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Do Graphs Promote Learning in Principles of Economics?

Author

Listed:
  • Elchanan Cohn
  • Sharon Cohn
  • Donald C. Balch
  • James Bradley

Abstract

The authors tested whether student performance in the principles of economics course is affected by the use of graphs as part of a lecture. They conducted two experiments at the University of South Carolina, one in spring 1995 and another in spring 1997. Students were randomly assigned to either a nographs lecture or a lecture with graphs. The main hypothesis was that students in the lectures with graphs would show higher gain scores than those in the nograph lectures (both lectures were videotaped). The authors found that students in the lecture with graphs in 1995 had significantly lower gain scores than those in the no-graphs lecture. For 1997, they found no significant differences in student performance between the two groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Elchanan Cohn & Sharon Cohn & Donald C. Balch & James Bradley, 2001. "Do Graphs Promote Learning in Principles of Economics?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 299-310, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jeduce:v:32:y:2001:i:4:p:299-310
    DOI: 10.1080/00220480109596110
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Becker, William E & Walstad, William B, 1990. "Data Loss from Pretest to Posttest as a Sample Selection Problem," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 72(1), pages 184-188, February.
    2. Peter Kennedy, 2000. "Macroeconomic Essentials, 2nd Edition: Understanding Economics in the News," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262611503, April.
    3. Becker, William, et al, 1991. "An Agenda for Research on Economic Education in Colleges and Universities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(2), pages 26-31, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Elchanan Cohn & Sharon Cohn & Donald C. Balch & James Bradley Jr., 2004. "The Relation between Student Attitudes toward Graphs and Performance in Economics," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 48(2), pages 41-52, October.
    2. Ring, Malte & Oberrauch, Luis, 2024. "Measuring Economic Graph Competence," EconStor Preprints 300727, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    3. Peter W. Schuhmann & KimMarie McGoldrick & Robert T. Burrus, 2005. "Student Quantitative Literacy: Importance, Measurement, and Correlation with Economic Literacy," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 49(1), pages 49-65, March.
    4. Mario Arturo Ruiz Estrada & Su-Fei Yap & Noor Azina Binti Ismail, 2017. "Revisiting the Phillips Curve: Visualization from a Multidimensional Graphical Perspective," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 11(1), March.
    5. Ibrahim Demir & Robert D. Tollison, 2015. "Graphs in Economics," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 35(3), pages 1834-1847.
    6. Warburton, C.E.S., 2020. "Pedagogical Ethics And Economic Growth," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 20(2), pages 19-34.
    7. David Zetland & Carlo Russo & Navin Yavapolkul, 2010. "Teaching Economic Principles: Algebra, Graph or Both?," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 55(1), pages 123-131, May.
    8. Coates, Dennis & Humphreys, Brad R. & Kane, John & Vachris, Michelle A., 2004. ""No significant distance" between face-to-face and online instruction: evidence from principles of economics," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 533-546, October.
    9. Mary Ellen Benedict & John Hoag, 2011. "Factors Influencing Performance in Economics: Graphs and Quantitative Usage," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 31, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Joseph G. Eisenhauer, 2018. "Algebraic Optimization: Marginal Analysis without Calculus," Journal for Economic Educators, Middle Tennessee State University, Business and Economic Research Center, vol. 18(1), pages 16-27, Spring.
    11. W. Lee Hansen & Michael K. Salemi & John J. Siegfried, 2002. "Use It or Lose It: Teaching Literacy in the Economics Principles Course," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(2), pages 463-472, May.
    12. Gourley, Patrick, 2021. "Back to basics: How reading the text and taking notes improves learning," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    13. Cohn, Elchanan & Cohn, Sharon & Balch, Donald C. & Bradley, James Jr., 2004. "Determinants of undergraduate GPAs: SAT scores, high-school GPA and high-school rank," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 577-586, December.
    14. Cynthia D. Hill & Tesa Stegner, 2003. "Which Students Benefit from Graphs in a Principles of Economics Class?," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 47(2), pages 69-77, October.
    15. Dennis L. Weisman, 2012. "An Essay on the Art and Science of Teaching," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 57(1), pages 111-125, May.

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