Upload
owen-hensley
View
218
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Integration of URSCA in Economics General Education Courses
Zamira Simkins, Rubana Mahjabeen and Sakib MahmudUniversity of Wisconsin-Superior
Introduction
• Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (URSCA):• An inquiry or investigation conducted by an
undergraduate student with a faculty mentor that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline
• URSCA at UW-Superior:• URSCA committee & activities• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program • UW-System Growth Agenda Grant & URSCA Center • URSCA program grants• Partnership with McNair Scholars program
URSCA in Economics
• URSCA taxonomy (DeLoach, Perry-Sizemore and Borg, 2010):
Course activities
Course projects
Capstone experience
Collaborative research
Examples Short assignments, experiments
Research papers, surveys
Thesis, SYE papers
Grant-funded studies
Course level
All All 4th year 3rd or 4th year
Time required
Days, weeks Weeks, months
Semester(s) Summer, semester(s)
Prereqs. Content knowledge
& basic research
skills
Content knowledge
& basic research
skills
Integrated content
knowledge & research skills
Integrated content
knowledge, research and
teamwork skills
URSCA in Economics (cont.)
• URSCA taxonomy (DeLoach, Perry-Sizemore and Borg, 2010):Course
activitiesCourse
projectsCapstone
experienceCollaborative
researchGoals & objectives
Application of concepts and theories
Integration of concepts and theories
Student learning & program
assessment
Advanced learning & grad. school preparation
Research type & student decision-making
Highly structured, common
instructions, few decisions
Structured, students
make some research decisions
Unstructured, students make most research
decisions
Varied structure, high degree of
faculty oversight, joint decisions
Mentoring focus
Individual or group, simple
Individual or group,
complex
Individual, highly complex
Individual, highly complex
UW-S URSCA in ECON Gen. Ed’s
• Project objectives:• Integrate URSCA in all Economics Gen. Ed. courses• Increase the number of students exposed to
experiential/active student learning • Introduce students to research methods and practices
• Implementation:• Courses: Economics in Society, Principles of
Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics• Products: 3 sets of course-based assignments, grading
rubrics, assessment rubrics and feedback forms• Frequency: every semester
UW-S URSCA in Microeconomics
Economics Student Learning Outcomes:• Master economics terms, concepts and theories:• Demand, supply, law of demand and law of supply
• Apply knowledge to understand how the economy works: • Market forces of S & D, equilibrium P & Q
• Develop undergraduate research KSAs:• Data collection, processing and interpretation
• Demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills: • Data analysis
• Demonstrate effective communication skills: • Written answers, group discussions
Project Description
Market: • Online homework access code (e.g., Aplia access code) Assignment details:• Introduced after S & D • Market assumption: perfectly competitive market• Ideal class size: 20-40 students, 50-50 buyers-sellers • Two+ class periods: (1+) simulation, (2) analysis• Simulation: 10 rounds, 2-3 minutes per round• Student instruction sheets: • Buyers – product valuation and behavior rules• Sellers - production cost and behavior rules
Buyer & Seller’s Record FormsRound # Seller’s Name Price You Paid for
the Access CodeYour Access Code
ValuationYour Consumer
Surplus
Round # Buyer’s Name Price You Received for the Access Code
Your Production Cost of Access Code
Your Producer Surplus
Analysis of Simulated Data
Initial analysis:• Cleaning the data set• Analysis of sellers'
behavior• Analysis of buyers'
behavior
Analysis of Simulated Data
Subsequent analysis:• Revealing of buyer valuations & production costs• Analysis of simulated data in graph and table format:• Table: market Qs & Qd at each price level• Graph: market S&D curves; equilibrium P&Q
• Application of economic theory to simulated behavior• Discussion on findings
URSCA Project Grade
5% of class grade: • Participation in the simulation• Data collection• Data analysis• Group discussion
Student Survey ResultsThis assignment… Strongly Agree
& AgreeStrongly Disagree
& Disagree
Helped you master knowledge of economics terms, concepts, and theories 58.49% 11.32%
Improved your knowledge and abilities to understand how the economy works 81.13% 3.77%
Taught you undergraduate research methods and developed your research skills
60.38% 11.32%
Enhanced your critical thinking and problem-solving skills 58.49% 7.55%
Developed your KSAs in data collection, processing, and interpretation 83.02% 7.55%
Enhanced your oral & written communication skills 60.38% 7.58%
Helped you learn how to work effectively as an independent researcher or a member of a group
64.15% 5.67%
Conclusion
• Positive student feedback about the assignment• Areas for improvement and extensions:• Revise instructions to provide step-by-step guidance
for every phase of the assignment• Vary product costs and valuations across rounds• Extend the simulation across different market
structures: • Perfect competition• Monopolistic competition• Oligopoly• Monopoly