Happy beginning of the term! We’ve lined up two Economics Education Seminars to kick-start the new year. Please email the CTaLE programme administrator, Madeleine Adamson, if you would like to attend either.
When/Where: Monday, 22nd October, 1-2pm at Malet Place Engineering Building 1.02 (co-hosted with UCL’s Centre for Engineering Education)
Speaker: Dr. S. Raj Chaudhury (University of South Alabama)
Title: “Multiple Representations for STEM disciplines- applications from the learning sciences”
Abstract: Graphs, diagrams, formulae, numbers and verbal descriptions form the vocabulary of STEM experts in describing phenomena encountered either in the laboratory or the natural world. Whereas students of STEM disciplines might form various internal representations that constitute their memory and comprehension of knowledge structure, as instructors we must often rely on the external representations they share with us through written exercises or examination scripts as evidence of their learning. In this talk, I shall present my perspective on the value of multiple representations from a SoTL study in introductory physics at a regional public university in the United States and explore a special case of an established active learning technique (Interactive Lecture Demonstrations) to foster student learning in this area. I shall reference the learning sciences framework from How People Learn (1999), the physics education research literature and tie into recent European work on orchestration from the field of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL).
When/Where: Wednesday, 21st November, 1-2pm at Drayton House Rm 321
Speaker: Neha Batura, Hassan Haghparast-Bidgoli and Jolene Skordis-Worrall (UCL Institute of Global Health)
Title: “Assessing Economics using Portfolios: Building Skills while Building the Assessment”
Abstract: A portfolio is a collection of texts and/or other materials, usually including a reflective commentary, submitted as evidence that learning has taken place. There are examples of portfolio-based assessment in economics education but the method is not in widespread use in this discipline. In this presentation, we will reflect on both our own and our students experience of using a portfolio method for the assessment of two courses in Health Economics at UCL. In our presentation specifically, we will share student experience of what works and what does not. The benefits and features of a portfolio that extends learning and builds foundation skills will be described with examples from our own work. Finally, we will explore the extent to which this assessment form differentiates students, stretching the able and supporting those feeling challenged by new concepts.
Centre for Teaching and Learning Economics 