IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ireced/v44y2023ics1477388023000166.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Choice of data visualization tool: FRED or spreadsheets?

Author

Listed:
  • Mendez-Carbajo, Diego
  • Dellachiesa, Alejandro

Abstract

We study the impact that the choice of data visualization tool has on student ability to create a graph and interpret the information contained in it. We use a systematic random assignment approach and control for student demographic and academic characteristics. We compare the use of spreadsheets to the use of FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) among 471 undergraduate students of statistics for business and economics. We find that although there is no statistical difference between groups in the number of started assignments, the number of completed FRED assignments is significantly larger than the number of completed Google Sheets assignments. With that caveat, we find no association between the choice of data visualization tool and the proportion of correctly built graphs, average frustration, and perceived difficulty reported by students when building the graph. We document lower confidence in the task among female students and students who used FRED.

Suggested Citation

  • Mendez-Carbajo, Diego & Dellachiesa, Alejandro, 2023. "Choice of data visualization tool: FRED or spreadsheets?," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ireced:v:44:y:2023:i:c:s1477388023000166
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iree.2023.100275
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477388023000166
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iree.2023.100275?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julia VanderMolen & Christy Spivey, 2017. "Creating infographics to enhance student engagement and communication in health economics," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 198-205, July.
    2. Judith A. McDonald & Robert J. Thornton, 2011. "Estimating Gender Wage Gaps," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(4), pages 405-413, October.
    3. Diego Mendez-Carbajo & Keith G. Taylor & Mark A. Bayles, 2017. "Building a Taylor Rule Using FRED," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 2(1), pages 14-29, June.
    4. Easton, Todd, 2020. "Teaching econometrics with data on coworker salaries and job satisfaction," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    5. Anna Josephson & Larry DeBoer & Dave Nelson & Angelika Zissimopoulos, 2019. "Learning to do: Facilitating practice in a large introductory macroeconomics class," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(2), pages 142-156, April.
    6. Diego Méndez-Carbajo, 2015. "Visualizing Data and the Online FRED Database," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(4), pages 420-429, October.
    7. Tomas Dvorak & Simon D. Halliday & Michael O’Hara & Aaron Swoboda, 2019. "Efficient empiricism: Streamlining teaching, research, and learning in empirical courses," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 242-257, July.
    8. Bruce T. Elmslie & Edinaldo Tebaldi, 2010. "Teaching Economic Growth Theory with Data," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 110-124, March.
    9. James Staveley-O'Carroll, 2018. "Integrating graphing assignments into a money and banking course using FRED," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(1), pages 72-90, January.
    10. Dean Croushore & Hossein S. Kazemi, 2019. "Teaching courses in macroeconomics and monetary policy with Bloomberg analytics," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(2), pages 108-128, April.
    11. McCann, Michael & Russon, Jo-Anna, 2019. "Active financial analysis: Stimulating engagement using Bloomberg for introductory finance students," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 1-1.
    12. Amy McCormick Diduch, 2012. "Using the Consumer Expenditure Survey to Teach Poverty Measurement," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 99-106, January.
    13. Sam Allgood & Amanda Bayer, 2017. "Learning Outcomes for Economists," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 660-664, May.
    14. van Bergeijk, Peter A.G., 2014. "Earth-economics: A closed economy approach with real world data," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 60-70.
    15. Diego Méndez-Carbajo & Carlos J. Asarta, 2017. "Using FRED data to teach price elasticity of demand," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 176-185, July.
    16. Wolfe, Marketa Halova, 2020. "Integrating data analysis into an introductory macroeconomics course," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    17. repec:eee:ireced:v:30:y:2019:i:c:p:- is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Diego Mendez-Carbajo, 2020. "Active learning with FRED data," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(1), pages 87-94, January.
    19. Wuthisatian, Rattaphon & Thanetsunthorn, Namporn, 2019. "Teaching macroeconomics with data: Materials for enhancing students’ quantitative skills," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 1-1.
    20. Simon D. Halliday, 2019. "Data literacy in economic development," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 284-298, July.
