Choosing Your Own Adventure: Attitudes and Outcomes When Students Pick the Content of an Upper-Level Economics Course

Abstract

This session will present results from a pedagogical study looking at the impact of an inquiry-based structure on an upper-level course in economics. In the course, students had to find, summarize, and evaluate sources that would then become the reading assignments and main content for the course. The goal of this structure was to promote both an understanding of complex economic concepts and to develop research and communication skills to effectively find, summarize, and present the material to the class. This session will provide an overview of the results from the study and will also be an opportunity to have a short discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of allowing students to find and shape the content for an entire course.