The primary purpose of the Economics Technology Project is to study the diffusion
of the World Wide Web in economics instruction as a problem in technology adoption.
This web page provides a brief description of the project and will include abstracts
of the working papers as they become available. Specific questions or comments
about the project should be sent to Betty J. Blecha, bjblecha@sfsu.edu.
Papers
Learning By Doing and the Choice of Instructional Technology
Abstract: The reluctance of economics instructors to adopt
new instructional technologies is shown to be directly related to on-the-job
human capital accumulation in existing instructional methods (learning by doing)
in the manner suggested by Jovanovic and Nyarko (1996). A logistic regression
model and a hazard model are used to estimate the effects of learning by doing
variables on the instructional choices of a sample of economists teaching at
four-year institutions. The learning by doing variables continue to be significant
after age related vintage effects are taken into account.
The 1994 Carnegie University Classification was used to stratify a random sample of economics departments in four-year institutions. The departments included in the sample are shown in Table 1.
| Table 1 |
|||
| Research Universities | Doctoral Universities | Comprehensive Colleges and Universities | Baccalaureate Colleges |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | The University of Southern Mississippi | California State University at Chico | The College of Wooster |
| University of California at Irvine | University of Missouri at Kansas City | California State University at Los Angeles | Moravian College |
| Purdue University | University of Toledo | Central Connecticut State University | Hope College |
| University of Nebraska at Lincoln | Nova Southeastern University | Eastern Illinois University | Agnes Scott College |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | Boston College | Indiana University Southeast | Oglethorpe University |
| University of New Mexico | Western Michigan University | Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne | Macalester College |
| University of Tennessee | College of William & Mary | Pittsburg State University | Sarah Lawrence College |
| University of Utah | University of Denver | University of Massachusetts at Boston | Kenyon College |
| University of Miami | Andrews University | University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth | Luther College |
| Brown University | University of Massachusetts at Lowell | Appalachian State University | Washington and Jefferson College |
| University of Wisconsin at Madison | Cleveland State University | West Texas A&M University | Southwestern University at Georgetown |
| Princeton University | Wichita State University | Winthrop University | Ripon College |
| University of Maryland at College Park | Clark University | Norfolk State University | Monmouth College |
| Wayne State University | University of New Hampshire at Durham | University of Wisconsin at River Falls | Missouri Southern State College |
| Mississippi State University | Grand Valley State University | Metropolitan State University | |
| University of South Carolina at Columbia | University of Minnesota at Duluth | University of Maine at Farmington | |
| Tulane University | State University of New York at Cortland | University of Hawaii at Hilo | |
| University of Wyoming | Saint Mary's College of California | Millikin University | |
| University of Oklahoma | Assumption College | Loras College | |
| University of Saint Thomas | Susquehanna University | ||
| Valparaiso University | Regis College | ||
| Widener University | University of Rio Grande | ||
| Campbell University | Anderson University | ||
| Saginaw Valley State University | |||
| Meredith College | |||
| University of Dayton | |||
| Whitworth College | |||
| Saint Michael's College | |||
| North Georgia College and State University | |||
| Southwest Missouri State University | |||
| Christian Brothers University | |||
| Quinnipiac College | |||
| University of Southern Indiana | |||
A portion of the project data set includes responses from a survey of economists in the sample departments. The first mailing of the survey was distributed during Fall 1999, and the second mailing was distributed during February 2000. The return rates following each mailing are shown in Table 2.
| Table 2 |
||
| Survey Return Rate | ||
| First Mailing | Second Mailing | |
| Research Universities | 33% | 38% |
| Doctoral Universities | 42% | 47% |
| Comprehensive Colleges and Universities | 38% | 50% |
| Baccalaureate Colleges | 51% | 59% |
The codebook for the survey is shown below. The cell counts for each survey question are enclosed in parentheses. Since the sample is a stratified sample, the responses should not be interpreted as being representative of the population.
