergraduate Coursework in Economics: A Survey Perspective

Survey results from a large sample of economics departments describe offerings for principles courses, coursework requirements for economics majors, and program augmentations such as capstone courses, senior seminars, and honors programs. Findings are reported for all institutions, and institutions are subdivided into six different categories based on public or private control and the highest economics degree offered. The coursework required for the economics major typically consists of ten courses, five in a required core and five electives. The most conspicuous curriculum change over the past 30 years is the rise of econometrics as a required course, now mandatory at about half of major programs. The authors estimate that about 40 percent of students who matriculate as first-year undergraduates take at least one economics course before they leave.     

计量经济学的地位、作用和局限

目前,计量经济学和微观经济学与宏观经济学一起构成了中国高校经济管理类本科生和研究生必修的三门经济学核心理论课程。计量经济学在中国经济学界受到越来越广泛的关注,其方法与工具也在实证研究中被大量应用。本文将阐述现代计量经济学的基本思想和方法论,计量经济学在经济学研究中的地位、作用和局限性,计量经济学与数理经济学、数理统计学及经济统计学之间的差异,等等,并运用大量经济学和金融学中有代表性的实例说明计量经济学的应用以及在应用时应注意的若干问题。     

First-Year Study Success in Economics and Econometrics: The Role of Gender,Motivation, and Math Skills

In this study, the authors investigate the relationships among gender, math skills, motivation, and study success in economics and econometrics. They find that female students have stronger intrinsic motivation, yet lower study confidence than their male counterparts. They also find weak evidence for a gender gap over the entire first-year curriculum of economics or econometrics. In terms of size and significance, their estimates of gender effects rank below the effects of preparatory education and motivation.     

Implementing Hansen's Proficiencies

The authors describe the framework their department has adopted to incorporate the attainment of Hansen's (1986) proficiencies into the curriculum. Major changes include the identification of tools students should be able to use to complete specific activities, significant changes in prerequisites for upper-division courses, and the development of a capstone experience designed to bring together the various tools the student has been introduced to as he or she proceeds through the major. They believe that the design characteristics of their capstone experience promote the achievement of Hansen's proficiencies, and the framework described here could be easily adopted by other departments.     

Using a Geographic Information System to Teach Economics

An honors program fits the current passion for active, in-depth learning and “capstone experiences.” Principles that guide a successful undergraduate economics honors program include simplicity, accessibility, skill development, risk minimization, and incentives to combat procrastination. The model program specifies three of the usual six electives and requires a senior thesis that makes an original contribution to economics understanding. It can be started as late as the middle of the junior year, providing accessibility and limiting student risk. A required econometrics course and a policy seminar prepare students to write a thesis. A series of short-term deadlines helps combat procrastination. Although an honors program is not for everyone, its emphasis on quality rather than quantity can add a valuable dimension to most economics degree programs.     

Professional Developments and Opportunities

Surveys in 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 investigated teaching and assessment methods in different undergraduate courses. In this article, the authors offer basic results from the 2010 survey. “Chalk and talk” remains the dominant teaching style, but there were drops in mean (although not median) values for those pedagogies and some growth in the use of other methods, including class discussion and computer-generated displays. More instructors provided students with problem sets and class notes, and computer lab assignments were increasingly common in econometrics and statistics courses. Experiments are occasionally used in introductory courses but almost never used in other courses. Calculus is not viewed as important by a majority of instructors in any courses but is considered more important in intermediate theory and statistics and econometrics courses.     

对应用写作与应用写作课价值的再认识

基于应用文及其写作与当代人们的社会实践间的关系,本文从新的视角论述了应用文及其写作的价值。即应用文是组织传播的重要载体,是保障组织生存与发展的重要手段;应用文及其写作是现代人应具备的一项基本素质,是个人创业和成功的必备技能之一。从新的视角论述了《应用写作》课的价值,即其是培养大学生基本素质与基本能力的课程,可促进学生对其它课程的学习与研究,有助于培养大学生思考问题、解决问题的能力。     

Evaluating the flipped classroom: A randomized controlled trial

Despite recent interest in flipped classrooms, rigorous research evaluating their effectiveness is sparse. In this study, the authors implement a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a flipped classroom technique relative to a traditional lecture in an introductory undergraduate econometrics course. Random assignment enables the analysis to eliminate other potential explanations of performance differences between the flipped and traditional classrooms, while assignment of experimental condition by section and lesson enables improved statistical precision. The authors find that the flipped classroom increases scores on medium-term, high-stakes assessments by 0.16 standard deviation, with similar long-term effects for high-performing students. Estimated impacts are robust to alternative specifications accounting for possible spillover effects arising from the experimental design.     

Tweeting Your Way to Improved #Writing, #Reflection,and #Community

Economics appears to be lagging behind other fields in the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom. Twitter is an online microblogging utility, permitting posts of up to 140 characters called tweets. The utility is rapidly making its way into secondary and post-secondary classrooms as a complement to traditional instruction and an active learning tool. In this article, the author describes how Twitter was employed as a complement to traditional lecture in a small macroeconomics principles course (the instrument is applicable to courses at any level). The brevity of the tweets forces students to express their thoughts concisely and is believed to develop reflection and writing skills while expanding the class community.