Problem Solving

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Modules are conducted via lectures, tutorials, directed reading, student presentations, group projects, peer review, and private study. Cognitive skills are developed across all the modules within the degree programme, although the precise balance will vary across modules.

The numerical and statistical components of the modules focus particularly on problem solving, logical reasoning and data management and analysis using statistical packages.

Self-assessment and reflection are developed by formative assessment both during class and tutorials.

Methods of Assessment

Both summative and formative assessment methods are used throughout the degree.

Formative assessment takes a number of different forms, including in-class discussion, in-class exercises, weekly homework assignments and peer review.

Summative assessment also takes a variety of forms as part of continuous assessment, which themselves also contribute to formative assessment, including in-class tests, assessed homework assignments, presentations, individual and group project reports (including the dissertation or consultancy based report), research plans, and peer reviews of project reports and research plans.

Assessment of cognitive skills, both summative and formative, occurs across these assessment methods, across all modules.

Logical reasoning

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The classroom time will be made up of formal lecturing time whereby key concepts will be introduced. This will be accompanied by interactive tasks which will help the students to sharpen their skills and ability to reason logically when presented with a range of scenarios. The tutorial and workshop time will focus predominately on skills development including logical reasoning

All modules have some quantitative component and help to develop problem solving and logical reasoning skills.

Methods of Assessment

Each coursework component and formal class test will test the students’ ability to reason logically and select the most appropriate solution from a range of alternatives.

Independent enquiry

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Independent enquiry is a key element in all modules. Students will be presented with a range of complex issues, ideas and theories and expected to undertake independent enquiry to better understand these. Class time will be devoted to discussing these ideas from a variety of different perspectives.

Methods of Assessment

Several forms of assessment both nightly homework assignments, essays, the dissertation or consultancy based report module etc will require the student to undertake independent research

Critical evaluation and interpretation

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Key concepts and ideas will be explored and developed in the formal lecture and more interactive tutorial/workshop environment. Students will be trained to evaluate the concepts using a range of frameworks (both qualitatively and quantitatively) and to interpret the findings.

Methods of Assessment

All forms of CA whether these are in-class tests, take home papers, short homework exercises, essays and the extended dissertation or consultancy based report will require the students to use their judgement and to evaluate and interpret a range of results and information.

Self-assessment and reflection

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Self-assessment and reflection are developed by formative feedback across all of the modules, e.g. on presentations, assignments, and through peer review.

Methods of Assessment

Students will have opportunities to reflect on their own performance both formatively and summatively.

Synthesise and evaluate information/data from a variety of sources including from databases, books, journal articles and the internet work both independently and in groups

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Transferable skills development permeates the teaching and learning on the degree programme. All modules will help to develop all skills listed here, although the balance will vary across modules.

Methods of Assessment

Both formative and summative assessments, across modules, will require students to demonstrate all of the listed transferable skills.
All modules will require all skills, although the balance will vary across modules. For example, Applied Econometrics and the Dissertation or consultancy based report modules will emphasise IT skills among others. Labour Economics and Social Policy will include summative assessment of group working.

Organisation and time management

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students will have some time in the scheduled teaching sessions to undertake short time-based tasks. Other more complex tasks which are summatively assessed will be distributed to students throughout each module for students to plan their workload accordingly.

Methods of Assessment

The assessment strategy is such that students will have summative assessment to complete on a weekly basis. Some of these are short tasks to test for knowledge synthesis and understanding. Other more complex tasks assess a range of composite skills and will require the student to manage his/her time effectively.

Problem solve and critically analyse

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

These are integral to all of the modules on this programme. Students will be given opportunities to enhance and develop their ability to problem solve and critically analyse using appropriate econometric and qualitative tools. Training will be provided in the scheduled class time and tutorials will also support this skill development.

Methods of Assessment

All forms of continuous assessment and the formal class tests will test the student’s ability to problem solve and critically analyse information.

Use work-based IT, including word-processing and statistics/econometric packages

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students may have to interrogate datasets and use a variety of statistical packages (for example STATA) to derive solutions to complex problems. Other IT packages including word processing and presentation packages will be used when students are submitting their assessed work for consideration.

Methods of Assessment

Students will have significant opportunities to develop and enhance their use of a wide range of IT packages.

Work both independently and in groups

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students will have various opportunities both within and beyond the classroom to work in a range of different learning environments. This may involve independently analysing data and problem solving or completing a more complex problem (for both formative and summative assessment purposes) in a small group.

Methods of Assessment

Group work has been specifically integrated into the assessment methods in some modules whilst working independent is an integral feature in others. There is a very sound balance between both forms of working.

Communicate complex information in written and presentation form

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Short interactive class sessions allow students to discuss complex ideas and present their findings and analysis in a non-threatening environment.

