Engaging Students to Make Economic Sense of Data: Towards a Better Mix of Learning Resources
DEE09 Wednesday 9th September 2009Dean Garratt and Stephen Heasell
Economics DivisionNottingham Trent University
http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/archive/data_worksheets
Dean’s perspective
What do professional economists do?Advocate of Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
‘Embed concepts, theories and techniques in real world scenario’
Context can help to enhance deeper learningEnhance awareness of economic environment
Historical and international
PBL beyond ‘principles in economics’ modules Transition and study skills modules Quantitative economics modules
Steve’s perspective
For introducing methods used in HE Economics
For introducing the information production function
Applicability of theoretical ideas and methods
Appeal to external interests
Clear exposition of complexity
Dumbing Down?
Instrumental?
3 main messages
Data can play a role in engaging students with
economics
How to retain student engagement when learning
about the ‘production’ of data
Learning materials should be easy to blend into a
package of learning resources
Ideas addressed in the Case Studies
Economic concepts and theory embedded in dataEconomic concepts and theory used to interpret dataThreshold concepts and key ideas
Opportunity cost; nominal and real; stocks and flows
Ideas ‘arising from classroom experience’ Levels, rates of change Trends and volatility Volumes and values Frequency of data Ratios, percentages and proportions
And more ideas…
Specific data-related issues Choice of data Cross-sectional/Time series/Longitudinal Seasonally-adjusted/cyclically-adjusted Reliability Timeliness Use of proxies Use of plural sources together Risk of misleading over-interpretation
Evidence from a funded project
Case studies: structure and contentFor first-time HE students of economics From classroom to case study: successes and
limitations
Case Study Structure
Data UseData Search and SelectionData Transformation and InterpretationReview Questions 6 dual-column pages; tables; charts; few equations;
short sentences & paragraphs
Case Study Topics
Working with Data on… Economic Growth House Prices Household Debt Consumption Spending Government Finances
How will tutors integrate the Studies into their module LT?
Napier & UCL
NBS & NTU
Empirically-led LT for Economics
Empirically-led LT in economic conceptsEmpirically-led LT in data workData use-led LT in data workNon HE data use-led LT in data work for decision
makersEmpirically-led introduction to the information
production function
Stimulating rigorous use of data as a resource for learning
Overcoming reluctance to work with dataInformation and education production functionsEmbed concepts in an empirical contextPractising data and ICT skills
