The clipper project: Lessons learned teaching an online economics course

摘要

THIS PAPER describes the three-year evolution of an online Economics I course, reports on student outcomes and evaluations, and discusses the lessons learned. Results show that, as the course evolved from an instructor-led to a student-centered learning pedagogical model, several indicators of completing students' learning and satisfaction with the course increased. At the same time, however, withdrawal rates also increased significantly—perhaps revealing students' discomfort with the increased effort required in taking responsibility for one's learning. The authors concluded that, in the end, the Clipper Project had actually provided the catalyst for exploring best practices for teaching in any medium rather than simply providing an opportunity to experiment with online teaching and learning.