Economics students are used to lectures of the “chalk-and-talk” variety. In this
project, I develop, describe, and evaluate a pedagogical intervention that provides
students with the opportunity to practice their argumentation skills. The
development of these skills is not usually part of the core curriculum. For this
project, a panel discussion format is used to enable students to develop
arguments using empirical evidence, and generally navigate a space where there
is no single right or wrong answer. The peer-learning environment allows students
to develop argumentation and evaluation skills in a setting where they receive
informal formative assessment.