14 TH EDINEB Conference Vienna, 2007 Teaching, learning, and risk in a non-elite environment* Frank Forsythe School of Economics & Politics University of Ulster Northern Ireland *Project funded by the Economics Network, Bristol:

The Economics Network Supporting university teachers of economics

The risky routeThe safe route student-centred regimes teacher-centred regimes innovate‘auto-pilot’ emphasis on learningemphasis 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 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 MIXED ABILITY FINAL YEAR BSc ECON STUDENT-CENTRED (PBL) COHORT MIXED ABILITY FINAL YEAR BSc ECON TEACHER-LED (LECTURE-SEMINAR) COHORT 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 Forsythe, F (2002), ‘Problem-based learning’, in Davies, P. (Ed.), Handbook for Economics Lecturers, Chapter 3, available at Teaching, learning, and risk in a non-elite environment