| SECTION 1: THIS
SECTION OF THE SURVEY DEALS WITH EMAIL USE. |
||
| Q1. | Do you use email? | |
| (5) | 1. No (GO TO QUESTION Q16) | |
| (417) | 2. Yes | |
| (3) | 9. Missing | |
| Q2. | How often during the average workweek do you check your campus email? | |
| (2) | 1. Once or less during the workweek | |
| (11) | 2. Two or three times during the workweek | |
| (40) | 3. Once a day | |
| (123) | 4. Two or three times a day | |
| (80) | 5. Four or five times a day | |
| (160) | 6. More than five times a day | |
| (0) | 7. I do not use campus email | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (4) | 9. Missing | |
| Q3. | When you first started using email, were you ... | |
| (295) | 1. a faculty member | |
| (105) | 2. a graduate student | |
| (15) | 3. not yet a graduate student | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (5) | 9. Missing | |
| Q4. | What was the most important reason you started using email? | |
| Text responses entered for content analysis | ||
| 98. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | ||
| 99. Missing | ||
| Q5. | How important was each of the following sources of help when you first learned to use email? |
| 1. Very important |
2. Important |
3. Not important (or does not apply) | Missing 9, or inapplicable 8 | |||
| Faculty colleague in your department | (82) | (84) | (251) | (8) | ||
| Faculty colleague outside your department but on your campus | (13) | (44) | (360) | (8) | ||
| Faculty colleague at another university | (15) | (36) | (366) | (8) | ||
| Yourself (self-taught) | (272) | (110) | (35) | (8) | ||
| Faculty training course | (16) | (38) | (363) | (8) | ||
| Staff person on your campus | (55) | (121) | (241) | (8) | ||
| One of your teachers | (5) | (3) | (409) | (8) | ||
| Graduate student | (35) | (50) | (332) | (8) | ||
| Undergraduate student | (8) | (12) | (397) | (8) | ||
| Other | (11) | (3) | (403) | (8) | ||
| Q6. | When did you first start using email for professional purposes, such as writing notes to colleagues and exchanging papers? Indicate the approximate year in the box below. Just give us your best guess. | |
| (2) | 1980 | |
| (1) | 1981 | |
| (2) | 1982 | |
| (1) | 1983 | |
| (5) | 1984 | |
| (15) | 1985 | |
| (5) | 1986 | |
| (9) | 1987 | |
| (14) | 1988 | |
| (20) | 1989 | |
| (35) | 1990 | |
| (19) | 1991 | |
| (41) | 1992 | |
| (47) | 1993 | |
| (59) | 1994 | |
| (55) | 1995 | |
| (37) | 1996 | |
| (28) | 1997 | |
| (11) | 1998 | |
| (8) | 1999 | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (3) | Missing | |
| (3) | Respondent left blank but answered Q7. | |
| Q7. | When did you first start using email to support your courses, answer student questions about class, and so on? Indicate the approximate year in the box below. Just give us your best guess. | |
| (1) | 1985 | |
| (0) | 1986 | |
| (0) | 1987 | |
| (2) | 1988 | |
| (3) | 1989 | |
| (10) | 1990 | |
| (5) | 1991 | |
| (13) | 1992 | |
| (14) | 1993 | |
| (42) | 1994 | |
| (61) | 1995 | |
| (57) | 1996 | |
| (80) | 1997 | |
| (88) | 1998 | |
| (25) | 1999 | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (3) | Missing | |
| (16) | Respondent left blank but answered Q6. | |
| Q8. | How often do you use email for each of the following? |
| 1. Very frequently | 2. Frequently | 3. Infrequently | 4. Very infrequently | 5. Never | Missing 9, or inapplicable 8 | ||
| Advise individual students | (50) | (157) | (131) | (51) | (30) | (6) | |
| Answer individual student questions about a class | (68) | (198) | (105) | (37) | (10) | (7) | |
| Let students hand in course assignments or papers | (20) | (54) | (87) | (81) | (174) | (9) | |
| Require students to hand in course assignments or papers | (12) | (25) | (40) | (47) | (287) | (14) | |
| Send course information or assignments to all the students having email | (40) | (88) | (94) | (58) | (138) | (7) | |
| Maintain an optional listserve or email discussion string for students | (22) | (20) | (36) | (42) | (298) | (7) | |
| Require students to use a course listserve or join in an email discussion string | (13) | (17) | (24) | (28) | (334) | (9) |
| Q9. | Indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about email. |
| 1. Strongly agree | 2. Agree | 3. Neither agree nor disagree | 4. Disagree | 5. Strongly disagree | Missing, or inapplicable 8 | ||
| Email has increased my collaboration with colleagues. | (143) | (170) | (71) | (24) | (12) | (5) | |
| Email lets me get more done in the same amount of time. | (118) | (194) | (66) | (31) | (10) | (6) | |
| Email has decreased the quality of my interaction with students. | (6) | (17) | (75) | (190) | (131) | (6) | |
