COVID-19 as a trigger of persistent innovations: Evidence from an economics elective at Claremont McKenna College

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary for instructors to innovate, and some of the innovations will persist and be refined post-pandemic. An economics elective at Claremont McKenna College provides examples. Innovations likely to persist include replacing in-class exams with context-rich assignments and conducting a set of student presentations and an initial Q&A using recordings posted online. Both innovations advance the learning objectives, and they also free up class time, which permits additional innovations.

Keywords:

• Liberal arts college
• off-campus program
• Pandemic; industrial organization
• triggers of innovation

JEL CODES:

• A22
• O31
• O33

Notes

1 Innovation can be defined as the practical implementation of ideas or inventions in new or modified products, processes, or ways of organizing economic activity. The course is the instructor’s product; modifications to it are innovations. In some cases, persistent innovations might be attributable to agency problems rather than efficiency (they might economize on the instructor’s effort but lead to worse outcomes), but in this article, the assumed goal is to achieve better outcomes or achieve the same outcomes more efficiently.

2 For example, U.S. News ranks CMC as #8 among national liberal arts colleges (usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges [accessed January 10, 2022]).

3 For example, in 2020, approximately 31 percent of CMC’s graduating students majored in economics, 6 percent in philosophy, politics, and economics, 4 percent in economics-engineering, 3 percent in science management, 2 percent in economics-accounting, 2 percent in management-engineering, 2 percent in public policy, and 1 percent in environment, economics and politics. Approximately one-third of the students at CMC complete double or dual majors, but doubles or duals involving combinations of these majors are rare or impossible (cmc.edu/institutional-research/majors). If one assumes no overlap, these majors account for approximately 51 percent of graduating students. In contrast, in typical institutions, less than 2 percent of students who take principles become majors (Colander and McGoldrick 2009).

4 Some coursework is frontloaded in the first few weeks of the semester before the internships start. Once the internships start, class meetings mostly happen on Saturdays. Courses also use some evening sessions and approximately one Friday per month.

5 Interis et al. (2018) find that students prefer off-campus programs that provide credit toward their majors, and this is consistent with CMC’s experience. One semester, the SVP briefly proposed removing the level-2 material (and credit) while recruiting a class, and the ensuing response from students resulted in restoring it immediately.

6 Smaller classes warrant fewer class sessions for student presentations, so in some semesters, the number of lectures and/or class discussions is higher.