Assistant Professors Brandon Sheridan and Brooks Depro participated as session chair and presenter, respectively, during the virtual economics education conference hosted by University College London and Cornell University.
Brandon Sheridan, assistant professor of economics, served as a session chair, and Brooks Depro, assistant professor of economics, presented research during #TeachECONference2020, the first annual virtual economics education conference hosted by University College London’s Centre for Teaching and Learning Economics and Cornell University’s Department of Economics.
The June 17-18 conference provided participants with an opportunity to discuss the challenges of moving teaching online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasingly important areas of employability, inclusivity and student engagement.
Sheridan chaired the “Diversity and Inclusion in the Economics Classroom” session, which included presentations by Depro and faculty members from University College London and Northern Kentucky University.
“Diversity and inclusion is something on which economics as a discipline has lagged woefully behind, but momentum for change has been building over the last few years so it was great to get together virtually with professors from all over the world to discuss how to keep pushing forward,” Sheridan said.
During the session, Depro presented “Discovering Diversity Using an Empirical Research Project,” which he co-authored with Katy Rouse, associate professor of economics in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.
Depro shared the design and results of an empirical research project they created with support from an Elon Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning Diversity and Inclusion Grant. The project aimed to empower students to find, report, and use facts, encourage students to frame and explore diversity questions from their own angle, and to emphasize writing and reproducible methods. Students used some of the latest pedagogical methods: sequenced project design and replication checks, practice in writing concise memos, and reflections on the lack of gender and racial diversity within economics.
Sheridan joined Elon in 2016. His primary research interests involve the intersection of international trade, education, and economic growth. He also has an avid research interest in economic education, especially the efficacy of various technologies and pedagogical techniques.
After spending more than 20 years in economic consulting, Depro joined Elon in 2017. His research areas focus on environmental regulation, housing choices, environmental justice and teaching economics.