Open access peer-reviewed chapter
Abstract
In this chapter, the experience of the Department of Economic Theory in the development and use of electronic technologies in teaching economic theory for students of technical directions is described. The necessity of electronic testing in the context of the concept of practice-oriented teaching has been substantiated. The stages of development and structure of electronic testing are presented. The process of forming the base of test tasks is described. The structure of the software is stated. The experience of approbation and application of testing technology is presented. The influence of electronic testing technology on teaching methods is shown. The issues of electronic support of business games are considered. Electronic technologies are considered as a necessary and essential element in the organization and implementation of business games developed at the department. An assessment of the impact of electronic testing and electronic support of business games on the quality of the educational process is given.
Keywords
- economic theory
- students of technical specialties
- practice-oriented teaching
- business games
- electronic support
- electronic testing technology
- quality control of the educational process
1. Introduction
The development of the system of economic education for students in technical areas involves the following in particular: taking into account the requirements of employers, compliance of domestic standards with foreign ones, creativity in teaching, and the use of electronic learning technologies.
The subject “Economic theory” is included in the block of humanitarian and socioeconomic disciplines that provide students of technical stream with the necessary competencies. There are two main problems in the teaching of economic theory in a technical university:
Uninterested perception of the subject as “not basic” and not relevant to the disciplines in the specialty
Small amount of auditor hours
To solve these problems, the concept of practice-oriented teaching has been implemented at the Department of Economic Theory in recent years [1].
A necessary element in the implementation of the concept of practice-oriented learning is the use of electronic learning technologies.
2. The structure of a practice-oriented approach to teaching economic theory
It consists of the fact that along with the consideration of questions of a theoretical nature, it is obligatory to consider concrete and real data on lectures and seminars on all the topics under study. At the same time, the main methodological principle is the maximum possible usage of examples corresponding to the streams of student training.
A practically oriented approach in teaching the subject “Economic theory” is implemented in the following streams:
Development of presentations of lectures containing real data. This may include—but be not limited to—the following practical applications, addressing the following topics:
Automotive market
Oil and gas market
Information engineering and technology market
The choice of the automotive market as a topic for practical application is justified by acknowledging the following circumstances: widespread use, a lot of information, the ability to historically analyze the evolution of the market and the structure of competition, tracking the effects of mass production, the availability of data on prices, production volumes, and technologies.
In addition, this topic correlates with the use of the business game “Formation of the automotive market” in practical classes.
The subject of the oil and gas market is related to the peculiarities of the Russian economy and is characterized by the possibility of obtaining various data for analysis, thus making it possible to analyze the activities of monopolies and oligopolies.
The choice of the information technology and technology market as a topic for practical application is due to its relevance, the widespread use of digital technologies, and their development. This topic corresponds to the areas of training of one of the faculties of the university and correlates with the business game “Digital Economy” developed within the department.
Change the methodology for conducting practical exercises.
As far as the change in the methodology of teaching is concerned, at first, the technology of preparing and presenting reports by students is introduced. The structure of the report should contain a brief summary of the theoretical content of the key aspect of the topic (5–6 min), as well as bringing statistical and other data on the topic (4–5 min). The recommended subject of reports on all topics coincides with the directions chosen by the department.
In addition to this topic, students are offered other areas in accordance with their specialty.
Development and application of business games and specific situations for analysis in the educational process.
The department has developed a number of business games and specific situations for analysis [2].
Therefore, when studying the topic of supply and demand, the business game “Demand and Supply in the Automotive Market” is used. In a playful way, students analyze the formation of the automotive market in the United States, supply and demand factors, market structure, and the strategy of competing firms.
When reviewing the topic of the production factors market, the business game “Real estate: rent or buy” is used. The game deals with supply and demand in the labor market of engineers, wage dynamics, and housing market data. Students analyze the possibility of buying or renting an apartment depending on the level and dynamics of their future income, other life criteria, and factors of the real estate market.
The study of the topic “Cost theory of the firm” is also conducted using a business game. By imitating small businesses, students are divided into subgroups, creating small enterprises in the field of catering. In doing so, they analyze the main costs, their structure, and dynamics.
Studying the topics “Fiscal policy of the state” and “Monetary policy of the state,” the business game “State regulation of the automotive market” is used. The actions of the “AvtoVAZ Bank” as well as the state policy on supporting the car industry and AvtoVAZ’s efforts to attract investments and implement its production program are considered.
When studying the topic “Economic functions of the state,” the business game “Digital Economy” is used. During the business game, four teams of students interact, representing the positions of the state, business, consumers, and experts, assessing the socioeconomic consequences of implementing programs for the development of the digital economy.
