Scott Simkins

Using just-in-time teaching techniques in the principles of economics course

This article provides an overview of Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) pedagogy and the development, implementation, and assessment of JiTT pedagogy in teaching introductory, college-level economics courses. Broadly speaking, JiTT techniques blend structured, out-of-class, web-based exercises with related classroom activities that promote active student learning. The two components work together to promote a feedback loop that encourages outside-of-class preparation by students, provides prompt feedback on students’conceptual understanding of course material, and informs just-in-time modifications of class activities and discussion. The benefits of the JiTT approach can be summarized as follows: (a) Students are more likely to be prepared for class, (b) the use of student responses in class creates a positive feedback loop that promotes further learning, (c) JiTT exercises make instructors more aware of student thinking processes, and (d) JiTT pedagogy increases students’ cognitive learning.

Starting Point: Pedagogic Resources for Teaching and Learning Economics

This article describes Starting Point: Teaching and Learning Economics, a Web-based portal that makes innovative pedagogic resources and effective teaching practices easily accessible to economists. Starting Point introduces economists to teaching innovations through 16 online modules, each containing a general description of a specific pedagogic method, theory and evidence supporting effective use of the method, classroom implementation guides, and a library of economics-based examples that illustrate use of the teaching method. In addition, each module includes an online form allowing faculty to contribute their own classroom-based teaching examples to the examples library.

Using Pedagogical Change to Improve Student Learning in the Economics Major

The economics major is a central part of a college education. But is that economics major doing what it is meant to do? And if not, how should it be changed? This book raises a set of provocative questions that encourage readers to look at the economics major in a different light than it is typically considered and provides a series of recommendations for change.

Learning from Physics Education Research: Lessons for Economics Education

We believe that economists have much to learn from educational research practices and related pedagogical innovations in other disciplines, in particular physics education. In this paper we identify three key features of physics education research that distinguish it from economics education research - (1) the intentional grounding of physics education research in learning science principles, (2) a shared conceptual research framework focused on how students learn physics concepts, and (3) a cumulative process of knowledge-building in the discipline - and describe their influence on new teaching pedagogies, instructional activities, and curricular design in physics education. In addition, we highlight four specific examples of successful pedagogical innovations drawn from physics education - context-rich problems, concept tests, just-in-time teaching, and interactive lecture demonstrations - and illustrate how these practices can be adapted for economic education.