| I have learned how to use email more effectively in my classes from watching how others use email. | (6) | (40) | (125) | (124) | (124) | (6) | |
| Many students do not know how to use email well enough for me to use email in my classes. | (6) | (50) | (96) | (165) | (99) | (9) | |
| Email has allowed me to spend less time answering student questions. | (8) | (47) | (112) | (168) | (84) | (6) | |
| Email on my campus is so unreliable that it is difficult to use email in my courses. | (6) | (13) | (36) | (142) | (222) | (6) | |
| My department conducts a large amount of department business using email. | (84) | (215) | (63) | (45) | (13) | (5) | |
| We have fewer department meetings because of email. | (29) | (111) | (97) | (128) | (53) | (7) | |
| Email has caused me to change the way I teach some material. | (10) | (51) | (92) | (154) | (112) | (6) | |
| Requiring email assignments takes too much time away from learning economics. | (8) | (33) | (223) | (121) | (28) | (12) | |
| Requiring email assignments would significantly increases my workload. | (22) | (121) | (169) | (86) | (13) | (14) | |
| Many students who are reluctant to ask questions in class ask email questions. | (34) | (137) | (145) | (78) | (18) | (13) | |
| Email lets me get information out to students more rapidly. | (73) | (166) | (124) | (40) | (12) | (10) | |
| Email saves students time. | (43) | (166) | (169) | (28) | (7) | (12) |
| Q10. | If you have trouble using your campus email, how long does it usually take to get help from a computer support person? | |
| (172) | 1. A few hours | |
| (87) | 2. One day | |
| (59) | 3. Two or three days | |
| (14) | 4. A week | |
| (16) | 5. More than a week | |
| (52) | 6. Do not know | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (20) | 9. Missing | |
| Q11. | How frequently do you ask faculty colleagues for help with your email? | |
| (239) | 0 | |
| (48) | 1 | |
| (39) | 2 | |
| (21) | 3 | |
| (10) | 4 | |
| (30) | 5 | |
| (5) | 6 | |
| (2) | 8 | |
| (13) | 10 | |
| (1) | 12 | |
| (1) | 18 | |
| (2) | 20 | |
| (1) | 24 | |
| (1) | 25 | |
| (3) | 30 | |
| (2) | 50 | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (2) | Missing | |
| Q12. | How frequently do faculty colleagues ask you for help with their email? | |
| (199) | 0 | |
| (44) | 1 | |
| (50) | 2 | |
| (24) | 3 | |
| (12) | 4 | |
| (32) | 5 | |
| (6) | 6 | |
| (1) | 7 | |
| (1) | 9 | |
| (19) | 10 | |
| (5) | 12 | |
| (3) | 15 | |
| (5) | 20 | |
| (1) | 25 | |
| (4) | 30 | |
| (1) | 36 | |
| (1) | 50 | |
| (2) | 60 | |
| (1) | 64 | |
| (1) | 80 | |
| (5) | 99 | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (3) | Missing | |
| Q13. | Some faculty members do not use email more in their courses because some students do not have good access to email. Have access considerations prevented you from using email more in your courses? | |
| (306) | 1. No | |
| (109) | 2. Yes | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (5) | 9. Missing | |
| Q14. | How do you rate your students’ access to email on campus? | |
| (189) | 1. Excellent | |
| (116) | 2. Very good | |
| (89) | 3. Good | |
| (19) | 4. Not very good | |
| (1) | 5. Poor | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (6) | 9. Missing | |
| Q15. | How do you rate your students’ access to email off campus? | |
| (40) | 1. Excellent | |
| (79) | 2. Very good | |
| (124) | 3. Good | |
| (51) | 4. Not very good | |
| (10) | 5. Poor | |
| (112) | 6. Do not know | |
| (5) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q1 is "no.") | |
| (4) | 9. Missing | |
SECTION 2: THIS SECTION ASKS QUESTIONS ABOUT ECONOMICS INSTRUCTION IN GENERAL.
| Q16. | Indicate which of the following two statements best describes your approach to teaching. | |
| (169) | 1. I am cautious about changing the way I teach. | |
| (247) | 2. I tend to experiment with my teaching. | |
| (9) | 9. Missing | |
| Q17. | Economics is often taught using lectures and a blackboard. Economists call this type of instruction “chalk and talk.” What percentage of your teaching would you characterize as chalk and talk? Write the percentage in the box below. If you teach large lectures with discussion sections, answer in terms of only your own class time. | |||
| (5) | 0 | (3) | 67 | |
| (5) | 5 | (26) | 70 | |
| (11) | 10 | (35) | 75 | |
| (1) | 15 | (51) | 80 | |
| (10) | 20 | (23) | 85 | |
| (4) | 25 | (1) | 88 | |
| (12) | 30 | (60) | 90 | |
| (2) | 33 | (34) | 95 | |
| (2) | 35 | (1) | 96 | |
| (7) | 40 | (2) | 97 | |
| (1) | 45 | (2) | 98 | |
| (36) | 50 | (4) | 99 | |
