News from the Economics Network

The DeSTRESS statistics videos, presented by Ken Heather of the University of Portsmouth, are all now available online to download or to stream. Development of these videos was funded by the JISC/HE Academy Open Educational Resources programme. The videos each combine live-action explanation, filmed in a variety of locations, with narrated animations that take the viewer through a worked example.

The Economics Network's national survey of students has been extended to the end of January, due to requests from some departments. Please encourage your students to take part: five Kindles are available in a prize draw.

On Wednesday 11 January, from 2 to 5, the University of Sussex will host an Economics Network workshop led by Dr Dimitra Petropoulou. The session is titled "Common challenges and top tips for teaching and learning in an Economics classroom - a practical guide for the experienced and the uninitiated." Online booking and further details for this free event are available via Eventbrite.

The Economics Network's sixth biennial student survey is now open. As with the previous surveys, this asks students about their pre-university learning experience as well as to evaluate their current courses and learning experience in economics. The results of past surveys can be seen on our website.

Please encourage your students to fill in this short online survey at http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/ltsn/students11-12 . Replies from individual students will be anonymous. Departments will receive a confidential report summarising the results from their students and the national overview report will be published on the Economics Network site.

The Support Centre for Open Resources in Education (SCORE) is seeking applications for short-term fellowships in open educational resources (OER). These fellowships are designed to provide foundational knowledge in the production and use of OER to those with little or no prior experience. The Fellowship consists of distance learning elements and a one week intensive residential course in Milton Keynes. Priority will be given to applicants from Law, Business, Social Science and Education subject areas although all applications will be considered. The              closing date for applications is 28 October 2011.

On Monday 26th September, the Economics Network team travelled to London to organise an induction event for freshers at the LSE. Professor John Sloman led the International Trade Game where students had the first taste of basic economic principles and what they will be studying for the next three years. This sort of induction provides a fun and relaxed environment for new students to meet each other, and the feedback from LSE freshers has definitely been very positive. Contact the Network for further details.

The Economics Network has announced the winners of its Annual Learning and Teaching Awards. Four awards were made, along with a total of seven commendations. Further details are available by following the link. Congratulations to all the award winners.

The Summer 2011 edition of the Economics Network newsletter is now online as a PDF. Across ten pages, the newsletter that used to be printed and is now electronic-only covers initiatives and resources in economics teaching, including news from the centre. Please share with your colleagues.