Implementing JustinTime Teaching JiTT Techniques In Economics

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Implementing Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT)
TechniquesIn Economics

• Scott Simkins, NC AT State Univ.
• Mark Maier, Glendale Comm. College
• Marcelo Clerici-Arias, Stanford Univ.

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Just-in-Time Teaching

• Background
• WebPhysics (NSF grant, 1996, AFA and IUPUI
  Novak, Patterson, and Gavrin)
• Book (1999, JiTT Blending Active Learning with
  Web Technology, Prentice-Hall)
• Today 176 faculty at 73 institutions, four NSF
  grants

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Just-in-Time Teaching

• What is JiTT?
• Teaching and learning strategy blending classroom
  activities that promote active learning and
  web-based assignments used to enhance the
  classroom component
• JiTT promotes a learning feedback-loop
• web component
• classroom component

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Implementing JiTT in Economics
JiTT promotes student preparation, real-time
feedback, and student participation in the
learning process.
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JiTT in Action An Example

• Describe the role of the price of a good in
  moving a competitive market to equilibrium if
  there is currently a shortage in this market. To
  fully answer this question, consider the
  following (1) What will happen to the price of
  the good in this case? Why? (2) How does the
  change in the price of a good provide an
  incentive for demanders and suppliers to change
  their behavior, thus bringing the market to
  equilibrium? Explain.

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JiTT Student Responses
Whenever a good is sold at a low price, the
demand for that good is higher than the supply,
there will be a shortage in the market. The price
of the good will decrease because of the shortage
in the market. This is because the quantity
demanded decreases therefore the price of the
good would decrease.   In order for demanders and
suppliers to bring the market to equilibrium they
would have to increase the demand so that the
curve and shift increase the equilibrium
quantity.   The price of the good is now higher
because there is not enough of the good supplied
to keep the price where it was before the
shortage. Because the price has changed less of
the good will be bought by demanders. Suppliers
of the good will try to put more of the good into
the market and some suppliers who can supply this
good may enter the market and increase the supply
of the good. The end result should be for the
supply curve to shift back to the right and the
market to be back at equilibrium.
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Benefits of JiTT Our Experience

• JiTT exercises make instructors more aware of
  student thought processes.
• In-class activities complement student responses,
  providing important just-in-time reinforcement
  of concepts.
• Shortage / move to equilibrium
• Fiscal policy recommendations

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Student Responses How Can These be Improved?

• Whenever a good is sold at a low price, the
  demand for that good is higher than the supply,
  there will be a shortage in the market. The price
  of the good will decrease because of the shortage
  in the market. This is because the quantity
  demanded decreases therefore the price of the
  good would decrease.
• In order for demanders and suppliers to bring the
  market to equilibrium they would have to increase
  the demand so that the curve and shift increase
  the equilibrium quantity.
• The price of the good is now higher because there
  is not enough of the good supplied to keep the
  price where it was before the shortage. Because
  the price has changed less of the good will be
  bought by demanders. Suppliers of the good will
  try to put more of the good into the market and
  some suppliers who can supply this good may enter
  the market and increase the supply of the good.
  The end result should be for the supply curve to
  shift back to the right and the market to be back
  at equilibrium.

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Group Exercise Based on Student Responses
In another JiTT exercise, students analyzed
examples of fiscal policy recommendations at the
Republican and Democratic Party official web
sites. (http//www.rnc.org/ and
http//www.democrats.org/index.html).
Representative student answers were photocopied
(without identifying the student) and used for
analysis by small groups. Did the student
identify a fiscal policy? Did the student
accurately identify the strengths and weaknesses
of the fiscal policy proposal?
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Benefits of JiTT

• Improves student preparation for class
• Increases student engagement in class
• Provides prompt feedback for faculty and students
• Increases student ownership of learning process
• Promotes active learning
• Encourages time on task and communicates high
  expectations

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Does JiTT Affect Learning?

• Stanford University Experience
• Background
• Experimental set-up
• Results

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Does JiTT Affect Learning?

• North Carolina AT State Univ. Experience
• Regression Analysis
• Student Questionnaire
• Student Comments

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Student Characteristics, Sample Means
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Does JiTT Work? Exam 1 Results
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Does JiTT Work? Exam 2 Results
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Does JiTT Work? Exam 3 Results
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Student Perceptions of JiTT
Homework
JiTT
Web
Quiz
FOMC Sim.
Econ. Issues Articles
IEM
WSJ
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JiTT Student Comments

• The JiTT assignments prepared me for class. It
  allowed me to read ahead so that I would fully
  understand what would be covered in class the
  next period.
• The exercises allowed you to become familiar with
  the material so that you would be able to
  participate in class discussions.
• I was familiar with discussed information and
  that enabled me to understand the concepts
  better.
• it usually focused on key parts in the chapter
  so I had a better understanding of those
  important parts.

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Student Comments, contd.

• The assignments kept me up to date with the
  material covered in class. They really made me
  think outside the classroom of things Id
  normally not bother with.
• it made me read on my own rather than wait for
  you to teach me.
• It made me better disciplined.
• I also liked the fact that the JiTT assignments
  were used along with class discussion. Even if
  you got the JiTT wrong you were still able to
  learn through the discussion.

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Lessons and Future Plans

• So what have we learned?
• Future plans for this project
• Mailing list signup (updates)
• simkinss_at_ncat.edu