Engaging Students to Make Economic Sense of Data: Towards a Better Mix of Learning Resources

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Engaging Students to Make Economic Sense of Data
Towards a Better Mix of Learning Resources

• DEE09 Wednesday 9th September 2009
• Dean Garratt and Stephen Heasell
• Economics Division
• Nottingham Trent University
• http//www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/archive/data_wor
  ksheets

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Deans 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 learning
• Enhance awareness of economic environment
• Historical and international
• PBL beyond principles in economics modules
• Transition and study skills modules
• Quantitative economics modules

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Steves 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?

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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

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Ideas addressed in the Case Studies

• Economic concepts and theory embedded in data
• Economic concepts and theory used to interpret
  data
• Threshold 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

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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

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Evidence from a funded project

• Case studies structure and content
• For first-time HE students of economics
• From classroom to case study successes and
  limitations

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Case Study Structure

• Data Use
• Data Search and Selection
• Data Transformation and Interpretation
• Review Questions
• 6 dual-column pages tables charts few
  equations short sentences paragraphs

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Case Study Topics

• Working with Data on
• Economic Growth
• House Prices
• Household Debt
• Consumption Spending
• Government Finances

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How will tutors integrate the Studies into their
module LT?

• Napier UCL
• NBS NTU

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Empirically-led LT for Economics

• Empirically-led LT in economic concepts
• Empirically-led LT in data work
• Data use-led LT in data work
• Non HE data use-led LT in data work for decision
  makers
• Empirically-led introduction to the information
  production function

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Stimulating rigorous use of data as a resource
for learning

• Overcoming reluctance to work with data
• Information and education production functions
• Embed concepts in an empirical context
• Practising data and ICT skills