Author: Stephen Barnes
Last saved by: Margaret Hancock
Company: Nancledra School

ECONOMICS SEMINAR

Teacher's Guide

Essential idea

Especially suitable for more research-based or discursive topics.

For example:

•	externalities
•	positive and normative statements
•	
Ideal for A2 classes but also very useful with AS groups where you want to differentiate the learning style from experience in Year 11

division of labour
•	merit and demerit goods
•	the economic cycle
•	objectives of government economic policy
•	monopoly power
•	economies of scale
•	oligopolistic markets
•	determinants of wage rates
•	monetary policy
•	the European Union

The idea is to get students to take themselves and one another more seriously! Although you will clearly be important as facilitator, this is a chance to shift the spotlight and onus of research over to the students... 

As a seminar, it is closer to a university style of learning and should feature a proper, shared exploration of a serious agenda. It will engage everyone and ensure that pre-lesson preparation is really done. It gets away from the teacher having to drive a learning narrative, gives the students a sense of responsibility and develops speaking and listening skills.

It should also turn out to be a rich harvest of analysis and evaluation that can be collected, collated and added to the stock of useful business ideas...

Practical advice
Chose your topics carefully. Once selected, draw up a seminar agenda. This is essential for engaging everyone from the outset, structuring the preparation and discussion and for ensuring relevance and exam-value.

Ideally you could involve some or all of the students in the process. What do they see as relevant questions? This is easiest with small groups but even larger groups could be invited to add questions or to comment on a draft agenda.

A specimen agenda: 

HIGHGROVE SIXTH FORM CENTRE

A-level Economics Seminar			18 September 2010

Air travel and externalities

Agenda

01	How far is the air travel industry important to the UK?

02	How far is the market competitive?

03	Briefly, how and why is the industry regulated by the government?

04	What negative externalities may arise from air travel?

05	What positive externalities may arise from air travel?

06	Is it likely that 'over-production' of air travel currently occurs?

07	How might the government attempt to ensure that production decisions reflect externalities?

08	How might such measures cause further distortions in the market?

Be ready for a prompt start at 2.00pm. Have all notes and other presentational materials ready. You may bring a hot drink to the seminar.

You may want to attach the names of students to the items before printing.

It is usually best to aim for 6-8 items: you will need to fit the agenda into your lesson length but 5 minutes per item might be a fair guide. Go for a question format as it gives edge and focus to the event. Selected agenda items should invite analysis and evaluation. Simple knowledge should be taken as given, since they have time for preparation. Application to context can emerge in discussion. It's worth preparing a few ideas on topical applications ahead of the lesson.

Assign 1-3 students to each agenda item, depending on group size. Make it clear that they will have complete responsibility for their item when the seminar takes place.! You, the teacher may not have the answer...they must at least have ideas.

The students can come to the seminar with notes, with a handout or with a few Powerpoint slides. They might amplify points on a whiteboard or flip chart. But it's fine simply to argue from notes.

Running the seminar
The seminar needs to be a special event! Try to arrange the furniture in a different format from usual – 'boardroom' is good or try an arc without tables.

Have copies of the Agenda available and possibly project one on to the screen. Build a sense of occasion. Depending on protocol, you might encourage them to bring in a hot drink and do the same yourself. You are the 'chair' but try not to be too dominant. Be a facilitator but make it their seminar.

Take agenda items in turn. Let each student / group make their pitch and then ask for other points of view. You may be able to crystallise the debate or summarise the conclusions.

Try to keep everyone on track and fully engaged. Perhaps make your own notes so that the key points can later be summarised and fed back.

Watch the time! It's easy to get carried away and only cover half the agenda. Apart from obvious coverage considerations, it leaves students who don't present with a sense of anti-climax.

If there's time over at the end, ask them what they feel has been discovered? And what else would they like to find out? Are there still some outstanding mysteries? (Not a bad thing...)

You may want to set some further work based on the seminar. This can be a good idea as an extension but avoid asking them 'to write up the seminar' as it may give a negative impression of the whole experience?

© Stephen Barnes 2010 | | of

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