Developments in Economics Education 2017

The DEE2017 conference was hosted by University College, London, and sponsored by the Royal Economic Society, Oxford University Press, and CTaLE.

  1. Thrilled to have @NIESRorg Director Jagjit Chadha delivering keynote & @EconatIllinois Professor Jose Vazquez giving a plenary at #dee2017
  2. Really looking forward to #dee2017, catching up with old friends, new ideas, & co-presenting with @GrahamBrownlow
  3. Looking forward to attending #dee2017. Come and say hello to the friendly @RoyalEconSoc folks on our stand #economics
  4. Looking forward to welcoming attendees to #DEE2017! The first session starts in less than 2 hours 👇  https://twitter.com/RoyalEconSoc/status/899954312230711296 
  5. Gender representation and Communicating Economics are topical issues nowadays. #DEE2017
  6. Survey on public understanding run by YouVov. Control for de kgraohics, political party and EU referendum vote. #DEE2017
  7. Alvin Birdi on 'the trouble with Economics' ahead of the ING/YouGov poll results on public views of the discipline... https://t.co/llHm3zB8sN
    Alvin Birdi on 'the trouble with Economics' ahead of the ING/YouGov poll results on public views of the discipline... pic.twitter.com/llHm3zB8sN
  8. 30% of the public *don't* want to increase their understanding of Economics for elections! #DEE2017 https://t.co/IBrq8g6ryb
    30% of the public *don't* want to increase their understanding of Economics for elections! #DEE2017 pic.twitter.com/IBrq8g6ryb
  9. 30% respondents "don't know" whether governments should listen to economists' advice. #DEE2017
  10. Embed communicating economics into assessment. #DEE2017
  11. What is the point in communicating economics if there is no appetite to consume knowledgeable information? #DEE2017
  12. @FabioArico Appetite is not fixed quantity. Much science sounds dull initially but Sci comms engage public to create interest, show relevance. #dee2017
  13. @mlpoulter So is it just the fact that we have been too dull in the past? I think there are other issues such as complexity + political agenda #DEE2017
  14. Alvin Birdi from @economics_net opens special session on Communicating Economics sponsored by @RoyalEconSoc #dee2017 https://t.co/3aO9dG9AVb
    Alvin Birdi from @economics_net opens special session on Communicating Economics sponsored by @RoyalEconSoc #dee2017 pic.twitter.com/3aO9dG9AVb
  15. Great discussion on communicating economics with @econcomms at #dee2017 Thanks to @RoyalEconSoc
  16. @cabralestweet officially opens #DEE2017 today @ 9 - we're excited to see an exciting programme of papers  http://bit.ly/2gIW2Ko  1/3
  17. We have 3 sessions/talks at #DEE2017 today - workshop on students as communicators at 9.45, panel on quality of econ degree at 11.45 and 2/3
  18. ... presentation on effects of @coreeconteam curriculum (day after the first cohort graduated). @ucl staff, we're in Roberts, drop in! 3/3
  19. #dee2017 starting. Good rep from @LeedsUniBSchool Econ division. @DrMikeyReynolds @PT_Hughes, Kesting, Rodriguez Gil and me on programme
  20. Time for my 4th Developments in Economics Education conference. #dee2017
  21. How to motivate students - plenary with Jose Vasquez, Illinois University #dee2017
  22. Developing curiosity amongst students is central to motivating them to learn, Jose Vasquez #dee2017
  23. Jose Vazquez: Using clickers to ask "boring" questions is like giving a test in each class, little learning value added #DEE2017
  24. Curiosity is the driver to acquire new knowledge. Hit on students' curiosity to increase engagement. #dee2017
  25. Ineffective use of clickers is no different than giving students a test in every class, Jose Vasquez #dee2017
  26. J Vazquez: "Curiosity" rarely discussed in pedagogical research on learner-centred teaching, though engagement is a central focus #DEE2017
  27. Jose Vazquez: "Itch Theory of Curiosity" - you just have to itch (know the answer to the question) #DEE2017
