A Student Learning Inventory for Economics Based on the Students' Experience of Learning: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

The authors present the initial development of a student learning inventory (SLI) that is specific to economics. This approach, which is based on the student experience of learning (SEL) literature, emphasizes aspects of prior knowledge in the learning history of entering first-year students. Preliminary insights from a first SLI suggest that on entry to university, students show considerable variation in their perceptions of what economics is and what economists do. From the SEL perspective, such variation affects student learning. It is argued that continued development of an economic-specific SLI may result in a better understanding of students' learning engagement with economics and ultimately assist instructors in better understanding student learning difficulties and increase student success in first-year economics.

Key Words:

• first-year economics
• student learning

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jan H. F. Meyer

Martin P. Shanahan is senior lecturer in economics at the University of South Australia (e-mail: [email protected]), and Jan H. F. Meyer is the director of the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Research in Higher Education, University of Durham and adjunct Professor at the University of South Australia. This research was supported by an Australian 1998 National Teaching Development Grant. The authors are grateful to participants at the 8th European Conference for Research on Learning and Instruction, Göteborg, Sweden; to colleagues from the Universities of Adelaide and South Australia; and for comments from anonymous referees.