Les Simpson

Case study 2

Adopting and adapting a course textbook and study guide for a first-year course on micro- and macroeconomics

Originator: Dr Les Simpson
Reproduced with permission from Course Design for Resource Based Learning - Social Sciences (1994), Stephen Cox and Graham Gibbs.

Background

Three years ago there were two similar courses, one for business and economics students and one for science and engineering students. They consisted of lectures and tutorials, with students working from a standard text, and needed a lot of staff time to operate. However, even then, the courses were not static, and had been evolving over some time. Growing student numbers, combined with constraints on resources, were putting staff under increasing pressure. The advent of the modular scheme proved to be the opportunity to redesign the two courses into a single course of two modules (micro- and macroeconomics). The new course operates with fewer resources while maintaining, or even enhancing, quality, and preserving the accreditation of the various professional bodies connected with the courses concerned.

Context

The two modules enrol about 400 first-year students from a wide variety of courses, most of whom (about 250) are studying economics or aspects of business. These students can take the course either as a core element of their programmes, or merely as options. Each of the two modules runs over a ten-week term in a three-term year (they replace two separate 18-week taught courses). The first module covers microeconomics, the second macroeconomics. There is an examination at the end of each module, at Christmas and Easter. (Students at Heriot-Watt University take four modules per term, a total of 12 per year. They are expected to spend about ten hours' study time per week on each of their four concurrent modules.)

Aims

The main aim was to maintain, and if possible to enhance, students' performance on the course, while reducing the amount of staff time required to operate it, but simultaneously coping with a steady increase in numbers. Consideration had also to be given to the wide diversity of students taking the course, but there was a feeling that the aims driving the change should be achieved without spoon-feeding them. Lastly it was hoped that a more appropriate form of examination than the traditional essay might be found.

Implementation

The tutor adapted an American textbook and associated study guide, computer packages and multiple-choice tests, instead of writing new materials.

The new course was prepared during the tutor's own time over the summer vacation immediately before the modular scheme came into operation. A 'Europeanised' version of a book from a North American publisher was chosen as the course text (Parkin and King, Economics, published by Addison Wesley). Assigned readings from it form the core of the course. Associated with the text are a number of additional features, which proved very useful in designing and running the new course; these include computer-aided learning and multiple-choice testing packages.

Workshop sessions were created to deal with weekly problems or exercises, which the students are intended to tackle with minimal support. The course promised to save colleagues a great deal of teaching time, while improving quality. Thus they were easily persuaded that the change was worthwhile.

Student induction

At the first session, each student receives a study guide, the programme of weekly events, and the workshop material for the course, complete with answers. The tutor then explains what the materials are for, and how they will be used.

Student activities

Each week for the first eight weeks of both the microeconomics and the macroeconomics modules the students receive three lectures, on topics related closely to the course text; the lectures are supported by references to readings in the textbook and study guide. They also have the option to use the Graphecon II computer-aided learning materials and the CTIF (Computerised Test Item File) self-testing multiple-choice questions, which are available on the Business School's computer network.

Students with different backgrounds and learning needs make use of workshops and other resources to different extents.

The students are required to work through the printed exercises, case studies and multiple-choice questions in the study programme for the course. Those who feel they need help with the exercises can attend the weekly workshop, during which each exercise is dealt with in turn and questions about it are answered. The workshop also handles any other learning problems associated with the module. Up to 80 students per week, on average, attend a workshop (two sessions are offered, each of which is attended by about 40 students). Informal group and individual tutorials are available on request Thus, students who have some difficulty with the course can avail themselves of a range of help and support. Those who already have some knowledge or expertise in economics can probably spend less time on some parts of the course.

There are no assignments to hand in during the module, but the examination is at most only ten weeks away. The ninth week is free of classes for revision. The examination has been redesigned to incorporate multiple-choice tests, short-answer questions and an essay, the three components making up about equal proportions of the marks.