  28. Gap Theory of Curiosity (The Psychology of Curiosity). Connecting curiosity with attention. #dee2017
  29. Jose Vazquez: "Gap Theory of curiosity" (Lowenstein) the one missing piece of the puzzle focuses attention and drives curiosity #DEE2017
  30. The Robert Frank opportunity cost strikes again! Curious to see dist of answers from #DEE2017 crowd https://t.co/9dInRTpQbS
    The Robert Frank opportunity cost strikes again! Curious to see dist of answers from #DEE2017 crowd pic.twitter.com/9dInRTpQbS
  31. Curiosity= shifting attention from what you know to what you don't know. (Useful for those rude to who studied economics before!) #dee2017
  32. Jose Vazquez: Broad questions remind students of how little they know and reduce their curiosity #DEE2017
  33. To make students curious, we need to frame questions in a way that shifts focus from what they don't know to what they do #dee2017
  34. Curiosity increases when we take a guess. Further point in favour of multiple choice questions. #dee2017
  35. Jose Vazquez: We hate being wrong, so eliminating wrong answers makes those who chose those ans more motivated/curious #DEE2017
  36. Jose Vazquez: We're also curious when we disagree, so questions where students split roughly on their guesses encourage debate #DEE2017
  37. In multiple choices: work in stages, after first polling exclude one wrong choice, then re-iterate. Contrast generates debate. #dee2017
  38. Jose Vazquez: Curiosity increases as information about the topic increases (upto a threshold level) #DEE2017
  39. Curiosity increases when information increases, but teachers have to prompt the fromstuin of some initial knowledge. #dee2017
  40. Jose Vazquez: Curiosity ends when the question is answered - so save the answer! #DEE2017
  41. Telling stories makes people curious. Telling a story counting items composting it generates curiosity. #dee2017
  42. Jose Vazquez: Education should be about opening information gaps, not closing them #DEE2017
  43. The role of education should be about opening information gaps. #dee2017
  44. We need to put our students in a situation where they can fail safely and then encourage and motivate them to keep learning #dee2017
  45. Adam Ozanne - Power, Economics, and a Return to Political Economy: a Polemic #dee2017
  46. "A return to political economy" - the switch took place in 1870 #dee2017
  47. Nick Myers on ways to offer students international experience #dee2017
  48. Marginal productivity does not fully explain distribution of income/wealth textbooks elide distinction between macro/micro level #dee2017
  49. Hard to define power: force changing economic equilibrium or its dynamic path. #dee2017
  50. Combine economic + political equilibrium = political economy equilibria #dee2017
  51. Power changes economic equilibrium in favour of one or more individuals. But what is the difference with a shock? #dee2017
  52. Using online message boards to encourage peer to peer learning and motivate students, @StevenProud3 at #dee2017
  53. Positive correlation between students' use of lecture capture and quality of teaching staff, Carlos Cortinhas at #dee2017
  54. Lecture capture has negligible effect on average marks across 24 modules, reports Carlos Cortinhas. Dangers of average effects #DEE2017
  55. Stefan Kesting - How to Teach Ethics and Economics #dee2017
  56. Teaching ethics on a case-study approach (performative) combined with theoretical setup of morals and epics applied to economics. #dee2017
  57. Latreille & Brownlow - D.C. Hague's "The economist in a business school" a reflection. #dee2017
  58. Up next at #dee2017, panel on how best to measure the quality of an economics degree @ctale_econ #tef
  59. Ideas on how to make students effective communicators - watch out for @CTaLE_UCL blog #dee2017 pic.twitter.com/CfIsH6lEM0
  60. Panel: How Should We Measure he Quality of an Economics Degree #dee2017
  61. How measure quality of an economic degree? Big question for a Thursday morning but an excellent panel to discuss it #dee2017 https://t.co/lUN5HJ6ZDq
