14TH EDINEB ConferenceVienna, 2007

Teaching, learning, and risk in a non-elite environment*

fp.forsythe@ulster.ac.uk

Frank ForsytheSchool of Economics & PoliticsUniversity of UlsterNorthern Ireland

fp.forsythe@ulster.ac.uk

*Project funded by the Economics Network, Bristol: www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk

The Economics Network

Supporting university teachers of economics

www/economicsnetwork.ac.uk fp.forsythe@ulster.ac.uk

The risky route The safe route

student-centred regimes

teacher-centred regimes

innovate ‘auto-pilot’

emphasis on learning emphasis on teaching

Teaching, learning, and risk in a non-elite environment

SOME OF THE RISKS INVOLVED

High opportunity costs-- Research v teaching

Assessment issues-- group v individual

-- examination performance

Learner characteristics- rogue learners

-- poor commitment-- mixed ability

Potential for Litigation-- Fee paying students

Pressure from colleagues-- Ability to progress

to next level

SOME OF THE RISKS INVOLVED

Learner characteristics

- rogue learners-- poor commitment

-- mixed ability

SOME OF THE RISKS INVOLVED

Assessment issues

-- group v individual-- examination

performance

SOME OF THE RISKS INVOLVED

Pressure from colleagues

-- Ability to progress to next level

SOME OF THE RISKS INVOLVED High opportunity costs

-- Research v teaching

SOME OF THE RISKS INVOLVED

Potential for Litigation

-- Fee paying students

… AND A FEW MORE

management quality-control measures

Externally moderated

Staff-student consultative Committee meetings

student questionnaires‘Assessment of teaching’

… AND A FEW MORE

management quality-control measures

Externally moderated

… AND A FEW MORE

management quality-control measures

Staff-student consultative Committee meetings

… AND A FEW MORE

management quality-control measures

student questionnaires‘Assessment of teaching’

Proposition 1

High ability students excel under ANY learning regime

Proposition 1

High ability students excel under ANY learning regime

High ability students LEARN more in a student-centred regime

Proposition 2

Proposition 3

weaker students LEARN more and PERFORM better in a student-centred environment

a student-centred regime: does not harm high ability students will raise the performance of weaker students.

Summary Proposition

COHORT 1 2006-07

MIXED ABILITY

FIRST YEAR BSc ECON

STUDENT-CENTRED (PBL)

FIRST YEAR MODULE: MICROECONOMICS 1

FEATURES

GROUP WORK – 2 presentations, 3 written reports, 1 quiz

INDIVIDUAL WORK – personal development report, final year examination

Final year students acted as group facilitators

Code of conduct governing group sessions

Worked harder & showed more commitment than in other 5 modules

Rogue learners present

COHORT 2 2005-06

MIXED ABILITY

FINAL YEAR BSc ECON

STUDENT-CENTRED (PBL)

COHORT 3 2006-07

MIXED ABILITY

FINAL YEAR BSc ECON

TEACHER-LED (LECTURE-SEMINAR)

COHORT 4 2006-07

HIGH ABILITY

FINAL YEAR (BA LAW with ECON)

STUDENT-CENTRED (PBL)

FINAL HONOURS MODULE: THE LABOUR MARKET

REFERENCES:

Forsythe, F (2002), ‘The role of problem-based learning and technology support in a ‘spoon-fed’ undergraduate environment’, in Tor A. Jojannessen et al

(Eds.), Educational Innovation in Economics and Business VI: Teaching Today the Knowledge of Tomorrow, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp 147-161.

Forsythe, F (2002), ‘Problem-based learning’, in Davies, P. (Ed.), Handbook for Economics Lecturers, Chapter 3, available at www.

economicsnetwork.ac.uk/publications/handbook/pbl

Teaching, learning, and risk in a non-elite environment