Econ 222: Using Clickers and Online Adaptive Learning Tools

This course redesign will focus on using new online and in-class technologies to improve analytics to better understand student mistakes and gaps in learning. Additionally, the use of technology in creating on-demand, targeted screencasts and multiple iterations of online tests shows encouraging signs of reducing student anxiety around economics, as well as improving instructor immediacy and availability despite relatively large class sizes (68-230). Although technology can go a long way to improving student performance through reducing anxiety via allowing students to interact with the material when and as long as they like, it is more well-suited to assisting with the purely technical aspects of Economics. For context, critical thinking and communication aspects, in-class discussion and work are non-replaceable: I reduce lecture but increase active learning activities in class to protect these crucial elements of learning to think like an economist.