    How measure quality of an economic degree? Big question for a Thursday morning but an excellent panel to discuss it #dee2017 pic.twitter.com/lUN5HJ6ZDq
  62. Stevens: students should be economists, not jut know about economics. Understanding variables, know actual economies. #dee2017
  63. Margaret Stephens on the need for students to learn to BE ECONOMISTS rather than to learn about economics. #dee2017 https://t.co/JInwBEERGn
    Margaret Stephens on the need for students to learn to BE ECONOMISTS rather than to learn about economics. #dee2017 pic.twitter.com/JInwBEERGn
  64. Stevens: appreciation of modelling, including criticality, and ability to address new unfamiliar questions. #dee2017
  65. How do we do? Well on theory, less well on actual economic problems, fail on appreciating economic modelling. #dee2017
  66. Stevens: there is a problem with given students the confidence to address economic problems. Yes! It is about confidence. #dee2017
  67. Stevens: most valuable things to learn are the hardest to asses. But @ProfSallyBrown says/ assessment must be fit to purpose #dee2017
  68. Stevens: evaluate teaching quality, student achievement, measuring economic degrees.easure the inputs, not the outputs. #dee2017
  69. It matters what students do during the degree as well as what they achieve #dee2017
  70. Stevens: measure what students are doing and why. #dee2017
  71. Cabrales: cites Braga, Paccagnella, Pellizzari (2014). Better student evaluations associated to lower grades. #dee2017
  72. @cabralestweet emphasises that NSS measuring something but not teaching effectiveness #dee2017
  73. Cabrales: there is no satisfaction between NSS and DELHE data, satisfaction and average salary. #dee2017
  74. Cabrales: no correlation between teaching effectiveness and labour market outcomes #dee2017
  75. #dee2017 panel: no link between teacher quality and subsequent student performance, nor between NSS satisfaction and earnings https://t.co/YWXO0qH89w
    #dee2017 panel: no link between teacher quality and subsequent student performance, nor between NSS satisfaction and earnings pic.twitter.com/YWXO0qH89w
  76. Cabrales: use standard end of degree exam as to compare across institutions? (But what about pluralism and 'different' economics?) #dee2017
  77. Ask students to answer the questions we want them to answer and then assess how well they answer them. #dee2017
  78. O'Sullivan: The Economists does not have many graduates in economics. They do not recruit recent graduates. They need experience. #dee2017
  79. Can graduates be economics journalists straight from degree? Why not; especially as they are really good at understanding world? #dee2017
  80. Have a class on intuition before teaching the models/maths. Can we rise to the challenge? #dee2017 @coreeconteam
  81. #dee2017 panel: how can we teach economics students to be better writers?
  82. Perspectives from a recent graduate on what economics degrees should teach - help students put the pieces together #dee2017 https://t.co/ZQovtCdvVB
    Perspectives from a recent graduate on what economics degrees should teach - help students put the pieces together #dee2017 pic.twitter.com/ZQovtCdvVB
  83. Sturrock: entering the degree students are motivated by big questions. But then graduates cannot put pieces back together. #dee2017
  84. Sturrock: need to be able to communicate economics to non experts. That is what my alumni also told me. #dee2017
  85. Quality is a relative concept; ongoing activity of striving to be better. #dee2017 https://t.co/lyekeUK7dF
    Quality is a relative concept; ongoing activity of striving to be better. #dee2017 pic.twitter.com/lyekeUK7dF
  86. Birdi: cites G.Gibbs. We cannot measure quality by focussing on 'product'. Think more about 'process': what are students doing? #dee2017
  87. #dee2017 panel on measuring quality of Econ degrees note need for graduates to be good citizens and have technical skills and writing.
