audioecon   Smart listening for students of economics

This site was designed by Rebecca Moryl, PhD  as a searchable library of podcasts that can be used to enhance economics instruction in a variety of courses and levels.  This site is an offshoot of efforts to make economics instruction more engaging for students by providing economic issues and stories via audio content (Moryl, 2016; Moryl, 2014; Moryl, 2013; and Moryl and Jiang 2013).  Pedagogical research indicates that student learning can be enhanced when important or challenging concepts are introduced or supported by the use of narratives (Frank, 2007; Terregrossa, Englander and Wang, 2009), which are the format that makes these podcasts so engaging.  Research on learning styles also suggests that some students have a preference for learning, or learn more effectively, via audio delivery of verbal content (Abdedi, 2011; Taylor, 2009). The Planet Money and Freakonomics podcasts in particular present economics issues and concepts in an anecdotal format, which may better suit those who learn best from a more deductive process than do traditional lecture and textbook formats (Terregrossa, et al., 2009)

Instructors may wish to incorporate audio assignments into their course ‘homework’ or to play podcasts in class. You will also find here a menu of podcast-related assignments you might find useful, including a mapping of useful podcasts to common Introduction to Microeconomics and Macroeconomics textbooks.

Enjoy, and here’s my wish you find this a useful resource and Smart Listening!

Selected References

Abdedi, M., 2011. Increase the efficiency of adult education with the proper use of learning styles. Nature and Science 9 (5) 140–145.

Frank, R.H., 2007. The dismal science, dismally taught. The New York Times, 12 August, Economic View.

Moryl, R.  2013. T-shirts, moonshine, and autopsies: Using podcasts to engage undergraduate microeconomics students. International Review of Economics Education. 13, 67-74.

Moryl, R. L., & Jiang, S. 2013. Using Economics Podcasts to Engage Students of Different Learning Styles. International Advances in Economic Research, 19 (2) 201-202.

Moryl, R. L. (2015). Pod Learning: Student Groups Create Podcasts to Achieve Economics Learning Goals. The Journal of Economic Education. 47 (1).

Taylor, M., 2009. Podcast lectures as a primary teaching technology: Results of a one-year trial. Journal of Political Science Education 5 (2) 119–137.

Terregrossa, R., Englander, F., Wang, Z., 2009. Why learning styles matter for student achievement in college economics. Journal for Economic Educators 9 (1) 16–31.

Audioecon.com is featured in the Journal of Economics Education article Podcasts as a Tool for Teaching Economics  Vol.45, Iss.3, 2014.