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Economics UPDATE
The monthly Economics Network Email Newsletter
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March 2008
Welcome to UPDATE the Economics Network Email Newsletter. This newsletter
is intended to inform Economics Network subscribers about our activities and
to provide other information that may be of interest.
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CONTENTS
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1. WHAT'S NEW
Funding Opportunities
Forthcoming Events
2. NOTICEBOARD
Economics Network Student Survey
Reminder: Student Competition
Maths for Economics resources
3. AND FINALLY.....
Behavioural Economics vs Standard Economics
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1. WHAT'S NEW
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
ECONOMICS NETWORK LEARNING AND TEACHING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS 2008-2009
Would you like us to fund your project up to £5000? Proposals are invited
from the UK Economics community for small projects to be funded by the
Economics Network. Projects will address the development, implementation and
evaluation of innovative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in
Economics Higher Education.
Any academic or group of academics involved in teaching Economics at either
undergraduate of postgraduate level in the UK can apply.
Departmental/faculty/central staff that support learning and teaching in
Economics may also apply as part of an academic-led proposal. Collaboration
within institutions and between institutions is encouraged, although not
essential.
Programme Aims
· To encourage and support curriculum developments, learning and teaching
research, and other innovations to enhance students’ learning experiences.
· To encourage collaboration and facilitate dissemination and sharing of
good practice between departments, local support services and institutions.
Key Details and Dates
· Funding Range: £1000 - £5000
· Project Length: no longer than 12 months
· Closing date for proposals: no later than Tuesday 6 May 2008
Further guidelines and application forms, are available at:
http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/projects/call2008.htm
CALL FOR MINI-GRANT FUNDING BIDS
There is growing pressure and expectation on the higher education (HE)
sector to respond to the sustainability challenge and consider how best to
embed sustainable development into policies and practices, not least in
learning and teaching and curricula.
To that end, the Higher Education Academy’s Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD) Project is continuing to support a programme of
development activity and capacity building so as to better assist
institutions and subject communities in their development of curricula and
pedagogy to equip students with the skills and knowledge to live and work
sustainably. This recognises the importance of increasing 'sustainability
literacy' among students and the growing demand for sustainability skills
among employers. Applications are now invited for the funding of mini-grants
designed to develop small-scale work
The ESD Project is setting aside £15k for grants in this Tranche; the
maximum funding for any
single proposal will be £2.5k. Further details are available from:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/learning/sustainability
HIGHER EDUCATION ACADEMY E-LEARNING CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
The 2008 e-learning research call is now available and funding of up to
£30,000 per project is available for up to 6 successful projects. This
year's call themes are:
* Using technology to support the learning contract between employers,
students and HE institutions
* Using technology to support student transition into higher education
* Using technology to support assessment and the delivery of student feedback
For further information and an expression of interest form please go to the
e-learning research site:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/learning/elearning/elro
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
ECONOMICS NETWORK WORKSHOPS
Using Ecological Economics and Problem-Based Learning
Birmingham, Friday 25 April 2008
Assessment and Feedback: A half-day workshop
London, Wednesday 7 May 2008
Using Problem Based Learning in Teaching Economics and Business
London, Thursday 8 May 2008
Using Threshold Concepts to plan teaching and assessment in Economics
Coventry, Thursday 15 May 2008
Teaching Development Economics
Birmingham, Wednesday 21 May 2008
Using Problem Based Learning in Teaching Economics and Business
Manchester, Tuesday 10 June 2008
Details about these (and other relevant events) are available on our website:
http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/news/
LOOK WHO'S TALKING
With over 70 million blogs worldwide this new breed of online commentating
has taken the Internet by storm and has the potential to be a significant
source of information, debate and research material for
social scientists.
As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 7th -16th March 2008, Intute:
Social Sciences will be featuring a series of articles by their subject
editors on the blogs they find the most useful in their work.
Whether it is online sources of political gossip, an insight into the latest
economic issues or how psychological research may tell you more about what
you are thinking and why, let the editors at Intute: Social Sciences guide
you to through the Social Science blogosphere - or at least the parts of it,
that they like the most!
http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/blog
SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: STAFF DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
This event is intended for teaching staff that work with international
students. It will present a training pack commissioned by the Subject Centre
for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies for use by education developers
(workshop mode) or by individual staff (online mode). The materials provide
reflective activities designed to engage teachers with some of the key
issues in working with international students and practical ideas for ways
in which these can be addressed. It will be of particular interest to new
staff or anyone new to working with international students.
More information can be found at:
http://www.llas.ac.uk/events/llaseventitem.aspx?resourceid=2919
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2. NOTICEBOARD
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ECONOMICS NETWORK STUDENT SURVEY
The Economics Network is running its fourth biennial on-line Students Survey
from 13th of February until the 31st March. Please do encourage all your
undergraduate and postgraduate students to participate in the survey. As an
incentive for students to complete the survey, we are offering three iPod
Touches and ten 8GB memory sticks, with names drawn at random. As usual the
results will be confidential to the department and national results will be
posted on our Web site.
http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/ltsn/students08
REMINDER: STUDENT COMPETITION
We are now accepting entries for the 2008 competition. This year LiveEcon
and the Economics Network are awarding a first prize of £1750 and two
runners-up prizes of £1000 and £500.
http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/awards/student_essay.htm
MATHS FOR ECONOMICS RESOURCES
We are seeking feedback on our JISC-funded Maths for Economists project.
It includes fourteen case studies (with more material in preparation) which
introduce mathematical techniques in the context of economic problems.
http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/archive/maths_worksheets/
This is one of several projects providing "pick and mix" materials that
economics lecturers can use to complement their existing teaching. Our site
includes a master index to these materials:
http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/subjects/mathsforeconomists.htm
Having commissioned this work, we'd like feedback from the community on both
the case studies and the resource index. Have you or will you use these in
your courses? What makes them suitable or unsuitable? What new resources
would help you bridge the maths skills gap? Can we make it easier for you to
access existing resources?
Any comments, however short or long, will be gratefully received and will
shape our future activity. Just email [log in to unmask]
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3. AND FINALLY..........
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BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS vs STANDARD ECONOMICS
Dan Ariely has an amusing video up on his blog in the style of the Mac vs PC
ads for standard vs behavioural economics.
http://www.predictablyirrational.com/?page_id=140
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CONTACT US
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If you have any suggestions, feedback or comments please contact:
Bhagesh Sachania, Information Officer, Economics Network
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel.: (0117) 928 7071
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