| (19) | 60 | (55) | 100 | |
| (7) | 65 | (5) | Missing | |
| (1) | 66 | |||
| Q18. | How many years have you been teaching at the university level since leaving graduate school. Write the years in the box below. Use a fraction for a portion of a year. | |||||||
| (1) | .3 | (7) | 8 | (13) | 23 | (6) | 40 | |
| (7) | .5 | (8) | 9 | (5) | 24 | (1) | 41 | |
| (4) | 1 | (1) | 9.5 | (22) | 25 | (1) | 43 | |
| (1) | 1.3 | (14) | 10 | (5) | 26 | (1) | 48 | |
| (10) | 1.5 | (8) | 11 | (4) | 27 | (2) | Missing | |
| (13) | 2 | (18) | 12 | (3) | 28 | |||
| (6) | 2.5 | (10) | 13 | (5) | 29 | |||
| (15) | 3 | (10) | 14 | (33) | 30 | |||
| (6) | 3.5 | (21) | 15 | (4) | 31 | |||
| (13) | 4 | (10) | 16 | (5) | 32 | |||
| (4) | 4.5 | (1) | 16.3 | (4) | 33 | |||
| (8) | 5 | (10) | 17 | (4) | 34 | |||
| (2) | 5.5 | (7) | 18 | (10) | 35 | |||
| (12) | 6 | (6) | 19 | (3) | 36 | |||
| (4) | 6.5 | (18) | 20 | (4) | 37 | |||
| (11) | 7 | (7) | 21 | (4) | 38 | |||
| (3) | 7.5 | (9) | 22 | (1) | 39 | |||
| Q19. | How long did it take you to become an effective chalk and talk instructor? Write the years in the box below. Use a fraction for a portion of a year. If you are just starting your teaching career, indicate how long you think it will take you to become an effective chalk and talk instructor. | |||
| (16) | 0 | (1) | 9 | |
| (5) | .3 | (16) | 10 | |
| (8) | .5 | (1) | 12 | |
| (101) | 1 | (1) | 15 | |
| (2) | 1.5 | (2) | 17 | |
| (98) | 2 | (1) | 24 | |
| (60) | 3 | (1) | 26 | |
| (1) | 3.5 | (1) | 29 | |
| (22) | 4 | (1) | 40 | |
| (57) | 5 | (1) | 50 | |
| (7) | 6 | (9) | Respondent generated: "I'm still learning," "forever," etc. | |
| (2) | 7 | (8) | Missing | |
| (3) | 8 | |||
| Q20. | Indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about chalk and talk instruction. |
| 1. Strongly agree | 2. Agree | 3. Neither agree nor disagree | 4. Disagree | 5. Strongly disagree | 9. Missing | ||
| Group projects and active learning exercises give less predictable gains in student understanding than chalk and talk. | (20) | (113) | (138) | (129) | (18) | (7) | |
| Even in small classes, chalk and talk discourages student questions. | (8) | (81) | (66) | (208) | (56) | (6) | |
| Teaching methods other than chalk and talk do not do not yield a significant improvement in student understanding. | (7) | (85) | (120) | (162) | (44) | (7) | |
| My teaching skills are heavily invested in chalk and talk. | (41) | (207) | (88) | (69) | (15) | (5) | |
| A chalk and talk instructor must spend a large amount of preparation time even if he or she has taught the course several times. | (23) | (166) | (81) | (129) | (21) | (5) | |
| A blackboard gives me more flexibility to explain economic concepts than overhead slides. | (111) | (198) | (59) | (46) | (6) | (5) |
| Q21. | Assume that a new teaching technique increases the grade point average of a class by 1/3 grade point on a five-point grade scale. The new technique also increases the standard deviation of the symmetric grade distribution by ½ standard deviation. (Assume that the distribution remains symmetric. For example, an A becomes an A+.) There are no time costs to you if you adopt the new technique. How likely are you to adopt the new technique? | |
| (91) | 1. Very likely | |
| (142) | 2. Likely | |
| (116) | 3. Somewhat likely | |
| (54) | 4. Not very likely | |
| (6) | 5. Not at all | |
| (16) | 9. Missing | |
| Q22. | If you did adopt the new technique, would you expect to be able to increase the performance of most students at the lower end of the distribution over time? | |
| (157) | 1. No | |
| (210) | 2. Yes | |
| (8) | 3. Respondent generated: "Do not know." | |
| (50) | 9. Missing | |
| Q23. | Now assume that a new teaching technique increases the grade point average of a class by 1/3 grade point and does NOT change the standard deviation. During the three months prior to the start of your academic year, how many hours would you be willing to spend to learn to use the new technique in your classes? Write the number of hours in the box below. | |||
| (21) | 0 | (21) | 30 | |
| (3) | 1 | (1) | 36 | |
| (19) | 2 | (44) | 40 | |
| (8) | 3 | (1) | 45 | |
| (4) | 4 | (15) | 50 | |
| (24) | 5 | (15) | 60 | |
| (3) | 6 | (10) | 80 | |
| (8) | 8 | (6) | 100 | |
| (85) | 10 | (1) | 120 | |
| (2) | 12 | (1) | 150 | |
| (12) | 15 | (1) | 180 | |
| (2) | 16 | (1) | 280 | |
| (62) | 20 | (1) | 300 | |
| (2) | 24 | (1) | 360 | |
| (5) | 25 | (1) | 720 | |
| (45) | Missing | |||
SECTION 3: THIS SECTION DEALS WITH THE GENERAL USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING ECONOMICS.
