A Discussion of “Bridging the Teacher-Student Divide: A Multimedia Approach to Reach Digital Native Learners” I like to think of ways to teach that will make the experience more engaging for both the students and myself. The crux of the problem is the gap between teaching and learning. Me standing…
Category: Teaching
Teaching
We Could Do Better If We Tried!
A Discussion of “Measuring Success in Education: The Role of Effort on the Test Itself” US students tend to score lower than we Americans would like on international tests. For example, on the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) that was taken in 65 countries around the world including…
Teaching
Start School Later, See Scores Rise?
A Discussion of “Snooze or Lose: High School Start Times and Academic Achievement” Or maybe not. But it still could be a good idea, according to some research by Groen and Pabilonia (2019). The basic idea of moving the start time of high schools later comes down to two connected…
Teaching
How to Schedule for Success
A Discussion of “Academic Achievement across the Day: Evidence from Randomized Class Schedules” The fall semester is around the corner although it will not be a typical one! Some are going back in person; some are going to do some sort of hybrid version with students’ attendance staggered to keep…
Teaching
College Classes: Choose Fewer Days, Later Hours
A Discussion of “Class Meeting Frequency, Start Times, and Academic Performance” Anyone who went to college…remember that feeling when the only class that was open was an 8 AM? As a night owl, I dreaded it. And usually avoided it. If you are a morning person, maybe you do not…
Teaching
What Happened to the MOOC revolution?
A Discussion of “(Dis)Organization and Success in an Economics MOOC” MOOCs will change higher education forever! That was a common statement in 2012 when I was early in my professorial career so I was alarmed by claims my industry was coming to an end. Banerjee and Duflo (2014) said it…
Teaching
Improving Student Engagement: Discussion Boards versus Blogs
A Discussion of “More than Words: Investigating the Format of Asynchronous Discussions as Threaded Discussions or Blogs” I hope this does not offend any teachers — but I do not like discussion boards. And from what I have heard from my students, they do not either. But without them, an online class is…
Teaching
Because… Science
A Discussion of “Beyond the Flipped Class: The Impact of Research-Based Teaching Methods in a Macroeconomics Principle Class” Over the years I have been increasing my use of active learning, or flipped classroom, methods but apparently I have not gone far enough! Or, really this article is saying I am…
Teaching
GPA: What Does This Mysterious Metric Teach Us?
A Discussion of “Grades in Economics and Other Undergraduate Courses” The Grade Point Average (GPA) is the metric we use to represent student achievement, but should we? It serves as a measure for who qualifies for honors, scholarship,s internships, and job offers. That is a lot riding on one number….
Teaching
Beyond the Lecture: Time to Blend
A Discussion of “Measuring the Effect of Blended Learning” Moving forward into the unknown that is teaching in higher education this fall has professors scrambling for course design that can work in person, online, or some combination of the two. We have been told at my school to plan for…