Why Not Oxford?

The first undergraduate economics programme was created in Cambridge, but before his appointment Alfred Marshall was employed as a tutor by Balliol College Oxford. This chapter explains why, if Marshall had remained in Oxford, and even if he had succeeded the incumbent Professor of Political Economy, he would not have been able to achieve in Oxford what he did in Cambridge, after his appointment there in late 1884. The reason for this lies in the curricular differences between Oxford and Cambridge—in Oxford, Classics was the primary degree for much of the nineteenth century, with a minor Mathematics path—and also the relationship between college and university. In Cambridge, lecturing on the various Triposes was organised at the level of the university, by Special Boards of Study; arguments could therefore be made in university debates that could then result in university-wide changes. In Oxford, by contrast, lecturing was organised directly by colleges among themselves, cutting out the prospect of discussion at the level of the university itself. This and other differences between Oxford and Cambridge militated against the kind of innovations possible in Cambridge, with for example the establishment of the Natural Sciences Tripos in the 1870s.

Teaching Methods in Undergraduate Intermediate Theory, Statistics and Econometrics, and Other Upper-Division Economics Courses: Results From a Sixth National Quinquennial Survey

This article is an extension of a recent article published in The American Economist (Asarta et al., 2021) and presents the second report of basic findings from the 2020 online administration of the sixth national quinquennial survey on teaching and assessment methods in economics. Consistent with the results from the first report, we find that “chalk and talk” remains the staple method of instruction across the entire undergraduate economics curriculum. Lessons, activities, and references that address diversity, inclusion, or gender issues are almost never used in intermediate theory, statistics and econometrics, and other upper-division field courses. There has been notable growth in the use of cooperative learning/small-group assignments, as well as in instructor-led and “student(s) with student(s)” discussions over the past 25 years. Overall, however, there have been minimal changes in teaching methods over time.JEL Classifications: A20, A22

Features of Group Work Organization in the Digital Space by the Example of Discipline «Digital Mathematics»

The possibilities of organizing group work using digital resources are discussed in the article. Currently, there is a clear need on the part of the state and employers for specialists who can work in a team and implement ambitious projects. At the same time, according to the authors, since the 90s, there has been an asymmetry in pedagogy towards individual forms of education and the individualization of the educational process in general. As a result, a significant proportion of graduates are not ready to work in the team. It is possible to overcome this contradiction by using a variety of forms of group work, starting from the first year. The authors present their experience in organizing such activities for first-year undergraduate economics students. A statistical analysis is presented that confirms the positive impact of group work on the academic success of students. A survey conducted among students also confirms their interest in developing teamwork skills.

Combating the Stress of an Urgent Move to Remote Learning Caused by the COVID Pandemic

Remote learning became the primary venue for university education throughout the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some academic institutions already had remote learning mechanisms in place by design, many higher education institutions – along with faculty and students – had to adapt to virtual or online education for the first time, while school was in session, in spring 2020. The continued effort to improve on-line pedagogy during the 2020-21 academic year suggests new pedagogical norms are now being established, with longer term implications for educators and students alike. In this paper, the authors explore different technologies used in the “classroom” and observed impacts on teaching effectiveness, particularly as they relate to an undergraduate economics course. The authors find that while it is challenging to replicate the in-person class experience, basic economics courses can be effectively taught in a remove environment by leveraging technology.

UNDERGRADUATE ECONOMICS CURRICULUM AND EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Graduates with employability skills are considered as assets by employers because they are dynamic and adapt easily to today’s work environment. Thus, higher education globally is under pressure to produce graduates who are employable and able to continue learning and remain employed. This study examined the extent to which the undergraduate economics curriculum in South Africa equips economics graduates with employability skills. This was achieved through a qualitative approach using a content analysis design. Data analysed from advertisements extracted from the Sunday Times for four consecutive years and data from six undergraduate economics study guides indicated that there was a disjuncture between undergraduate economics skills and those required by the industry. The analysed study guides only cover about 29.4 % of the needed skills in the labour market. It is imperative for higher education institutions to produce employable graduates because evidence demonstrates that employers today do not hire employees solely based on academic qualifications. Recommendations are that there should be an alignment between employability skills required in the labour market and those offered by the academic institutions. Curricula and pedagogy should also be adjusted to enhance graduate skills outcomes. Keywords: employability skills, undergraduate curriculum, content analysis