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Research in Economic Education

Paper Session

Friday, Jan. 5, 2018 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Marriott Philadelphia Downtown, Meeting Room 306
Hosted By: American Economic Association
  • Chair: Sam Allgood, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Beyond the Flipped Class: the Impact of Research-based Teaching Methods in a Macroeconomics Principles Class

Austin Boyle
,
Pennsylvania State University
William L. Goffe
,
Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

Cognitive scientists have identified fundamental principles influencing learning:deliberate practice, interleaving, retrieval practice, spacing, metacognition, desirable difficulties, limited working memory, curse of knowledge, schema generation, and constructivism. STEM education researchers have repeatedly shown improved learning when instruction employs these principles. Particularly, teaching methods like flipping and clickers work best when implemented using them. These "research-based teaching methods" are becoming the norm in STEM teaching. A macro principles course was redesigned using these principles. 508 students in this course achieved .77 standard deviations more learning than principles students normally do on the macroeconomic Test of Understanding of College Economics (TUCE).

From “Traditional” to Research Based Instructional Strategies: An Assessment of Learning Gains

Sarah B. Cosgrove
,
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
Neal H. Olitsky
,
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

Abstract

TBD

Low-cost Randomized Controlled Trials in Education

Nathan Wozny
,
United States Air Force Academy
Cary Balser
,
University of Notre Dame
Drew Ives
,
United States Air Force Academy

Abstract

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are widely accepted as the gold standard in program evaluation but are uncommon in educational research. A likely explanation is that experiments designed with sufficient statistical precision to detect meaningful impacts of educational interventions generally require resources unobtainable for most studies. This paper proposes an alternative RCT design, where treatment status varies by lesson. We show that this design plausibly enables the precise estimation of causal impacts of a broad class of educational interventions with modest resources.

A New Look at Lake Wobegone: Report Bias and Student Performance

Chris Bollinger
,
University of Kentucky
Tisha L. N. Emerson
,
Baylor University
Linda English
,
Baylor University
Gail Hoyt
,
University of Kentucky

Abstract

TBD
Discussant(s)
Karen Gebhardt
,
Colorado State University
Rita Balaban
,
University of North Carolina
Georg Schaur
,
University of Tennessee
Daniel Tannenbaum
,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
JEL Classifications
  • A2 - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics