Re: Critical thinking in economics classrooms.

Assessing critical thinking skills at the post-secondary level of education has long been on the radar of educators. After several decades, however, despite valiant attempts by many, outcomes don’t appear to be matching the efforts. While nearly ten years old, the book, Academically Adrift, published in 2011 by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, showed that little…Continue reading Re: Critical thinking in economics classrooms.

And voilà – you have a foundation to begin your economic analysis!

I just love this well-written and funny summary of what is so frustrating about studying economics and its bag of “tricks.” For the few students not so prone to robotic regurgitation of core economic models taught by a mostly naive economics profession (in terms of their own poor training outside standard model economics), this will…Continue reading And voilà – you have a foundation to begin your economic analysis!

If they cannot kick out Marxian economists, then try burying them with ‘vibrant’ economists and a wad of cash from Koch

If they cannot kick you out for teaching Marxian economics, then there is always the bury them approach. Get some Koch money, build a new institute and hire half a dozen economists teaching a ‘vibrant suite’ of economics that works for Wall Street. I have got to get out to the University of Utah and…Continue reading If they cannot kick out Marxian economists, then try burying them with ‘vibrant’ economists and a wad of cash from Koch

UVM flacks for Wall Street by pushing “free market” economics

I came across an interesting article recently that was written for the Stowe Reporter by a former UVM student who laments the “calcification” of economic education as embodied in the economics core curriculum at UVM and in most colleges and universities. The points made in the opinion piece reminded me of arguments I make in…Continue reading UVM flacks for Wall Street by pushing “free market” economics