Attraction of students of technical faculties for participation in conferences with reports on economic theory of practical orientation.
In the context of the practical orientation of teaching, students of technical faculties are involved in terms of participating in conferences. They present reports on economic topics with the involvement of specific materials. Some of the students present their own reports, while others act in collaboration with the teachers of the department.
The experience of students participating in conferences held at the university showed that students readily present reports on specific topics.
It is worth noting at this point that at the Russian scientific and practical conference of students, that is, postgraduate students of the “Modern problems of management” (2019), 34 reports of students were presented by the department (which accounted for more than 40% of all the reports presented by four departments of the Faculty of Economics and Management).
In particular, students presented reports on the following topics:
Demand and supply in the Russian electronics market
Competition in the electronics market in Russia
Domestic market of laser equipment and laser technology
On the state of the instrument making and measuring equipment market
Russian market of medical technologies and medical equipment
On the development of the market for ultrasonic non-destructive testing
Effect of scale in the development of the automotive industry
On factors affecting the oil market
Demand and supply in the world oil market
Structure of the information technology market in Russia
Change in supply and demand in the information technology market
Development of technologies for electronic testing and support of business games.
Electronic teaching technologies are considered in the context of a practice-oriented approach. The technology of electronic testing allows one to save time of class hours, increasing the possibilities for meaningful studying. It furthermore improves the quality of testing in assessing students’ mastery of the main theoretical material.
Indeed, it may be stated that the electronic support of business games is an essential element of their conduct.
Development of online courses and use of other forms of distance learning.
3. Structure of the score-rating system for assessing students’ knowledge
At the Department of Economic Theory, a point-rating system for assessing students’ knowledge has been used for a long time [3].
At present, this system has the following structure:
Basic controls.
Test papers:
Two for “Microeconomics” and two for “Macroeconomics.”
The maximum number of points for each control work is 10.
Final examination—the maximum number of points is 15.
The relevant control works are carried out in the form of test tasks and include tests and tasks.
Report
This is rated from 0 to 10 points.
Each student has the right to make only one report during the semester.
Preparation of one report by a group of two students is allowed.
Variably considered forms of educational work.
Solving problems and test tasks at the seminar. Points allocated range from 0 to 3 points.
Performances: evaluated from 0 to 4 points.
Answers to questions for discussion and control questions, participation in the discussion of the report, and the discussion: evaluated for each type of activity and making-up between 0 to 3 points.
The approximate structure of time spent in a practical lesson (one topic is considered for 40–45 min):
report—no more than 10 min.
discussion of the report: 5 min.
speeches on the topic of the report or the topic of the seminar: 5 min.
discussion of the issues of the topic and answers to control questions: 10 min.
problem solving: 10 min.
Total: 40 min.
The final rating is formed as follows:
The mark “satisfactory” is set if the student scores 55–69 points, “good” is awarded between 70 and 84 points, and “excellent” from 85 points upwards.
If a student does not score 55 points, he/she receives an unsatisfactory grade and must pass the exam with the performance of test tasks.
4. Testing stages of development and technology structure
Urgency of development
An urgency of development is related, first of all, with the reduction of time of class hours. The working program on economic theory provides the study of 12 topics. The lectures and seminars are allocated for 18 h. Practically, for each topic, both the lecture and the practical lesson have one academic hour (45 min). Such a structure of classes assumes a significant change and improvement in the methods of lecturing and conducting practical classes.
Before the introduction of the electronic testing system, knowledge control was carried out only during practical classes, and this was done by using paper carriers for test tasks.
Its main purpose was to eliminate these problems that the development of a system of electronic tests was primarily aimed at.
The following shortcomings of this system were revealed:
too much time-related expenditures,
limited variants,
cribbing,
replicating the right answers,
difficulty in controlling the independent work of students due to lack of time in practical classes.
Formation of the base of test tasks.
As the experience of other developers of similar methods and our estimates has shown, in order to avoid repetition of the questions, it was necessary to form at least 40 test tasks for each topic. Taking into account that all the topics of the course were subject to testing, the total number of generated test tasks was more than 500. As such, the author of this research work used previously proven test tasks, newly developed, as well as tasks taken from other sources, in particular from websites attnica.ru, i-exam.ru, and fepo.ru, which was a time-consuming and laborious work. The formation of the base of test tasks was done by a group of three people.
Software.
To develop computer tests and questions, students used the database management system Question Mark Perception, which allows them to reproduce memories, as well as generate the results of various forms of reports for data analysis.
