Wheat, David, "The Feedback Method of Teaching Macroeconomics: Is it Effective? (Dana Meadows Award Winner)", 2007 July 29-2007 August 2
ua435
The conventional method of teaching macroeconomics to undergraduates relies on static graphs, an
approach with documented pedagogical problems. In contrast, the feedback method uses feedback
loop diagrams and interactive computer simulation models. This paper describes the feedback method
and reports on four experiments designed to test its effectiveness. Two experiments examined student
preferences for methods of learning macroeconomics; for example, using static graphs or a feedback
loop diagram. The experimental designs were quite different, but the results were the samea
significant majority preferred the feedback method. The most commonly cited reason: feedback loops
enable students to visualize an economic process. The third and fourth experiments addressed the
performance question. In the third experiment, students showed more understanding of GDP when
they had access to a stock-and-flow feedback diagram of the economy. In the final experiment,
students using feedback loop diagrams displayed more understanding of business cycle dynamics than
those who had access to a conventional aggregate supply and demand graph. Teaching
undergraduates to search for feedback structure in the economy and using computer simulation to
connect structure with behavior appears to be a promising method for teaching macroeconomics.
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- 2007 July 29-2007 August 2
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