Robert Mahlstedt

Abstract

Presentation vs. performance: Student focused learning and educational achievement

The project investigates whether and how a stronger focus on student-centered activities can increase the educational achievement of students. In context of an elective MA course in Economics, traditional teacher-led lectures where combined with student presentations of original research articles. The learning outcomes of students affected by the new format are compared to the outcomes of students participating in previous editions of the course, which did not rely on student presentation. Moreover, student feedback provides qualitative insights regarding the success of the new format. The student presentations are imposed as a mandatory requirement to participate in the final examination. The projects generated various insights. First, the mandatory requirement to present a research article (which was part of the course description) seems to reduce course enrollment. Compared to the previous edition of the course, the number of participants is reduced by about 50%. Second, while the overall quality of student presentations was satisfactory, there was also a substantial degree of heterogeneity. Interestingly, the presentation quality was closely connected to the students’ willingness to gather feedback in advance. Third, preliminary insights suggest that the consequences for students’ learning outcomes are mixed. While presenting students gained from the in-depth preparation of the topic, the consequences for non-presenting students crucially depend on the quality of the presentations. Finally, it should be noted that the new format was not successful in stimulating in-class discussions, possibly due to the fact that the entire course was conducted in an online format.