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Teaching Economics and Providing Visual “Big Pictures”

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  • Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad MOOSAVIAN

    (North Carolina State University, USA.)

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to investigate the importance of providing visual “big pictures” in the teaching of economics. The plurality and variety of concepts, variables, diagrams, and models involved in economics can be a source of confusion for many economics students. However, reviewing the existing literature on the importance of providing visual “big pictures” in the process of learning suggests that furnishing students with a visual “big picture” that illustrates the ways through which those numerous, diverse concepts are connected to each other could be an effective solution to clear up the mentioned mental chaos. As a practical example, this paper introduces a “big picture” that can be used as a good resource in intermediate macroeconomics classes. This figure presents twenty-seven commonly-discussed macroeconomic diagrams in the intermediate macroeconomics course, and gives little detail on some of these diagrams, aiming at helping students to get the whole picture at once on a single piece of paper. This macroeconomics big picture mostly focuses on the routes through which common diagrams in macroeconomics are connected to each other, and finally introduces the general macroeconomic equilibrium that is graphically derived through those connections.

Suggested Citation

  • Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad MOOSAVIAN, 2016. "Teaching Economics and Providing Visual “Big Pictures”," Journal of Economics and Political Economy, KSP Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 119-133, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ksp:journ1:v:3:y:2016:i:1:p:119-133
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    1. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:1:y:2008:i:1:p:1-6 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Alexandra Naumenko & Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "Clarifying Theoretical Intricacies through the Use of Conceptual Visualization: Case of Production Theory in Advanced Microeconomics," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(4), pages 103-122, November.
    3. Janice Peterson & KimMarie McGoldrick, 2009. "Pluralism and Economic Education: a Learning Theory Approach," International Review of Economic Education, Economics Network, University of Bristol, vol. 8(2), pages 72-90.
    4. Janice Peterson, 2009. "Review of "Teaching Pluralism in Economics"," International Review of Economic Education, Economics Network, University of Bristol, vol. 8(2), pages 109-112.
    5. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad MOOSAVIAN, 2016. "Teaching Economics and Providing Visual “Big Pictures”," Journal of Economics and Political Economy, KSP Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 119-133, March.
    6. Leemis, Lawrence M. & McQueston, Jacquelyn T., 2008. "Univariate Distribution Relationships," The American Statistician, American Statistical Association, vol. 62, pages 45-53, February.
    7. Peter Kennedy, 2008. "A big picture for teaching macroeconomics principles," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 1(1), pages 1-6.
    8. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "A Comprehensive Visual “Wheel of Duality” in Consumer Theory," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 22(3), pages 357-358, August.
    9. David Colander, 2004. "The Art of Teaching Economics," International Review of Economic Education, Economics Network, University of Bristol, vol. 3(1), pages 63-76.
    10. William E. Becker & Michael Watts, 2001. "Teaching Economics at the Start of the 21st Century: Still Chalk-and-Talk," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(2), pages 446-451, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "The Visual Decoding of the ¡°Wheel of Duality¡± in Consumer Theory in Modern Microeconomics: An Instructional Tool Usable in Advanced Microeconomics to Turn ¡°Pain¡± into ¡°Joy¡±," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(3), pages 288-304, August.
    2. Hongxiang Zhang, 2017. "Accommodating Different Learning Styles in the Teaching of Economics: with Emphasis on Fleming and Mills¡¯s Sensory-based Learning Style Typology," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 4(1), pages 72-83, January.
    3. Alexandra Naumenko & Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad Moosavian, 2016. "Clarifying Theoretical Intricacies through the Use of Conceptual Visualization: Case of Production Theory in Advanced Microeconomics," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 3(4), pages 103-122, November.
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    5. Mehrdad KHADIMEE, 2016. "The Sources of Economic Growth in Iran’s Economy," Journal of Economics Library, KSP Journals, vol. 3(4), pages 621-631, December.
    6. Mohsen Edalati, 2017. "Harmonizing Teaching Tools with Cognitive Learning Outcomes in the Teaching of Economics," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(1), pages 119-129, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Teaching of Economics; Pedagogy; Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching; Intermediate Macroeconomics; Neoclassical; and Keynesians IS/LM/AS/AD Models.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • A23 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Graduate
    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical

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