Principles of Microeconomics
Syllabus:
Syllabus:
To view the course syllabus, please click on the link below:
To view the course syllabus, please click on the link below:
Teaching Method(s) :
Teaching Method(s) :
Economics is a field which is closely linked with the real world in which we live. I believe, effective learning requires motivating students by helping them see how they can use economic concepts and ideas to understand important real-world issues they observe or encounter. As instructors we have a huge role to play when it comes to establishing the relevance of the subject matter and raising students’ curiosity about a topic.
Economics is a field which is closely linked with the real world in which we live. I believe, effective learning requires motivating students by helping them see how they can use economic concepts and ideas to understand important real-world issues they observe or encounter. As instructors we have a huge role to play when it comes to establishing the relevance of the subject matter and raising students’ curiosity about a topic.
I try to do this in a couple of ways -
I try to do this in a couple of ways -
I am a great proponent of "Elaborative Interrogation". I try my best to interact with my students and be as engaging as possible during class lectures. I ask them lots of questions when introducing ideas and concepts to help them relate the class-room material to what they observe in the real world. Moreover, I always make sure to bring in recent events (for e.g. policy debates) in news or journal articles relevant to the course topic being taught and encourage student discussions or questions during lecture sessions. I believe this is a great way to push students to think beyond just their course work, in other words, train their minds to "think like an economist".
I am a great proponent of "Elaborative Interrogation". I try my best to interact with my students and be as engaging as possible during class lectures. I ask them lots of questions when introducing ideas and concepts to help them relate the class-room material to what they observe in the real world. Moreover, I always make sure to bring in recent events (for e.g. policy debates) in news or journal articles relevant to the course topic being taught and encourage student discussions or questions during lecture sessions. I believe this is a great way to push students to think beyond just their course work, in other words, train their minds to "think like an economist".
Example: below are links to a couple of the articles I have used during my lecture sessions on "Price Controls" to connect class room learning to real world microeconomic issues
Example: below are links to a couple of the articles I have used during my lecture sessions on "Price Controls" to connect class room learning to real world microeconomic issues
I also promote "Active Learning "among students. If students are taught in a manner that is interesting and engaging, the more they will be able to connect to what they are learning and less abstract it will seem to them. Moreover, students are likely to get actively involved and ask more questions if they find something interesting and intriguing. I use as many real-world examples as possible when motivating a particular economic concept.
I also promote "Active Learning "among students. If students are taught in a manner that is interesting and engaging, the more they will be able to connect to what they are learning and less abstract it will seem to them. Moreover, students are likely to get actively involved and ask more questions if they find something interesting and intriguing. I use as many real-world examples as possible when motivating a particular economic concept.
For example- when learning a about the concept of “elasticity”, having all the text -based knowledge- the definition of the term, the mathematical formula, the types of elasticities etc. isn’t helpful if they don’t understand the importance of this concept in the real-world— e.g., what does an elasticity of 0.6 mean? what information does it provide about a product and why is that information useful? If students are not asking such questions during their learning process, they will fail to connect with the idea which will naturally lead to meaningless memorization of definitions graphics and formulas without really understanding the importance of the concept. This is why forcing students to answer “why?” questions becomes very important.
For example- when learning a about the concept of “elasticity”, having all the text -based knowledge- the definition of the term, the mathematical formula, the types of elasticities etc. isn’t helpful if they don’t understand the importance of this concept in the real-world— e.g., what does an elasticity of 0.6 mean? what information does it provide about a product and why is that information useful? If students are not asking such questions during their learning process, they will fail to connect with the idea which will naturally lead to meaningless memorization of definitions graphics and formulas without really understanding the importance of the concept. This is why forcing students to answer “why?” questions becomes very important.
Example: Attached below is a resource I have utilized from the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) when teaching the concept of "elasticity" to my students .
Example: Attached below is a resource I have utilized from the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) when teaching the concept of "elasticity" to my students .
Methods to Assess Student Learning: Connecting Course Design with Teaching Philosophy:
Methods to Assess Student Learning: Connecting Course Design with Teaching Philosophy:
1. Interleaving: To assess their foundational knowledge and ability to connect with the course material, I use exercises that require them to direct and focus their attention on applying economic ideas and concepts they have learnt about a topic in class to real-world examples. I implement interleaving of practice through homeworks that are assigned to my students via an online learning platform. I design an integrated homework assignment after every 2 or 3 topics I cover which include a set of randomly ordered miscellaneous questions based on real world application of all the different concepts and ideas students have learnt in these chapters. Going back and forth between concepts and ideas from several chapters can be a great way to help students train their minds in a way that enhances its ability to think in different directions simultaneously.
1. Interleaving: To assess their foundational knowledge and ability to connect with the course material, I use exercises that require them to direct and focus their attention on applying economic ideas and concepts they have learnt about a topic in class to real-world examples. I implement interleaving of practice through homeworks that are assigned to my students via an online learning platform. I design an integrated homework assignment after every 2 or 3 topics I cover which include a set of randomly ordered miscellaneous questions based on real world application of all the different concepts and ideas students have learnt in these chapters. Going back and forth between concepts and ideas from several chapters can be a great way to help students train their minds in a way that enhances its ability to think in different directions simultaneously.
2. Practice testing with feedback: I am a big proponent of this method. I conduct short in-class quizzes and cumulative quizzes of moderate length to implement this technique. I make sure these are not very high-stakes quizzes. The idea is to motivate students but at the same time not overwhelm them. That said, in my view students must receive constructive instructor feedback on their quizzes for this technique to be effective. Therefore I make sure not only to provide individual feedback but also concrete answer keys for quizzes including midterm exams.
2. Practice testing with feedback: I am a big proponent of this method. I conduct short in-class quizzes and cumulative quizzes of moderate length to implement this technique. I make sure these are not very high-stakes quizzes. The idea is to motivate students but at the same time not overwhelm them. That said, in my view students must receive constructive instructor feedback on their quizzes for this technique to be effective. Therefore I make sure not only to provide individual feedback but also concrete answer keys for quizzes including midterm exams.
3. Critical thinking: For example, I incorporate this via assigning readings from journal articles (in the form of case studies) that are related to material taught in an initial study session. I make my students read these articles and then answer some reflective questions to train them to think critically about economic phenomenon that could explain specific real-world scenarios we encounter. These are almost always assigned to students as "bonus articles"(an opportunity to earn extra points) so that they not only enjoy doing them but also have an incentive to improve their overall grade in the course.
3. Critical thinking: For example, I incorporate this via assigning readings from journal articles (in the form of case studies) that are related to material taught in an initial study session. I make my students read these articles and then answer some reflective questions to train them to think critically about economic phenomenon that could explain specific real-world scenarios we encounter. These are almost always assigned to students as "bonus articles"(an opportunity to earn extra points) so that they not only enjoy doing them but also have an incentive to improve their overall grade in the course.