Several months after having completed an introductory economics course, most students are no better able to answer simple economic questions than students who never took the course. The problem seems to be that principles courses try to teach students far too much, with the result that everything goes by in a blur. The good news is that a…

Economics can be a tough subject, so good teachers find creative ways to teach it. However, only a few economic literacy programs promote "an economic way of thinking" and teach students how to analyze relevant economic problems, says Burton Folsom. Having examined several economic education programs, the author has found that many…

There is a gender imbalance in undergraduate economics departments with most departments educating a strong majority of young men. This imbalance has led many economists to ponder the question of why relatively few women choose to take courses and major in economics. Our hypothesis is that the gender imbalance in undergraduate economics,…

In this article, we discuss the development of online courses in higher education in terms of the in- structional quality and economic costs. In our conceptual analysis, we point out problems in developing online courses with sufficient quality due to limited funds being made available for online course development. Moreover, economic costs exist…

This article outlines the recently developed idea of "Threshold Concepts" and explains how this idea may be used to describe the progress of learning in economics. The authors examine the relationship between threshold concepts, key concepts and conceptual change and suggest that a distinction between basic, discipline and procedural…

The in house development of an online assessment tool, OASIS, has provided a unique opportunity to research the use of online assessment in teaching and learning across the university. The developing relationship between IT staff, educational designers and academics serves as a model for integrated and evolving management systems which demonstrate…

The authors document the types of undergraduate colleges and universities attended by those who earned a doctorate in economics from an American university from 1966 through 2003. They examine relationships between type of undergraduate institution and attrition and time-to-degree in PhD programs. The total number of new economics PhDs awarded to…

The author examines the effects of different introductory microeconomics textbooks on student performance in subsequent economics courses (specifically, Intermediate Microeconomics I and Money and Banking). In some cases, the effects are significant and sizeable. There is also evidence of other variables affecting student performance in later…

Although she encountered criticism of her work, Harriet Martineau was the most widely read economics educator of 19th century Great Britain. Martineau wrote for the masses; she was convinced that it was each citizen's civic duty to learn economics. She relied on the body of knowledge which existed in her day: Mill's "Elements of Political…

The first priority of our schools should be to provide students with fundamental literacy skills and to provide them with enough understanding of the society so they can function effectively as citizens. More emphasis should be placed on education about the economic system. (Author/IRT)

Reviews nine books, published between 1981 and 1984, which focus on various aspects of the relationship between law and economics. Maintains that taken together, these works provide a higher intellectual plateau from which the field of law and economics can continue to grow. (JDH)

Describes required content, promotion standards, and evaluation mechanisms for economics courses in Australian high schools. (JDH)

A three-day unit, including an auction, designed to teach basic economics. (NP)

A consumer affairs attorney points up pitfalls awaiting the unschooled shopper and suggests approaches to consumer education. (JK)

Considers two alternative views of competition found in the economics literature. The author demonstrates that these alternative views of competition underlie alternative views in other areas of economics, including welfare economics and micro-economic policy. Implications for college students and teachers are examined. (Author/AM)