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Building an Excel Model of Efficient Frontier to Analyze a College Foundation\u27s Portfolio
No full textMarkowitz\u27s Modem Portfolio Theory (MPT) has laid a foundation for modem financial economics. Teaching the principles of MPT is a necessary part for financial education. In this paper, we discuss how to guide students to build an Excel model of efficient frontier and apply the model to analyze portfolios in the real world. In an advanced finance course at SUNY Oneonta, Portfolio Management, students use Excel to construct a model that produces the efficient frontier for the assets held by SUNY Oneonta Foundation. They use the model to analyze the Foundation\u27s portfolio, assess its performance, and propose their investment suggestions
Teaching Principles of Macroeconomics in One Equation
No full textWe leverage the quantity theory of money in teaching because it represents well the big picture of macroeconomics and the relationships between key macroeconomic variables, providing a simple intuition and unified framework. To spark interest, we design authentic learning activities that begin with the opening minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) press conference. Then, we illustrate in a simple classroom experiment how quantity theory works and why it relates to the FOMC decisions. To further equip students with macro data interpretation skills, we assign group presentations on economic outlook for non-US countries
Ethics Across the Curriculum: Application to Economics
No full textWe propose that the study of economics can be enhanced by students learning ethical reasoning within their economics courses. Our method for introducing more robust discussions of the relationship between ethics and economics is to incorporate principles and strategies from the “Ethics Across the Curriculum” program. The methods we used to enhance our own course can be adapted to any economics course and the resources we provide can help any economist become more comfortable with teaching ethical reasoning
The Experience of U.S. Fulbright Scholars from Business Disciplines: 1998 – 2005
No full textThe Fulbright Scholar program provides a long-standing and externally-funded means for internationalizing college and university curriculum. Over the past decade there has been an increasing emphasis on internationalization among faculty, administration and accrediting agencies. This manuscript is drawn from survey data which examines self-reported experiences of recent Fulbright Scholars from business disciplines in AACSBI accredited business programs. An overview of the perceptions and experiences of program participants and an exploratory model identifying factors impacting these experience are presented. Specific policy and process measures to improve the experiences of future Fulbright Scholars are suggested
Time Spent Online and Student Performance in Online Business Courses: A Multinomial Logit Analysis
No full textThis study examines the determinants of academic achievement in online business courses. As a measure of effort, we use the total amount of time each student spent in the course. We estimate a multinomial logistic model to examine the odds of attaining one grade versus another depending on time spent online, GPA, and some demographic characteristics of students. Our findings suggest that extra effort can help a student move from letter grades F, D and C to grade B, but is less helpful for the move from B to A. For the latter improvement, a high GPA matters the most
Teaching Mathematical Economics Using Public Choice: The Median Voter Model
No full textThe median voter model (MVM) is a core model in public choice comparable to the demand and supply competitive market model in microeconomics. In this paper I introduce and discuss the mathematical treatment of a simple version of the model. This allows instructors to apply a wide range of concepts commonly introduced in a first undergraduate class in mathematical economics. The approach will help students to understand the interplay of concepts separately introduced during the first phase of the course. Hopefully the method will foster an interest in public choice through the study of one of its most important benchmark models
A Faculty-Driven Approach to Starting and Operating a Student Managed Investment Fund
No full textStudent managed investment funds have proven to be very strong learning experiences that bridge the gap between class-room finance knowledge and hands-on application of financial theories and tools. Though more widely utilized now than in the past, there are still many schools that do not offer such a program for students. This paper describes the approach utilized at one school to start, evolve, and operate a student managed investment fund. The experience gained from over twenty years of developing a program and experimenting with various approaches can be useful to faculty members and schools looking to implement such a program
Bond Duration: Constructivist Learning Using Excel
No full textDuration is significant in that it summarizes a bond or a portfolio\u27s sensitivity to interest rates. Based on the constructivist learning approach, we propose an Excelbased assignment that encourages student interaction and active learning which leads to individual discovery regarding the properties of bonds and their effects on duration. Students receive immediate feedback by constructing dynamic Excel tables and figures to calculate duration for bonds with various maturity terms, coupon rates, yields to maturity, and frequencies of coupon payments. The constructivist approach to teaching bond duration is valuable because it requires students to actively acquire and construct knowledge
Through the Lens of Life: Teaching Principles of Economics with Humans of New York
No full textStories create a direct and powerful connection between students and the course material, increasing their level of attention, bringing abstract economic concepts to life, and refining critical thinking skills. Humans of New York is a project that chronicles stories of ordinary New Yorkers. It provides an opportunity to connect students with illustrations and personal accounts of economics in the real world. This can reduce the abstract nature of theory and give students concrete examples of economic terms and concepts; in a way that reflects their own environment, culture, or experiences. We highlight these stories and show how to incorporate them into lectures
A Vanishing Gender Gap in Attitudes Toward Economics: A Pre- and Post-Course Analysis
No full textThis study explores the gender gap in economics. A pre- and post-survey was conducted in three introductory classes in microeconomics to measure any observable difference in attitudes between male and female students toward the discipline. The pre-survey discovered that male students had a statistically significantly more positive attitude than female students in two of the four measures of student attitude, including the overall metric. The post-survey revealed no such difference in attitudes between the genders in any of the measures. These results were consistent in online class, traditional face-to-face class, and face-to-face honors class formats