| Q24. | How effective have the faculty training courses on your campus been in getting faculty members in your department to use computer technology? | |
| (19) | 1. Very effective | |
| (155) | 2. Effective | |
| (160) | 3. Ineffective | |
| (38) | 4. Very ineffective | |
| (23) | 5. My campus does not have faculty training courses. | |
| (8) | 6. Respondent generated: "Do not know." | |
| (20) | 9. Missing | |
| Q25. | Have you taken any of the faculty training courses offered on your campus? | |
| (218) | 1. No | |
| (203) | 2. Yes | |
| (4) | 9. Missing | |
| Q25A. Did you try any new computer technology in any of your courses as a result of the training? | ||
| (78) | 1. No | |
| (126) | 2. Yes | |
| (218) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q25 is no.) | |
| (3) | 9. Missing | |
| Q26. | Please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about the use of computer technology in teaching economics. |
| 1. Agree strongly | 2. Agree | 3. Neither agree nor disagree | 4. Disagree | 5. Strongly disagree | 9. Missing | ||
| I have not seen any CD-ROMs in economics I liked well enough to use in my courses. | (62) | (162) | (118) | (62) | (14) | (7) | |
| Having students construct their own course web pages takes too much time away from learning economics. | (67) | (197) | (132) | (17) | (3) | (9) | |
| PowerPoint presentations are more effective in large classes than small classes. | (19) | (132) | (201) | (54) | (12) | (7) | |
| Spreadsheet presentations do not yield a significant improvement in student understanding. | (14) | (74) | (205) | (109) | (12) | (11) | |
| The ability of students to find current economic information on the web significantly improves their understanding of economics. | (42) | (213) | (104) | (53) | (6) | (7) | |
| PowerPoint presentations are more impersonal than chalk and talk. | (37) | (178) | (121) | (66) | (14) | (9) | |
| Students quit taking notes during PowerPoint presentations. | (22) | (121) | (188) | (72) | (10) | (12) | |
| A big problem with using computer technology in class is that an instructor must always have a backup lecture ready if the technology does not work. | (30) | (180) | (142) | (62) | (1) | (10) | |
| The web servers on my campus are so unreliable that it is difficult to use the web in my courses. | (8) | (34) | (139) | (181) | (55) | (8) | |
| PowerPoint slides help instructors organize lecture material. | (32) | (180) | (155) | (43) | (5) | (10) | |
| PowerPoint slides do not encourage students to think during a lecture. | (22) | (124) | (165) | (93) | (10) | (11) | |
| Some students do much worse than usual when they are given assignments requiring them to use a computer. | (6) | (81) | (226) | (92) | (11) | (9) | |
| Computer exercises give less predictable gains in student understanding than chalk and talk. | (6) | (66) | (232) | (99) | (10) | (12) |
| Q27. | If you want to schedule a semester or quarter course in a “smart” technology classroom on your campus, how likely is it that you will be able to do this? | |
| (85) | 1. Very likely | |
| (186) | 2. Likely | |
| (92) | 3. Not very likely | |
| (51) | 4. Do not know | |
| (7) | 5. My campus does not have any smart classrooms. | |
| (4) | 9. Missing | |
| Q28. | If you want to schedule a laboratory portion of a course in a teaching computer lab, how likely is it that you will be able to do this? | |
| (110) | 1. Very likely | |
| (179) | 2. Likely | |
| (70) | 3. Not very likely | |
| (60) | 4. Do not know | |
| (2) | 5. My campus does not have any teaching computer labs. | |
| (4) | 9. Missing | |
| Q29. | If you decide an hour before class that you want to use a computer and projector to demonstrate a software solution or play a portion of a CD-ROM in class, how likely is it that you will be able to do this? | |
| (44) | 1. Very likely | |
| (94) | 2. Likely | |
| (225) | 3. Not very likely | |
| (51) | 4. Do not know | |
| (1) | 5. My campus does not have the equipment to do this. | |
| (10) | 9. Missing | |
| Q30. | When you go to professional conferences, how often do you go to sessions on computer assisted instruction in economics? | |
| (243) | 1. Never | |
| (142) | 2. Once in awhile | |
| (26) | 3. Most of the time | |
| (14) | 9. Missing | |
| Q31. | Have you ever used PowerPoint slides in your classes? | |
| (262) | 1. No | |
| (155) | 2. Yes | |
| (8) | 9. Missing | |
