Education Commons^™

Future And Value: The Library As Strategic Partner, Antje Mays

Library Presentations

Broader economic trends spawn budget pressures for education and libraries, prompting a plethora of studies on the value and relevance of libraries. Numerous reports on economic decline in libraries and studies with mixed pronouncements on the value of libraries have led to a negative self-image within the library profession. Yet libraries' leadership in connecting learners to knowledge is at the heart of producing many of the key skills sorely needed in robust societies and economies. Librarianship has many untapped opportunities for positioning itself as a prominent strategic partner. This paper outlines current research on the economic and societal context for …

Mayflower: Ode To New Beginnings — A New Column For New Times With A Positive Mission, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Numerous studies and articles downplay the value of libraries, citing instances of library defunding, layoffs, and outright closures, along with studies on the waning usefulness of libraries based on flawed quantifiables. Such pronouncements spread fear of obsolescence and irrelevance, contributing to dissatisfaction in the library profession. Yet polls in the United States and Great Britain reveal the library profession's enduring value among the most trusted professions.

To kick off the column "Mayflower: Ode to New Beginnings", this article frames library pressures in a context of broader trends affecting economic and educational conditions, examines professional stewardship and the library profession’s enduring …

The Impact Of Remittances On Education Attainment: Evidence From Dominican Republic, Tahiya Begum

Honors College Theses

This paper will examine the relationship between remittances and education attainment focusing on Dominican Republic in 2002. This study will focus on households in Dominican Republic using surveys from IPUMS international and the data is cross-sectional. Sending remittances increases the income for households, which in return, influences the spending on education. The study of remittances is analyzed in a more cultural and social value rather than entirely economic. The dynamic and structure of a family is crucial when studying the effects of remittances in a developing country. Key findings from this analysis is that the relationship between education attainment and …

Literacy Rates Analysis: An International Comparison, Macarena Arce

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper attempts to provide a more complete reckoning of the economics of literacy rates around the world. It consists on a literature review about the economic benefits and costs of literacy rates and then it shows two econometrics models that attempt to predict literacy rates based on GDP, government expenditure, and several other independent variables.

Teacher Interpretations Of Moneyskill®, Thomas Lucey, Elizabeth White, Aline André

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

While much scholarship concerns the efforts to teach children and youth about personal finances, much less, if any, research concerns efforts of practicing teachers to evaluate and interpret financial curricula for schools. This paper conveys the results of a research study that interpreted teachers’ responses the high school modules associated with the Moneyskill® online education program. A convenience sample of teachers enrolled in a graduate level diversity course as a large teacher education institution in the Midwest completed assigned MoneySKILL modules and participated in group online reflections. Participants in the study interpreted the content as appropriate and relevant. They also …

Review Of "Innovations In Economic Education: Promising Practices For Teachers And Students, K-16", Stephen H. Day

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Curriculum Review: The Understanding Fiscal Responsibility Lesson Materials, Scott W. Dewitt, Nick Dilley

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

We Shall See: Critical Theory And Structural Inequality In Economics, Neil Graham Shanks

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This paper seeks to provide educators with a critique of dominant narratives through the disciplinary tools of economics. Specifically; issues of race, gender, and geography are addressed via the common economic subjects of fiscal and monetary policy, economic indicators, wages, and economic growth. By providing a practical blueprint for a more critical curriculum in economics, these lessons and the literature that supports them demonstrates the potential of teachers to challenge taken-for-granted notions of what economics is and what it is for.

Teaching Unemployment Across The Curriculum, Natalia Smirnova

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The Economics-Across-the-Curriculum approach encourages the integration of economic concepts into various disciplines. This paper describes several creative lesson ideas about teaching Unemployment which were field-tested by high-school teachers who attended a multi-day workshop at a not-for-profit institution in Massachusetts. We hope that these ideas will inspire high school teachers to try them in their classrooms. Any subject area can be a fruitful ground for the infusion of economics, economic text analyses, or quantitative literacy concepts.

Noodlenomics: Using Pool Noodles To Teach Supply And Demand, Jennifer Leigh Logan, Marsha Clayton

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Supply and demand is a fundamental part of economics at the junior high school, high school and college level. Although it is very important for students to understand and apply this analytical tool, many are turned off by the graph as well as the labels needed. This paper offers techniques for making supply and demand easier for students to comprehend. The classroom activities are mainly designed for teachers of middle school and high school economics, but can also be used as a fun and easy introduction to the concept in a college classroom as well.

The Impact Of Gap Years On Academic Outcomes For Women: A Case Study From The Missionary Age Change, Margaret Marchant

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Young adults throughout the United States and other countries participate in “gap years,” or time away from school, often for travel, work, or volunteering. This practice is promoted as a way to mature and refocus. However, some worry that it lowers the likelihood of college completion. Previous literature has investigated the academic, social, and personal benefits of gap years with mixed results; however selection into gap years confounds the true impact with unobservable personal characteristics. To overcome selection issues, I exploit an exogenous policy change that lowered age requirements for missionary service, a unique type of gap year, resulting in …

Using The Quantitative Literacy And Reasoning Assessment (Qlra) For Early Detection Of Students In Need Of Academic Support In Introductory Courses In A Quantitative Discipline: A Case Study, Nathan D. Grawe, Kristin O'Connell

Numeracy

As the number of young people attending college has increased, the diversity of college students’ educational backgrounds has also risen. Some students enter introductory courses with math anxiety or gaps in their quantitative training that impede their ability to master or even grasp relevant disciplinary content. Too often professors learn of these anxieties and gaps only during the post mortem of the first midterm. By that time, a good portion of a student’s grade is determined and successful recovery may be impossible. During the 2016-17 academic year, the Department of Economics at Carleton College ran a pilot project using the …

Teacher Training For Phd Students And New Faculty In Economics, Sam Allgood, Gail Hoyt, Kimmarie Mcgoldrick

Economics Faculty Publications

Past studies suggest that a majority of economics graduate students engage in teaching-related activities during graduate school and many go on to academic positions afterwards. However, not all graduate students are formally prepared to teach while in graduate school nor are they fully prepared to teach in their first academic position. The authors characterize current teaching experience and training of graduate students from the point of view of directors of graduate studies and of newly minted academic economists. The authors also query department chairs and new faculty about teacher training, support available for new faculty, and the degree to which …

Higher Education Student Debt & Tuition Costs, K. Harrison Maloy Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

U.S. higher education tuition costs have risen at nearly double the rate of inflation over the past forty years. In 2012, student loan delinquency rose to 12% and surpassed credit card delinquency rates as the top category of consumer debt delinquency. Meanwhile, recently enacted federal policies advocate for increased higher education accessibility, affordability and attainability, but simultaneously promote educational institutions to increase spending with funds fueled by student debt. The growth of $136.8 billion in student loan delinquency has triggered decreasing participation in non-student debt markets by people with student loan debt. Fortunately, Americans continue to enroll in colleges at …