Methods of Assessment

Students have been given both formative and summative opportunities to present ideas, discuss complex and ambiguous information in both written and oral forms.

Appreciate diversity and be capable of placing issues within their local and international contexts

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The Pg Diploma in Economics follows a structured curriculum based upon the modules studied. Acquisition of knowledge and understanding, across modules, is through structured exposition based on lectures, tutorials, seminars and master classes, directed reading, student presentations, group projects, peer review, and private study.

Methods of Assessment

Both summative and formative assessment methods are used throughout all modules to assess knowledge and understanding.

Formative assessment takes a number of different forms, including in-class discussion, in-class exercises, in-class tests, weekly homework assignments and peer review of student work.

Summative assessment also takes a variety of forms including class tests and a range of continuous assessment elements (which themselves also contribute to formative assessment), including assessed homework assignments, presentations, individual and group project reports (including the dissertation or consultancy based report) and research plans.

Understand the main research methods that have been used in economic research, including relevant quantitative and statistical techniques

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

In each of the modules, students will become familiar with a wide range of research methods that are used in economics. More specifically, the elective modules in Current Issues will expose students to leading edge thinking and research in practice

Methods of Assessment

Students will have opportunities to engage with a wide range of research methods both formatively and summatively.

Students completing the dissertation or consultancy based report will be able to use at least one or a combination of these methods in much more detail to solve a specific economics problem.

Understand how relevant theory and methods have been applied to a variety of current and historical economic and social policy issues and contexts

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The teaching material in each of the modules has been specifically developed to expose students to the application of theory and methods in a wide range of historical and contemporary settings.

Methods of Assessment

Students will have many opportunities to apply these methods to a range of historical and contemporary economic problems.

Understand the academic research process from inception to publication

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

All modules are very heavily focused on leading edge research. The elective modules in Topics in Economics will focus specifically on the research process from idea to final publication and dissemination of results.

Methods of Assessment

Students will have opportunities to develop their ideas into more structured research in the Topics in Economics module.
Students completing the dissertation or consultancy based report will have a clear insight into the research process.

Construct, interpret and critically evaluate models of behaviour in economics.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Abstraction, quantitative and evaluation skills, through model building, manipulation, application and evaluation, are at the core of economics. Consequently, these skills are core elements in each semester of the degree and are built across modules and throughout the duration of the programme.

Methods of Assessment

Both summative and formative assessment methods, as described above, are used throughout all modules to assess subject specific skills.

Apply economic models and concepts to real world questions

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

This is an integral part of all modules and worked examples and classroom discussion will be used to introduce the students to the application of economic models and concepts.

Methods of Assessment

This skill will be tested in a variety of different ways in all taught modules. Short take home papers, group work and longer reports and essays will form the basis for continuous assessment. All in-class tests and exercises will also require students to be able to apply a range of economic models and concepts and discuss their significance or otherwise to real world questions.

Use statistical software (e.g. STATA) to analyse a wide range of economic data for relevant analytical purposes

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The ability to use statistical software to analyse data is crucial for both professional and academic economists. Consequently, these skills are developed across modules in both semesters, in particular in the Applied Econometrics and Labour Economics and Social Policy modules. These will also be critical skills for the dissertation or consultancy based report.

Methods of Assessment

Assessments for Applied Econometrics and Labour Economics and Social Policy are particularly relevant here.

Plan and execute independent research

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

These skills will be stressed across modules, but are particularly integral to the Topics and dissertation or consultancy based report modules.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment for the topics modules and the dissertation or consultancy based report module are particularly (but not exclusively) relevant here.

Draw parallels between historical and contemporary economic issues and processes

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

These skills will also be stressed across modules, but are particularly integral to the global economy and topics in economic history modules.

Methods of Assessment

This skill will be tested in all modules but the Assessment for the economic history modules are particularly relevant here.

Understand, evaluate and commentate on economic and social policy

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

These skills are integral to all modules. Students will have many opportunities to comment on and evaluate economic and social policy in interactive workshops and tutorials as well as in the formal lecture time.

Methods of Assessment

These skills are tested in the continuous assessment components of all modules.

Construct arguments and exercise problem solving skills in the context of economic theory and its application

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

These skills are integral to all modules.

Methods of Assessment

Students will be presented with a range of contemporary and historical economic questions and problems and will have to draw upon a range of problem solving skills to present and discuss solutions.

Comprehend and evaluate academic literature in economics

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Up-to-date economic literature is integrated throughout the programme, and emphasis is placed on the ongoing development of the students’ ability to communicate, debate and critique this literature

Methods of Assessment

This is central to the programme in Economics. In all modules, students will be encouraged to engage with the most current literature in the area. Several modules will test this skill specifically and require the students to formally analyse and evaluate a range of contemporary and historical literature.