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Experiencing Economics Through Problem Based Learning
Karen S Arul, Alex Lum, Angela Koh
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Many who profess to enjoy the study of Economics attribute this interest to the relevance it has to our daily lives. Economics is everywhere, as evident from the fact that it is largely derived from empirically observed human behaviour. Therefore, learning economics cannot be confined to lecture theatres, study halls and textbooks. An effective impartation process has to facilitate the students ability to apply the content appropriately by plugging him/her into a real world context.
While the success of the above hinges on the students own attitude and aptitude to understand and apply, the pedagogy plays a critical role in realizing this outcome. This paper therefore looks at Problem Based Learning (PBL) as a bridging solution to the theory and assimilation of economics. The authors will provide insights on how PBL, which promotes critical thinking and learning, is used to effect stronger and more meaningful learning by turning economics into an experiential module. Students are intentionally taken out of their comfort zones at every lesson to question and solve thereby not only enhancing content absorption but also their retention capacity.