Program Helps Students Understand Economics
Two out of three American high school students get a failing grade when tested for their understanding of the basic economic concepts embodied in the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics, developed and published by the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE). Designed to counter that statistic, Thinking Economics is a new, multimedia-based approach to teaching the subject of economics. It is a complete semester of economics taught via multimedia CD-ROMs that integrate animation, audio, video, the Internet and student self-testing. It was developed over the course of two years by a group of experts in the areas of micr'economics, macr'economics and global economics.
Students can study at their own pace, and teachers assume the role of guide and mentor as they circulate around the classroom, helping students with questions and challenging students who are moving quickly through the program. The students spend about half the class period engaged with the lesson on the computer. The remaining class time is dedicated to hands-on activities, such as narrative and persuasive writing, graphing and charting, and classroom simulations. Thinking Economics, Klamath Falls, OR, (877) 321-7002, www.thinkingeconomics.com.
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2001 issue of THE Journal.