| Q31A. How much time did you put into making the slides? | ||
| (14) | 1. None – The slides were already made by others | |
| (14) | 2. Not very much | |
| (44) | 3. Some | |
| (82) | 4. A great deal | |
| (262) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q31 is "no.") | |
| (9) | 9. Missing | |
| Q31B. Are you still using most of the slides in your classes? | ||
| (55) | 1. No | |
| (95) | 2. Yes | |
| (262) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q31 is "no.") | |
| (13) | 9. Missing | |
| Q32. | Have you ever used spreadsheet software like Excel in your classes? | |
| (243) | 1. No | |
| (175) | 2. Yes | |
| (7) | 9. Missing | |
| Q32A. How much time did you put into making up the spreadsheet problems or class presentations? | ||
| (19) | 1. Not very much | |
| (93) | 2. Some | |
| (57) | 3. A great deal | |
| (243) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q32 is "no.") | |
| (13) | 9. Missing | |
| Q32B. Are you still using most of the spreadsheet material in your classes? |
||
| (36) | 1. No | |
| (129) | 2. Yes | |
| (243) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q32 is "no.") | |
| (17) | 9. Missing | |
| Q33. | How important is the instructional use of computer technology to satisfying the following requirements in your department? If your campus does not have one of the requirements, such as merit pay, check not applicable. |
| 1. Very important | 2. Important | 3. Not very important | 4. Not important | 8. Not applicable | 9. Missing | ||
| Reappointment | (3) | (27) | (99) | (221) | (60) | (15) | |
| Tenure | (3) | (30) | (100) | (222) | (54) | (16) | |
| Promotion to associate professor | (4) | (29) | (105) | (218) | (53) | (16) | |
| Promotion to full professor | (3) | (25) | (105) | (220) | (55) | (17) | |
| Merit pay | (3) | (34) | (105) | (172) | (93) | (18) |
| Q34. | Do you think that the use instructional computer technology will become more important in your department in coming years to satisfying the following requirements? |
| 1. Will become more important | 2. Will not become more important. | 3. Not Applicable | 9. Missing | ||
| Reappointment | (92) | (249) | (67) | (17) | |
| Tenure | (98) | (251) | (57) | (19) | |
| Promotion to associate professor | (87) | (257) | (65) | (16) | |
| Promotion to full professor | (74) | (267) | (62) | (22) | |
| Merit pay | (105) | (212) | (86) | (22) |
| Q35. | How often during the average workweek do you use the web for teaching or non-teaching purposes? | |
| (43) | 1. Once or less during the workweek | |
| (77) | 2. Two or three times during the workweek | |
| (68) | 3. Once a day | |
| (118) | 4. Two or three times a day | |
| (39) | 5. Four or five times a day | |
| (73) | 6. More than five times a day | |
| (7) | 9. Missing | |
| Q36. | During the average workweek, how much time do you spend using the web for teaching or non-teaching purposes? Write the approximate number of hours in the box below. | |||
| (12) | 0 | (23) | 8 | |
| (1) | .2 | (67) | 10 | |
| (1) | .3 | (9) | 12 | |
| (5) | .5 | (1) | 14 | |
| (36) | 1 | (25) | 15 | |
| (1) | 1.5 | (2) | 16 | |
| (54) | 2 | (1) | 18 | |
| (1) | 2.5 | (14) | 20 | |
| (35) | 3 | (2) | 25 | |
| (14) | 4 | (3) | 30 | |
| (67) | 5 | (1) | 40 | |
| (27) | 6 | (10) | Missing | |
| (13) | 7 | |||
| Q37. | How frequently do you refer to web pages or URLs in class? | |
| (16) | 1. Very frequently | |
| (124) | 2. Frequently | |
| (162) | 3. Infrequently | |
| (73) | 4. Very infrequently | |
| (43) | 5. Never | |
| (7) | 9. Missing | |
| Q38. | How frequently do you have your students do assignments that require them to use the web? | |
| (16) | 1. Very frequently | |
| (103) | 2. Frequently | |
| (151) | 3. Infrequently | |
| (44) | 4. Very infrequently | |
| (103) | 5. Never (GO TO Q40.) | |
| (8) | 9. Missing | |
| Q39. | When did you first start having students do assignments using the web? Indicate the approximate year in the box below. Just give us your best guess. | ||
| (1) | 1992 | ||
| (2) | 1993 | ||
| (4) | 1994 | ||
| (24) | 1995 | ||
| (45) | 1996 | ||
| (87) | 1997 | ||
| (90) | 1998 | ||
| (39) | 1999 | ||
| (103) | Inapplicable (Response to Q38 is "never.") | ||
| (30) | Missing | ||
| Q40. | Have you ever had students use a web site created by the publisher of a text you were using? | |
| (279) | 1. No | |
| (136) | 2. Yes | |
| (10) | 9. Missing | |