  88. @FabioArico on the value of peer instruction with self-assessment. Innovation in teaching at #dee2017
  89. @FabioArico gives those struggling lots of moral support. It is important to care! #dee2017
  90. Spielman, Chaudhury, Lotti- CORE Evaluation #DEE2017
  91. Perform evaluation contrasting previous non-CORE cohort and CORE cohort and controlling for demographic variables. #dee2017
  92. What do we want from Econ degrees? Problem-solving, comms, real-world knowledge. What do we get? Maths. Why? Disciplinary norms #dee2017
  93. Lorenzo Lotti presents work with @ParamaChaudhury  and @spielmanntweets on learning MCQ strategies in first year tests #dee2017 https://t.co/OztQ1v3Ike
    Lorenzo Lotti presents work with @ParamaChaudhury and @spielmanntweets on learning MCQ strategies in first year tests #dee2017 pic.twitter.com/OztQ1v3Ike
  94. MCQs with 3 options plus "don't know". Incorrect answer scored -1. (Good for developing self-assessment skills!) #dee2017
  95. Watson & Cook - 3 different papers in what students think about their degree. #dee2017
  96. #dee2017 discussion on growth in negative attitudes to HE from Duncan Watson and Steve Cook
  97. @coreeconteam present data on effects of Core on exam scores. None at L1, *maybe* +ve at L2. Explanation of difference not clear #dee2017
  98. An interesting angle on #dee2017 discussions on measuring quality of economics degree - prepare students to count or to create?  https://twitter.com/timeshighered/status/905790485763153920 
  99. Suggest shifting away objective analysis of worth to more subjective analysis. What is the value of the degree in a subject e way? #dee2017
  100. Reardon, Caporale Madi, Scott Cato - Introducing a New Economics (pluralist textbook) #dee2017
  101. Cox, Leonard, Lovejoy - Excel Simulation Workshop #dee2017
  102. Addressing the needs of students who haven't studied mathematics, feeling intimidated and less engaged #dee2017
  103. Series of simulations to enhance maths skills. Excel-based worksheets for small groups. #dee2017
  104. Check for resources: Humberto Barreto, DePauw University, Indiana. #dee2017
  105. Excel: explore abstract concepts with concerted examples, start easy, develop employability, basis for more complex packages. #dee2017
  106. Learning based on: activity, discovery, peer-work, based on practical tasks. #dee2017
  107. Now my presentation is over I can get on with enjoying the rest of #DEE2017 #FlippinEck
  108. @guglielmovolpe explains that qNomics puts students into the deep-end dealing with clients; lots of learning by doing. #dee2017
  109. Evaluation shows that students who studied maths before found workshops less useful to understand Maths but useful to study Macro. #dee2017
  110. Evaluation also show workshops were useful to learn Excel, and students liked the learning method. #dee2017
  111. HE assessing students by assigning them to write/improve Wikipedia articles #DEE2017
  112. Interesting discussion by @exploringecon of liaison with UK govt economists about broadening their economic analysis #DEE2017
  113. Great to hear @EconUCL alum, Sonia Razia, playing a role in shaking up econ analysis in government with Exploring Economics Network #dee2017
  114. Wikidata, Histropedia (displaying time-line). #DEE2017
  115. @mlpoulter: Sparkle is not a language for the fainted geek. 👍 #dee2017
  116. Winning factor of OERs: ability to change, web of knowledge with edit button. Not repositories. We need new publishing model #DEE2017
  117. Jagjit Chadha of @NIESRorg delivering keynote at #dee2017 'Communicating Economics: A Year on the Frontline' @econcomms #UnderstandingEcon
  118. @DrMikeyReynolds Sorry I'm missing #DEE2017 - practically the first one I've ever missed?!
  119. Enjoying Martin's fiendishly difficult quiz at #DEE2017 at the Churchill War Rooms. https://t.co/wnNKt0Q50k
    Enjoying Martin's fiendishly difficult quiz at #DEE2017 at the Churchill War Rooms. pic.twitter.com/wnNKt0Q50k
  120. My fellow editor of IREE presenting the award for best paper at the #DEE2017 conference dinner at the Churchill War Rooms. https://t.co/WrRqsfL05O
    My fellow editor of IREE presenting the award for best paper at the #DEE2017 conference dinner at the Churchill War Rooms. pic.twitter.com/WrRqsfL05O
