Teaching
Using economic history to teach economics
Teaching philosophy
I trained as both an economist and a historian because I think it is important to connect the present with the past in order to understand the context in which economic decisions are made.
I teach economics to my students as an applied social science, as a means of getting them to think about how and why the world around them works in the way it does. This partly involves providing them with the long view, so they can better appreciate in which ways society can change over time, and in which ways it can stay the same.
Listen to my podcast interview with Seán Kenny about my views on the purpose of economic history for economists.
I teach economics to my students as an applied social science, as a means of getting them to think about how and why the world around them works in the way it does. This partly involves providing them with the long view, so they can better appreciate in which ways society can change over time, and in which ways it can stay the same.
Listen to my podcast interview with Seán Kenny about my views on the purpose of economic history for economists.
Pedagogical reform
Economists need economic history, but they aren't typically getting much of it in their university training. This is because their professors were themselves never taught it. I lead a pedagogical research project (with Matthias Blum) to develop new teaching and learning material aimed at solving this problem. Find out more about the project in an op-ed I wrote for QPol, and a podcast interview with Palgrave Macmillan editor Ruth Noble.
Economic history can be taught as a stand-alone module, or by embedding it within other economics field courses. The latter is the way "non-economic historians" can more easily engage with the field. An Economist's Guide to Economic History (Palgrave Macmillan, Dec. 2018) contains our specially-developed economic history teaching material, and can be used in both pedagogical approaches. Visit our dedicated website to find out more. Get in touch if you share our vision and are keen to contribute.
Economic history can be taught as a stand-alone module, or by embedding it within other economics field courses. The latter is the way "non-economic historians" can more easily engage with the field. An Economist's Guide to Economic History (Palgrave Macmillan, Dec. 2018) contains our specially-developed economic history teaching material, and can be used in both pedagogical approaches. Visit our dedicated website to find out more. Get in touch if you share our vision and are keen to contribute.