| Q40A. Was use of the web site an optional or required part of the course? | ||
| (115) | 1. Optional | |
| (20) | 2. Required | |
| (279) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q40 is "no.") | |
| (11) | 9. Missing | |
| Q41. | Has a text’s web site ever been a significant factor in your choice of the text? | |
| (366) | 1. No | |
| (51) | 2. Yes | |
| (8) | 9. Missing | |
| Q42. | Do you have a web site? | |
| (174) | 1. No | |
| (243) | 2. Yes (GO TO QUESTION Q45) | |
| (8) | 9. Missing | |
| Q43. | Please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements. |
| 1. Agree strongly | 2. Agree | 3. Neither agree nor disagree | 4. Disagree | 5. Strongly disagree | 9. Missing 9, or inapplicable 8 | ||
| A web site would not improve student understanding in my courses. | (16) | (44) | (86) | (41) | (2) | (236) | |
| I would like to have a web site, but I haven’t been able to find the time to set one up. | (20) | (80) | (32) | (29) | (16) | (248) | |
| I am currently watching what others are doing to help me decide if I want to have my own web site. | (4) | (65) | (50) | (39) | (21) | (246) | |
| A web site would not save me any time in my courses. | (19) | (60) | (61) | (35) | (2) | (248) | |
| A web site would help me organize my courses. | (5) | (57) | (70) | (32) | (18) | (243) | |
| A web site would not save my students any time. | (8) | (36) | (80) | (50) | (4) | (247) |
| Q44. | How long do you think it would take you to set up your own web site? Write the approximate number of hours in the box below. After you have filled in the box GO TO Q53. | |||
| (1) | 1 | (5) | 25 | |
| (6) | 2 | (1) | 28 | |
| (6) | 3 | (8) | 30 | |
| (2) | 4 | (1) | 35 | |
| (12) | 5 | (16) | 40 | |
| (2) | 6 | (1) | 50 | |
| (1) | 7 | (1) | 60 | |
| (5) | 8 | (6) | 80 | |
| (40) | 10 | (1) | 97 | |
| (4) | 12 | (3) | Respondent generated: "Do not know." | |
| (10) | 15 | (4) | Respondent generated: "Forever," "a lot," infinity sign. | |
| (3) | 16 | (174) | Inapplicable (Response to Q42 is "yes.") | |
| (25) | 20 | (86) | Missing | |
| (1) | 24 | |||
| Q45. | When you set up your first web site, were you ... | |
| (229) | 1. a faculty member | |
| (18) | 2. a graduate student | |
| (0) | 3. not yet a graduate student | |
| (172) | 8. Inapplicable (Q42 is "no.") | |
| (4) | 9. Missing | |
| Q46. | What was the most important reason you set up your first web site? | |
| Text responses entered for content analysis | ||
| 98. Inapplicable | ||
| 99. Missing | ||
| Q47. | How important was each of the following sources of help in learning to set up your first web site? |
| 1. Very important | 2. Important | 3. Not important
(or does not apply) |
9. Missing | |||
| Faculty colleague in your department | (51) | (54) | (154) | (166) | ||
| Faculty colleague outside your department but on your campus | (13) | (28) | (214) | (170) | ||
| Faculty colleague at another university | (7) | (15) | (232) | (171) | ||
| Yourself (self-taught) | (122) | (70) | (63) | (170) | ||
| Faculty training course | (34) | (43) | (180) | (168) | ||
| Staff person on your campus | (73) | (58) | (126) | (168) | ||
| One of your teachers | (1) | (4) | (255) | (165) | ||
| Graduate student | (27) | (16) | (212) | (170) | ||
| Undergraduate student | (8) | (5) | (244) | (168) | ||
| Other | (11) | (2) | (242) | (170) | ||
| Q48. | When did you set up your first web site. Indicate the approximate year in the box below. Just give us your best guess. |
|
| (2) | 1987 | |
| (0) | 1988 | |
| (0) | 1989 | |
| (0) | 1990 | |
| (1) | 1991 | |
| (0) | 1992 | |
| (9) | 1993 | |
| (11) | 1994 | |
| (23) | 1995 | |
| (43) | 1996 | |
| (58) | 1997 | |
| (53) | 1998 | |
| (42) | 1999 | |
| (2) | 2000 | |
| (174) | Inapplicable (Response to Q42 is "no.") | |
| (7) | Missing | |
| Q49. | Indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about using a web site to support instruction. If you do not use your web site to support your courses, go to the next question (Q50). |
| 1. Strongly agree | 2. Agree | 3. Neither agree nor disagree | 4. Disagree | 5. Strongly disagree | Missing 9, or inapplicable 8 | ||
| My web site has decreased the quality of my interaction with students. | (4) | (8) | (52) | (96) | (56) | (209) | |
| I have learned how to use my web site more effectively from watching how others use their web sites. | (7) | (97) | (65) | (34) | (11) | (211) | |
