Title: Revival of essay writing in economics

Authors: Brinda Mahalingam

Addresses: Economics Department, College of Business Administration, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Dr., Huntsville, AL 35899, USA

Abstract: Over the years, we have seen an increase in class size at all levels of leaning and across all curricula. As one might expect, the impact of this growth on student performance is constantly questioned. One of the consequences of large classes is the pending extinction of the essay test and dwindling research paper assignments. Scholars in any discipline typically understand that writing brings extraordinary focus to one's thinking. Our students are losing that experience as large classes make essay grading increasingly onerous. In this paper, based on my experience teaching principles of economics, it is suggested that with the help of technology, writing can make a comeback in large class settings.

Keywords: large class size; writing assessment; essay grading; writing technology; essay writing; economics education; student performance; economic principles.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2013.055443

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2013 Vol.4 No.2, pp.183 - 191

Published online: 30 Apr 2014 *

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