  121. Trying to ignore the fact that I missed Mogwai at the Brudenell for #DEE2017 #commitment
  122. Getting competitive at the #dee2017 quiz!! Great dinner at the Churchill War Rooms!
  123. Guest and Riegler - Self vs Peer Evaluation #DEE2017
  124. Ever growing gap between selfassessment ability and performance. #DEE2017
  125. Published paper on IREE on development of selfassessment skills across year 1 and year 2. #DEE2017
  126. Literature: Falchikov and Goldfinch (2000), Ashenafi (2017), Sunol et al (2016). #DEE2017
  127. Research design: 2 markers. Impression management bias (selfassessment affects mark?) Mark incentive for calibration. +-3marks. #DEE2017
  128. Using Moodle to allocate essays for peer-review. One week period to submit a peer-evaluation. 110 students in the study. #DEE2017
  129. Self evaluation generate overconfidence. Peer evaluation appears to be more accurate on average but dispersion is much wider. #DEE2017
  130. Is relationship between peer and self evaluation? Contrast imprecision in both: no correlation. #DEE2017
  131. Trade off between emotional attachment and cognitive workload. (Is incentive high enough?) #DEE2017
  132. Student engaged with the procedure, which is access in itself. #DEE2017
  133. Celinska - Social Interactions in Classroom #DEE2017
  134. Social networks as social intelligence, augmented knowledge. Sacerdote (2000). #DEE2017
  135. Differences in reputation in a network might elicit study-related strategies. Investigate patterns of social interaction. #DEE2017
  136. Investigate spontaneous creation of social networks over a test: (i) choosing teammates, (ii) choosing neighbourhoods #DEE2017
  137. Difference in grades is proportional to probability NOT to sit next to each other. #DEE2017
  138. Are students influenced by their peers' opinions/answers? Can we use the way they share information? #DEE2017
  139. In MCQ polling, are students switching to the most popular answer over 2nd poll? Are there demographic effects? Small group effect? #DEE2017
  140. Herding behaviour only displayed for 25% of questions. Students switch answer, but not based on herd, and not based #DEE2017
  141. Students are not developing best strategies over time. Comment on herding might be based on reputation rather than majority. #DEE2017
  142. Students don't seem to know how to use information obtained from peers. #DEE2017
  143. Day two underway at the #dee2017 conference! Looking forward to more presentations on economics education!
  144. Rodriguez Gil - Multiple Small Feedback Activities and Impact on Performance #DEE2017
  145. Antonio Rodriguez Gil on giving feedback in multiple small chunks to improve opinion of feedback https://t.co/K0d2Gv86zy
    Antonio Rodriguez Gil on giving feedback in multiple small chunks to improve opinion of feedback pic.twitter.com/K0d2Gv86zy
  146. Break down in more frequent smaller tasks, such as 500 words essay on current affairs. Feedback in 7 days. #DEE2017
  147. Based feedback practice on Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick (2006) #DEE2017
  148. To correlate use of feedback with student performance, divide up cohort student grades in previous year #DEE2017
  149. Take up rate of feedback activities: 33% of class. #DEE2017
  150. Satisfaction with feedback being helpful increased significantly over five years. #DEE2017
  151. Providing feedback in small multiple chunks helps performance, but maybe more for best students than others #dee2017
  152. Multiple small feedback activities almost doubles student satisfaction (and improves course performance) #DEE2017
  153. Students at top of distribution make use of the feedback more effectively. Top of distribution are also less engaged. #DEE2017
  154. Harding - Enhancing Engagement Through Interaction and Team Work #DEE2017
  155. Design class and assessment around team work. Explore collaborative tools and social media. Channel social media to learn. #DEE2017
  156. Students divided into country groups - research country and prepared group report, with assessed Q&A in class #dee2017
  157. Tutor facilitated allocation of students to study group: group presentation, joint country team report + Q&A session. #DEE2017
  158. online collaboration tools (FB, Whatsapp, GoogleDocs) suggested, not imposed #dee2017
  159. Students were encouraged to interact out of class. Output of report uploaded to VLE for everybody to see. #DEE2017
