Appropriate assessment is of major importance for universities today. Many faculty perceive assessment as already occurring through grade assignment. This paper investigates grades versus knowledge of learning objectives as forms of assessment. By analyzing the relationship between examination...

One-minute papers are often used to encourage students to think and write briefly about their own learning, because teachers believe that metacognition and writing help students to learn. The proportion of online one-minute papers that students submit, however, has not previously been used to...

A short case about long-run economic growth issues in the African nation of Mali is presented. Issues discussed in the case include challenges related to Mali's education system, investment, and trade. Basic facts and statistics about Mali are provided. Analysis of public policy issues and the...

This paper discusses dynamic ticket pricing by Major League Baseball and how it applies to the measurement or transaction explanation of pricing. Key reductions in the cost of measuring margins that vary in value, such as the win/loss record of the opposing team, are identified, and these...

Ockham’s Razor is a reminder to keep things simple, but this principle is often ignored in the elasticity chapters of many economics textbooks. Many texts invoke slope unnecessarily and in contradictory ways. Discussions of the determinants of the price elasticity of demand have the potential...

When a gift is given, someone other than the final consumer makes the consumption choice. Thus there is a possibility that the gift will not match the preferences of the receiver, i.e., the gift will represent a wise use of the money given the gift-giver's tastes but not necessarily a wise use...

The relationship between class attendance and academic performance continues to be of interest. The most common methods of tracking attendance, however, have their shortcomings and biases. We provide researchers with a method to collect unbiased and reliable attendance data. Late arrivals and...

The author describes a technique whereby students truthfully reveal their perceptions regarding the difficulty of an assignment. After completing the assignment, each student guesses his/her class' average score on the assignment. The student is informed that if his/her guess is within one...

This article offers a practical way for economic educators to integrate marketing into economics principles courses by connecting economic principles and data to advertisements used during the "Great Recession." While most business students are required to take economic principles courses, few...

Economists often introduce their classes to opportunity cost concepts by pointing out the additional incomes students could be earning were they employed full time rather than attending university. A potential additional cost, a reduction in years of future labor force participation, is unlikely...