The Database Management System Question Mark Perception supports different types of questions:
open-ended questions included in the tested text of the answer;
question with one choice—the subject must choose one correct answer from several;
multiple choice questions—the subject must choose at least the correct answer from the proposed ones;
a question with a Likert scale—the subject chooses one of several values based on the scale;
filling in the void—the subject must enter the missing word in a paragraph of the text;
selection of words from the drop-down list—the subject must choose the correct answer from the drop-down list;
a question about the details of the text;
a question about entering a number—it involves entering the answer in a countable form;
a question about the transfer of objects—the subject must reassign a lot of markers on the image;
a question with a graphic choice—the subject must reassign the marker on the image
matrix question—it is a table in each series of which the subject must choose one answer (column);
ordering question—the subject must put the options in the correct order.
When setting rules for checking answers, many options are also possible, for example, correct answer, wrong answer, partially correct answer, etc. For each individual answer option, one needs to create one’s own rule. It is also possible to set up a feedback, for example, a message with comments on the answer.
The evaluation of each question is also configured by the author, and the points awarded for the answer depend on the specified conditions.
Test events can be taken on any device that has access to the Internet. This allows testing not only in the classroom, but also to give homework in the form of independent work.
For testing within the disciplines of the Department of Economic Theory, questions with a single choice and a question for entering a number and choosing a word from a drop-down list were mainly used. Evaluation is carried out according to the system wherein the correct answer is linked to a simple question—one point, the correct answer to the problem—two to four points (depending on the level of complexity).
Approbation of technology.
The technology of electronic testing was proved during practical classes in economic theory at the Faculty of Economics and Management, the Humanities Faculty, and a number of groups of other technical faculties.
Testing was carried out for each topic of the course of economic theory in computer labs during the practical classes immediately after passing the corresponding topic. For a number of groups, testing on the same topics was conducted on an extracurricular basis (online).
The analysis of the results of testing on the parameters noted above was carried out, and the answers of students in computer classes and at home were compared.
A number of test tasks have been adjusted.
There was a slight repetition of the questions and some unevenness in the complexity of some tests.
It turned out that the percentage of failure to perform tests in extracurricular time for various reasons (including technical ones) was about 7%. This made it possible to compile a real timetable for retesting on the examination week and to estimate the scope of retesting with a larger number of students.
The total number of students tested in each academic year was more than a thousand people. On average, about 1–2% of students tested outside the classroom had problems during testing for technical reasons. They were promptly retested.
At present, the system is fully debugged.
Application of testing technology and changing teaching methods.
The technology of electronic testing for students of technical faculties is introduced from the 2014/2015 academic year. In this regard, the system of monitoring was changed. Four tests are carried out in the test form (two under the section “Microeconomics” and two under the section “Macroeconomics”). Test works included test tasks and exercises on all topics of the course. For each section, one control work was done in a computer lab (or in the classroom—in written form), and the other—on an extracurricular time (online). A test schedule was prepared, students were given logins and passwords, and consultations were conducted on testing technology. As previously mentioned, the total number of students tested in each academic year was more than a thousand people. On average, about 1–2% of students tested on an extracurricular time had problems in testing for technical reasons. Retesting was reopened for them promptly. Currently, the system is completely debugged.
5. Electronic support of business games
A business game is conducted in the form of an analysis of a specific situation using the role method. The business game is directly related to the lecture’s material and the topic of the practical class.
The goal of the business game is to assimilate learning issues by students, to teach the skills of applying knowledge in economic theory to the analysis of the real situation, and to develop the abilities of working in small groups.
The business game is based on the careful study of a specific situation by students, searching for and analyzing additional materials, organizing individual and group work, preparing a report in accordance with questions and tasks for the business game, presenting the report, and discussing it at the seminar.
Electronic technologies are an essential component in the preparation, organization, and implementation of business games developed at the department.
This is determined by the following specific circumstances:
The need to present materials in the form of presentations and texts,
The training schedule, according to which the practical classes are held in a week, and therefore, a high efficiency is required in the preparation for the conduct of a business game
The time for conducting a business game is one to two academic hours; therefore, strict requirements are imposed on the representativeness, volume, and quality of the information provided.
Introductory instructive explanations of the lecturer on the organization of the business game are accompanied by the issuance of a task, a scenario, an algorithm for conducting, and the necessary materials in electronic form. A schedule is established for presenting the reports of students to the lecturer. In the process of preparing for a business game, consultations and necessary adjustments of the submitted materials take place. When conducting a business game, it is necessary to introduce presentations of the final report and other materials.
6. Development of online courses and the use of distance technologies
The departments are focused on the development of online courses and other products using the university’s technological and organizational resources.
The St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI” has developed a strategy in the field of distance learning and distance learning technologies.
