Introductory Economics Delivery Model Decision

Should the university replace large in-person introductory economics lectures with a hybrid delivery model starting in the next fall term?

Published content

1. node: Recorded lectures would let students revisit difficult concepts such as elasticity, opportunity cost, and market equilibrium at their own pace before tutorials.
2. node: The existing model preserves face-to-face teaching presence and may better support first-year student motivation, attendance habits, and direct access to instructors.
3. node: A mostly online format could expand scheduling flexibility for commuting students, student athletes, and those combining work with study during the term.
4. node: Adopt a hybrid model with recorded lectures, in-person tutorials, and weekly live question-and-answer sessions for all students enrolled in introductory economics.
5. node: Should the university replace large in-person introductory economics lectures with a hybrid delivery model starting in the next fall term?
6. node: A hybrid model may reduce attendance in live sessions and weaken the shared cohort experience that helps first-year students adapt to university study habits.
7. node: Keeping the current model does not address lecture hall congestion, timetable inflexibility, or uneven note-taking quality among students with different preparation levels.
8. node: A mostly online format may increase disengagement among first-year students who have not yet developed strong time management and self-directed learning practices.
9. node: Keep the current fully in-person lecture model and improve teaching assistant support, office hours, and supplemental review sessions for first-year students.
10. node: The course team must redesign assessments, tutorial structure, and teaching assistant workflows so that the recorded content and live activities reinforce each other.
11. node: The department must commit to additional teaching assistant hours, better attendance monitoring, and expanded academic support during midterm periods.
12. node: The university must ensure platform reliability, online assessment integrity controls, and accessible digital content before shifting the course mostly online.
13. node: Move the course mostly online, with asynchronous instruction, online discussion forums, and only exams and a small number of review sessions held on campus.
14. node: Use the hybrid model first for the largest lecture section and keep one smaller section in the traditional format during the first year of implementation.
15. node: Enrollment growth and classroom capacity pressure have made it harder to timetable large first-year economics lectures without conflicts with other core introductory courses.
16. node: First-year student belonging, social integration, and routine-building may weaken when fewer students regularly attend classes together in person during their first term.
17. node: Digital delivery can provide better learning analytics, allowing earlier identification of students who stop engaging with lectures, quizzes, or preparatory materials.
18. node: Faculty, instructional designers, and teaching assistants must have enough time and support to prepare course materials, activities, and student communications for the chosen model.
19. node: This decision applies only to introductory economics for first-year students and does not include upper-year economics courses or delivery models in other departments.