Educating economists : the Teagle discussion on re-evaluating the undergraduate economics major

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Title:

Author:

Colander, David C.

ISBN:

9781848445796

9781848445802

Publication Information:

Cheltenham, UK ; Northampton, MA : Edward Elgar, c2009.

Physical Description:

xxix, 242 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.

Contents:

Pt. I. The Teagle Report -- 1. The Teagle Foundation Report: The Economics Major as Part of a Liberal Education / David Colander and KimMarie McGoldrick -- Pt. II. Challenging the Content: What Do We Teach? -- 2. Teaching Students to "Think About the Economy" / Joseph Persky -- 3. The Economics Major as Illiberal Education / Stephen A. Marglin -- 4. Moral Reasoning in Economics / Jonathan B. Wight -- 5. Thinking for Yourself, Like an Economist / Robert F. Garnett -- 6. Teaching Economics Students as if they are Geniuses / James Wible -- 7. The Need for Depth in the Economics Major / Benjamin M. Friedman -- Pt. III. Changing the Way We Teach Economics -- 8. Using Pedagogical Change to Improve Student Learning in the Economics Major / Scott Simkins and Mark Maier -- 9. Providing Incentives for Change: Evaluating Teaching / Ann L. Owen -- 10. Reflections on Introductory Course Structures / Paul W. Grimes -- 11. Economics and Liberal Education: Why, Where, and How / Michael K. Salemi -- 12. Reinvigorating Liberal Education with an Expected Proficiencies Approach to the Academic Major / W. Lee Hansen -- Pt. IV. Structural Problems and the Interdisciplinary Nature of Economics -- 13. The Integrative Nature of the Economics Major / Jessica Holmes -- 14. The Availability of Interdisciplinary Economics Educators and the Actions of Deans: Explaining the Small Contribution of Economics to a Liberal Education / Arthur H. Goldsmith -- 15. The Economics Major at a Crossroads / David Kennett -- 16. Crafting the Economics Major as an Exercise in Property Rights / Neil Skaggs -- 17. Preserving Liberal Arts Education: A Futile Endeavor / Brendan O'Flaherty -- Pt. V. Views from the Administration -- 18. Good Researchers Make Good Teachers / Catherine Hill -- 19. Overstating the Challenges, Underestimating the Solutions / George Daly -- 20. How the Shifting Landscape Affects our Students / David W. Breneman -- 21. The Role of Incentives (and Culture) in Rebalancing the Economics Major / Bradley W. Bateman -- Pt. VI. Views from the Students -- 22. What Do Economics Majors Think of the Economics Major? / Steve Jones, Eric Hoest, Richie Fuld, Mahesh Dahal and David Colander -- Pt. VII. Conclusion -- 23. Wrapping Up the Discussion / John Siegfried.

Subject Term:

Economics -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- United States.

Economics -- Study and teaching (Graduate) -- United States.

Added Author:

Colander, David C.

McGoldrick, KimMarie.

Copies:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025568011	330.071173 C683E 2009	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The economics major is a central part of a college education. But is that economics major doing what it is meant to do? And if not, how should it be changed? This book raises a set of provocative questions that encourage readers to look at the economics major in a different light than it is typically considered and provides a series of recommendations for change.

Responding to a Teagle Foundation initiative on the role of majors in higher education, the contributors - eminent economists and administrators - consider the relationship between the goals and objectives of the economics major and those of a liberal education. They address questions such as: What is the appropriate training for a person who will be teaching in a liberal arts school? What incentives would motivate the creation of institutional value through teaching and not simply research? They also explore whether the disciplinary nature of undergraduate education is squeezing out the 'big-think' questions, and replacing them with 'little-think' questions, and whether we should change graduate training of economists to better prepare them to be teachers, rather than researchers.

Providing a stimulating discussion of the economics major by many of the leaders in US economic education, this book will prove a thought provoking read for those with a special interest in economics and economics education, particularly academics, lecturers, course administrators, students and researchers.