Resources

The text and study guide, both published by Addison Wesley, are the core resources for the course. Associated with them there are two computerised resources:

• a computer-aided learning package called Graphecon II, which uses interactive methods to cover material that underpins the text. While some features of this package are not ideal for a European context, it is not possible to edit them. Nevertheless, the advantages of using the material outweigh the disadvantages.
• CTIF, a computer-based multiple-choice testing package, which includes a databank of questions. It is possible to edit this material, and additions and alterations are made to it as a matter of routine.

These two packages are now available to students in any one of three microcomputer laboratories, with a total of about 60 seats. (These facilities are open from 08.30 to 22.00 Monday to Friday and 10.00 to 17.00 on Saturday and Sunday. No attendance record is kept - the microcomputer labs are used for a range of purposes. However, the manager of the facility reports that 'significant use' is made of these programmes.)

In addition to published materials, the modules employ:

• a study programme written by the course tutor which contains:
  • the programme of study on the module;
  • the readings, exercises and lecture topics for each week;
  • the diagrams, graphs and tables used in the lectures;
  • self-testing multiple-choice questions to allow students to check their own progress;
  • answers to the test items and the exercises.
• workshop sessions in which each week's exercises and problems are systematically worked through.

Costs

Copies of Graphecon II were purchased from the publishers at a cost of £9 each. No network facility was available, so 40 copies were obtained. It is highly unlikely that more than 40 students will want to use the package simultaneously. The multiple-choice test package (CTIF) and question databank were provided free of charge by the publisher. Class materials (study programmes, etc.) cost about £1000 per year. There are two open access workshops and three lectures each week.

129 hours of teaching are saved a year despite accommodating 50 more students

Currently each lecture is repeated because of accommodation constraints. Use of a video link between lecture theatres would reduce the number of lecture hours to three per week. Furthermore, experience indicates that one workshop per week would be sufficient. These changes would reduce the amount of teaching and assessment time to a total of 264 hours ( 0.66 hours per student).

Evaluation

Formal university feedback seeks student views on the lecture performance of the course tutor. Students are very pleased with the quality of the lectures on the course, and very much appreciate having the material in front of them during the lectures. Informal feedback on the operation of the rest of the course shows that students appreciate its structure.

The university's standard feedback questionnaire concentrates on lecturing rather than on features which are important to RBL

Pass rates have improved since the course was started. This could be because:

• the format of the new course has been designed to support students' learning independently, and its tight schedule gives the students an incentive to do the set work each week
• under the modular scheme students are examined at the end of each term - the examination is at most ten weeks ahead, and usually much closer than that;
• the format of the examination has changed to include compulsory multiple-choice and short-answer questions on knowledge right across the module rather than essays on only three elements of it.

Human factors

The course tutor has received the tacit support of his colleagues in designing and running this course - probably because it has saved them a great deal of teaching time while maintaining the pass rate and dealing with more students. The students like the course because they can use the materials in a way which is appropriate to their needs. A disadvantage from the tutor's point of view is that he has much less contact with the students than he did before.

Developments

The materials and computer packages that form the basis of the course will be regularly reviewed

The tutor would like to reduce the number of lectures in each module to two per week. He believes that this would be sufficient given a complete package of supplementary materials. He would also very much like to replace the Graphecon II package with improved material - possibly that being developed by the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP) Economics Consortium. In the longer term, there will be a need to review the use of the current course text in one to two years' time, when a decision will be made about its future depending on what alternative packages are available.

Conclusion

This course demonstrates how effectively existing materials can be adapted to meet a need - even if the materials hail from overseas. The resulting course, although producing savings in staff time, has not only maintained, but improved the students' pass rate. It has also capitalised on the benefits of modularisation, by combining what were two courses into one. What is more, it appears to be a course which students find satisfying and rewarding to follow.

References

M. Parkin and D. King, Economics, Addison Wesley, 1992

B. Atkinson, M. Parkin, and D. King, Economics Study Guide, Addison Wesley, 1992

Computerised Test Item File, Addison Wesley.

L. Olvey and J. Golden, Graphecon II, Addison Wesley.