  160. students perceived contribution to peer learning as largely knowledge exchange, but some reported learning nothing from peers #dee2017
  161. Students found this engaging, and enjoyed knowledge exchange. #DEE2017
  162. "I taught my groupmate everything s/he knows about economics" 🙄 #dee2017
  163. Team work can help students meet peers and get to know each other - an underestimated value discussed by Liliana Harding #dee2017
  164. Just now presented at #dee2017 on using polling software to elicit students' uncertainty. Creating space for #pluralism @rethinkecon
  165. Students felt they taught others in the group, but learned nothing (content) from the group #dee2017
  166. Lotti - Open vs Structured Research Environment #dee2017
  167. What is the impact of more structure (specific topics, surgeries, more 1-1 supervision) on undergraduate research output? #dee2017
  168. summative elements include marks for library skills assessment, proposal, literature review, as well as final version #dee2017
  169. Transition from open to more specific research topics. Addition of surgery, earlier allocation, more weight on summation. #dee2017
  170. Volume - Widening Participation and Careers #dee2017
  171. Investigate educational attainment and graduate job positions of WP students. #DEE2017
  172. Antonio Rodriguez Gil of @LeedsUniBSchool about to give his second paper of the day at #DEE2017 This one co-authored with LUBS' @PT_Hughes
  173. WP perform equally well at uni, but are less likely to get graduate job. Driving factor seems parents' HE #DEE2017
  174. Is the WP peorformance more of a social capital gap rather than an attainment gap? #DEE2017
  175. Rodriguez Gil & Hughes - Targeted Workshops for Underperforming Students #DEE2017
  176. Lizzio & Wilson (2013) on effectiveness of targeted sessions for low-performing. #DEE2017
  177. Invited those achieving average 2:2 to two workshops, one per semester. 1hr, selfassessment, group talk and discussion. #DEE2017
  178. Questionnaire: why did you go to university? Responses are of practical nature. #DEE2017
  179. Questionnaire: why did you study less then expected? Most lacked motivation, social life, private study is boring. #DEE2017
  180. Proposition to change: preparation, invest more time. Student reflection on underperformance blames themselves, not uni. #DEE2017
  181. Is targeting intervention to 2:2 students fair? Should we care for all students and their potential? #DEE2017
  182. Panel: Is our assessment up to the job? Final session of #DEE2017
  183. Panel session - Is Our Assessment Up to the Job? #DEE2017
  184. Should assessment choice be granted to students? Should we just award pass/fail on competence tests? #DEE2017
  185. Shall we promote synoptic assessment, where we blend information coming from different modules? #DEE2017
  186. Alvin Birdi of @economics_net making persuasive case for pass/fail and synoptic assessment #DEE2017
  187. Everything students do at university is conditioned by the assessment system (Gibbs, 2010). #DEE2017
  188. Think we established probably not but need collective to move it forward. Let's see if we get answers at dee2019!  https://twitter.com/economics_net/status/906165737030651904 
  189. I think we need some more activism. Nodding to each other helps but doesn't solve problem. This is true about the whole HE sector #DEE2017  https://twitter.com/ucleconcareerst/status/906185900094349312 
  190. Thanks to @economics_net for inviting us to #dee2017. Fantastic conference and great to be able to contribute from an employer's perspective
  191. @EconomicsGames  workshop at the Developments in Economics Education Conference: Nice 2D Hotelling game #dee2017  #teaching  #economics https://t.co/ZFC3kxqWQY
    @EconomicsGames workshop at the Developments in Economics Education Conference: Nice 2D Hotelling game #dee2017 #teaching #economics pic.twitter.com/ZFC3kxqWQY
  192. Thanks to everyone for contributing to a great #dee2017 conference! Next stop... Warwick 2019!!
  193. How do @economics_net make their conferences so welcoming? Answers on a postcard to #dee2019
  194. Thanks to everyone who attended #dee2017 and to @economics_net for organizing a cracking event! Get in touch 1/2
  195. if you'd like to participate in our #economics education seminar series! 2$2