| My web site has allowed me to spend less time answering student questions. | (7) | (41) | (70) | (81) | (19) | (207) | |
| It is very time consuming for me to maintain my web site. | (13) | (67) | (51) | (65) | (17) | (212) | |
| Using my web site to support my courses has caused me to change the way I teach some material. | (4) | (78) | (56) | (59) | (16) | (212) | |
| My web site has improved the organization of my courses. | (21) | (72) | (64) | (47) | (10) | (211) | |
| My web site has increased student understanding in my courses. | (9) | (65) | (96) | (38) | (8) | (209) | |
| My web site saves students time. | (20) | (108) | (62) | (20) | (3) | (212) | |
| Using my web site to support my courses has caused me to use email more in my courses | (14) | (74) | (69) | (49) | (11) | (208) |
| Q50. | How frequently do you ask faculty colleagues for help with your web site or web materials during the academic year? Write the approximate number of times you ask for help in the box below. | |
| (137) | 0 | |
| (21) | 1 | |
| (34) | 2 | |
| (9) | 3 | |
| (8) | 4 | |
| (19) | 5 | |
| (4) | 6 | |
| (10) | 10 | |
| (1) | 25 | |
| (174) | Inapplicable (Response to Q42 is "no.") | |
| (8) | Missing | |
| Q51. | How frequently do faculty colleagues ask you for help with their web site or web materials? | |
| (127) | 0 | |
| (9) | 1 | |
| (29) | 2 | |
| (12) | 3 | |
| (10) | 4 | |
| (17) | 5 | |
| (4) | 6 | |
| (5) | 8 | |
| (11) | 10 | |
| (2) | 12 | |
| (1) | 18 | |
| (7) | 20 | |
| (1) | 24 | |
| (2) | 25 | |
| (1) | 30 | |
| (1) | 35 | |
| (2) | 50 | |
| (2) | 99 | |
| (174) | Inapplicable (Response to Q42 is "no.") | |
| (8) | Missing | |
| Q52. | Do you do all the work on your web site, or do you have some help? | |
| (133) | 1. I do all the work myself | |
| (111) | 2. I have some help | |
| (174) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q42 is "no.") | |
| (7) | 9. Missing | |
| Q52B. Indicate the sources of help. Bubble all the sources that apply. | ||
| (29) | 1. Graduate student | |
| (13) | 2. Undergraduate student | |
| (74) | 3. University or department staff person. | |
| (14) | 4. Other (Please indicate) | |
| Q53. | Does your campus have a policy regarding intellectual property for web materials developed by faculty members? | |
| (70) | 1. No | |
| (88) | 2. Yes | |
| (256) | 3. Do not know | |
| (11) | 9. Missing | |
| Q53B. How are the rights to the material divided between the faculty member and the university? | ||
| (12) | 1. Strongly in favor of the faculty member | |
| (18) | 2. In favor of the faculty member | |
| (10) | 3. About the same | |
| (6) | 4. In favor of the university | |
| (5) | 5. Strongly in favor of the university | |
| (27) | 6. Do not know | |
| (326) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q53 is "no" or "do not know.") | |
| (21) | 9. Missing | |
| Q53C. How important has the policy been in affecting your decisions to use or not use the web or to develop materials for the web? Think about the bubbles shown below as a scale. | ||
| (2) | 1. Very important | |
| (2) | 2. | |
| (8) | 3. | |
| (2) | 4. | |
| (48) | 5. Not important | |
| (326) | 8. Inapplicable (Response to Q53 is "no" or "do not know.") | |
| (37) | 9. Missing | |
| Q54. | What is your age? Write the number of years in the box below. | |||||
| (3) | 27 | (10) | 42 | (15) | 57 | |
| (6) | 28 | (18) | 43 | (5) | 58 | |
| (13) | 29 | (11) | 44 | (7) | 59 | |
| (10) | 30 | (15) | 45 | (9) | 60 | |
| (7) | 31 | (9) | 46 | (7) | 61 | |
| (14) | 32 | (9) | 47 | (9) | 62 | |
| (14) | 33 | (10) | 48 | (8) | 63 | |
| (8) | 34 | (11) | 49 | (11) | 64 | |
| (9) | 35 | (18) | 50 | (3) | 65 | |
| (8) | 36 | (12) | 51 | (4) | 66 | |
| (8) | 37 | (18) | 52 | (2) | 67 | |
| (11) | 38 | (9) | 53 | (1) | 68 | |
| (8) | 39 | (9) | 54 | (2) | 69 | |
| (12) | 40 | (12) | 55 | (1) | 73 | |
| (11) | 41 | (14) | 56 | (14) | Missing | |
| Q55. | Did you talk to any of your colleagues about any of the specific questions on this survey before you filled it out. | |
| (409) | 1. No | |
| (8) | 2. Yes | |
| (8) | 9. Missing | |
| "If you would like to share experiences or thoughts about technology in the teaching of economics, please write them on the back of this page or send me an email message." (Click here to see the comments respondents wrote on the back of the survey.) |
Page last updated 2 August 2000.