The strategy is a formalized set of approaches consistent with the development priorities of the university, on the basis of which an action plan is implemented to saturate the educational process with information and communication technologies [4].
The technical infrastructure is:
computer network, including wireless access equipment;
computer equipment, telecommunication and communication devices, presentation, and video equipment;
mobile devices for access to digital resources;
systems for monitoring and managing access to resources, alarm, and video surveillance systems.
The information infrastructure consists of the following systems:
intrauniversity SPOC3 platform on open edX;
automated e-learning system (LMS);
interactive media library;
system for online conferences;
electronic library platforms;
the “Electronic Dean’s Office” system for the implementation of educational programs of all forms of education.
The information infrastructure is implemented in the form of digital resources and services of the corporate information environment. A single attribute for accessing university resources is the personal IDs of students and staff.
The Center for New Educational Technologies and Distance Learning and the Department of Educational Programs are responsible for the development of the online education system at LETI [5].
During the implementation, the following organizational technology was used:
At the beginning of the semester, consultative meetings were held with all the students (in groups and on streams) on the organization of the educational process. Students were provided with information about the procedure for registering for online courses, the training schedule, types of classes, reporting, and the assessment system.
During the semester, several times a week, mailing lists were sent with information about the opening of new course materials and deadlines for completing tests and handing in practical assignments.
On a weekly basis, the Dean’s offices were provided with detailed information on the development of the online course by students. At the end of the semester, all the students passed the final certification for their courses in the format of offline proctoring.
The following models of embedding distance learning technologies are assumed [6]:
full distance learning;
express distance learning;
full or partial reduction of lecture classes;
partial replacement of classroom hours with in-depth study of the material;
flipped learning;
automated issuance of individual homework assignments and carrying out control activities in the form of computer tests;
controlled independent work on discipline.
When developing online courses, there is a need for their expertise. The university has the following system of peer review, which includes the following two stages:
Preliminary technical expertise: It includes the availability and performance of the online course components.
Comprehensive expertise: The subjects of a comprehensive examination are:
assessment of the compliance of the course structure and its content with the goals and objectives in the development of the academic discipline for which the online course is being created;
assessment of the presentation of text and presentation materials, various audiovisual aspects of the online course;
evaluation of the control materials used in the online course.
Before creating the online course “Economics,” the following main issues were analyzed:
the educational objectives of the course,
the audience of the course,
technical capabilities.
Depending on the objectives of the course, audience, and technical capabilities, the format was chosen and the components of the course were determined, i.e.:
who will be involved in creating the course,
what the length of the course and its volume will be,
whether the course provides additional classroom lessons,
whether a situational assessment with instant feedback is needed.
As a result, it was decided that the course would be recorded by an employee of the department who would work together with the author and producer of the course. In the case described herein, the producer was also a member of the department.
The online course is seen as an addition to the classroom.
The course contains 13 topics and corresponds to the program of the discipline “Economic theory.” The course structure includes video content and testing based on the results of mastering. The online course developed at the department is an integral part of the educational process and can be used as an independent material at the same time.
It should be noted that the development of the course required a significant amount of time. In addition, there was a need to master new competencies in content design and lecture recording.
7. Conclusion and further work
Electronic teaching technologies are considered in the context of a practice-oriented approach.
The used score-rating system for assessing students’ knowledge has become even more effective. Furthermore, the developed technology of electronic testing has allowed to improve essentially the technique of conducting practical classes.
The quality of testing has significantly improved. The time for discussing issues of the topic, presenting reports, and solving problems has increased. The control of independent work of students became better.
Experience has shown that the electronic support of business games is an indispensable element of their conduct. The developed technology of electronic support has allowed to considerably increase the effectiveness of the conducted business games.
As a result of the introduction of electronic testing and business games support technologies, the perception of subject has expressively been enhanced, and the quality and effectiveness of training has advanced.
A short online course developed at the Department of Economic Theory is included in the system of the educational process and is its important component.
According to the results of a sociological survey [7, 8], the main advantages of online learning as named by students were:
the ability to independently organize the process of mastering the academic discipline;
the rational use of time in the development of the course;
the use of video materials in the educational process;
the possibility of returning to lecture materials and restudying these.
The most important aspects of online learning for students were: the clarity and consistency of the presentation of the educational material, the usefulness of the course for the specialty, and the pleasure of attending the course.
Main directions of further work may include but not be limited to the following areas:
inclusion in the online course of business games and case studies;
creation of a number of webinars and forums on the problems of economic theory;
organization of design work in groups using remote
technologies;
creating a massive online course in economics for engineering students.
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