Using Analogies to Assess Students’ Knowledge in Economics Courses
Abstract
According to the generative theory of learning, people understand new concepts by idiosyncratically relating them to prior experiences and prior stored information. This paper describes a practical strategy for using the generative learning teaching technique of analogies to help instructors assess whether students are correctly integrating new learning within the context of their prior experience. In order to determine the effectiveness of student-created analogies as an assessment tool we compare student scores from homework assignments and final examinations with scores received from created analogies. Insights from piloting the technique in introductory economics classes will be discussed during the presentation.
The participants of the session will be introduced to the analogies as an assessment tool, discuss its benefits and possible downsides, and learn practical strategies for using analogies in the evaluation of student knowledge. Session participants will be invited to share their views on analogies as an assessment technique in their disciplines.
This paper is a work in progress.
Location
Room 1220
Recommended Citation
Burdina, Mariya and Sauer, Katherine, "Using Analogies to Assess Students’ Knowledge in Economics Courses" (2014). SoTL Commons Conference. 43.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2014/43
Using Analogies to Assess Students’ Knowledge in Economics Courses
Room 1220
According to the generative theory of learning, people understand new concepts by idiosyncratically relating them to prior experiences and prior stored information. This paper describes a practical strategy for using the generative learning teaching technique of analogies to help instructors assess whether students are correctly integrating new learning within the context of their prior experience. In order to determine the effectiveness of student-created analogies as an assessment tool we compare student scores from homework assignments and final examinations with scores received from created analogies. Insights from piloting the technique in introductory economics classes will be discussed during the presentation.
The participants of the session will be introduced to the analogies as an assessment tool, discuss its benefits and possible downsides, and learn practical strategies for using analogies in the evaluation of student knowledge. Session participants will be invited to share their views on analogies as an assessment technique in their disciplines.
This paper is a work in progress.