    21. William A. Reese & Russell P. Robins, 2017. "Performing an event study: An exercise for finance students," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 206-215, July.
    22. Emily C. Marshall & Anthony Underwood, 2019. "Writing in the discipline and reproducible methods: A process-oriented approach to teaching empirical undergraduate economics research," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(1), pages 17-32, January.
    23. Steven Batt & Tara Grealis & Oskar Harmon & Paul Tomolonis, 2020. "Learning Tableau: A data visualization tool," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(3-4), pages 317-328, August.
    24. Richard Ball & Norm Medeiros, 2012. "Teaching Integrity in Empirical Research: A Protocol for Documenting Data Management and Analysis," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(2), pages 182-189, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sara Gundersen & Allison Shwachman Kaminaga, 2022. "Presentations To The President: A Role-Play Assignment For A Macroeconomics Principles Class," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 7(3), pages 185-199, October.
    2. Karla Borja & Suzanne Dieringer, 2023. "Telling My Story: Applying Storytelling to Complex Economic Data," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 49(3), pages 328-348, June.
    3. Wolfe, Marketa Halova, 2020. "Integrating data analysis into an introductory macroeconomics course," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    4. Depro, Brooks & Rouse, Kathryn, 2022. "Adapting the case method in an economics capstone research course," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    5. Diego Mendez-Carbajo, 2023. "Using Federal Reserve Economic Data® Data to Address Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 68(1), pages 126-139, March.
    6. Anna Maximova & Steve Muchiri & Mihai Paraschiv, 2023. "A Stroll Down the Dollar Street: Teaching Per-Capita GDP Using Internationally Comparable Photographs," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 8(2), pages 87-113, May.
    7. Ward, Frank A., 2023. "Innovations for the Water Resource Economics Curriculum: Training the Next Generation," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 5(3), September.
    8. Ward, Frank A., 2023. "Innovations for the Water Resource Economics Curriculum: Training the Next Generation," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 5(2), April.
    9. Johnson, Marianne & Meder, Martin E., 2024. "Twenty-three years of teaching economics with technology," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    10. Kuroki, Masanori, 2021. "Using Python and Google Colab to teach undergraduate microeconomic theory," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    11. Jessica K. Wallingford & William A. Masters, 2023. "Least-cost diets to teach optimization and consumer behavior, with applications to health equity, poverty measurement and international development," Papers 2312.11767, arXiv.org.
    12. Amanda Bayer & David W. Wilcox, 2019. "The unequal distribution of economic education: A report on the race, ethnicity, and gender of economics majors at U.S. colleges and universities," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 299-320, July.
    13. Monica Martinez-Blasco & Vanessa Serrano & Francesc Prior & Jordi Cuadros, 2023. "Analysis of an event study using the Fama–French five-factor model: teaching approaches including spreadsheets and the R programming language," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-34, December.
    14. Tallgauer, Maximilian & Schank, Christoph, 2024. "Challenging the growth-prosperity Nexus: Redefining undergraduate economics education for the Anthropocene," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    15. Shu-Ning Zhang & Guang-Xiu Jiang & Wen-Qi Ruan & Yong-Quan Li, 2023. "Technology External Cause or Individual Internal Cause? Multiple Ways to Improve the Online Learning Effectiveness of Tourism and Hospitality Management Students," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.
    16. Sahar Milani, 2023. "Teaching Environmental Macroeconomics to Undergraduate Students," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 49(3), pages 391-407, June.
    17. Strenio, Jacqueline & van der Meulen Rodgers, Yana, 2023. "Integrating Gender into a Labor Economics Class," IZA Discussion Papers 15886, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Marketa Halova Wolfe, 2023. "Incorporating Racial Justice Topics into an Econometrics Course," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 49(3), pages 312-327, June.
    19. Maximilian Tallgauer & Christoph Schank, 2023. "Rethinking Economics Education for Sustainable Development: A Posthumanist Practice Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-14, June.
    20. Cynthia Harter & Diego Mendez-Carbajo, 2024. "Diving into the Gap: Recognizing Gender Differences in an Online Learning Activity," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 50(1), pages 79-102, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ireced:v:44:y:2023:i:c:s1477388023000166. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-review-of-economics-education .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.