Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship podcast

Join us for an engaging live recording of the Learning and Teaching in Economics podcast, hosted by Dr Karishma Patel, a Teaching Fellow at Aston University. This episode covers all you need to know about placements for Aston's economics students! Second-year BSc Economics student Alex Taylor, currently applying for placements, leads the discussion and poses questions to our panel, including Placement Preparation Manager Andrew Hollings.

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Release date: November 2024

In this episode Karishma Patel welcomes Dr Dean Garratt, a Senior Teaching Fellow from the Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship department at Aston University, to share his vision for bridging the gap between academic and professional economics.

Motivated by his own experiences in professional economics, including his work at the Government Economic Service (GES), Dean talks about how he has embedded the GES competencies assessed at Economic Assessment Centres into his module’s teaching and assessment. Dean provides valuable advice for colleagues teaching Economics (and beyond), on how they can closer align their assessment and teaching with the real world.

Release date: June 2023

In this episode Karishma Patel invites Dr Tim Burnett, a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship department at Aston University, to share his approach to experiential learning on statistics based modules. Tim presents a vision for using this approach to enable students to become active learners and provides some advice for implementation across a range of modules. For further insight, refer to 'Do Not Feed The Ducks! Using self-guided data exploration in Excel' (2020) by Tim Burnett.

Release date: June 2023

In this episode Karishma Patel is joined by Dr Maria Kozlovskaya, a Senior Lecturer from the Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship department at Aston University. Maria draws on her expertise in using games and experiments in teaching Behavioural Economics, to provide practical advice for lecturers who are looking to use games and experiments in their own teaching. For further insight, refer to Games, Simulations and Playful Learning in Business Education (2021).

Release date: July 2023

In this episode, Karishma Patel invites Dr Robert Riegler, a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship department at Aston University to share some insights from his co-authored paper on students' feedback experiences and expectations pre- and post-university entry. Robert reflects on the findings of his research in order to provide suggestions on feedback design and managing students' feedback expectations. For further insight, refer to 'Students' feedback experiences and expectation pre- and post-university entry' by Gray, K., Riegler, R., and Walsh, M. (2022).

Release date: July 2023

In this episode Karishma Patel is joined by Professor Chris Jones from the Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship department at Aston University who shares insights from his experiences of large group teaching. Chris discusses some of the challenges that may be associated with teaching large class sizes, and suggests ways in which we can increase engagement in the classroom. Chris also shares some valuable advice for junior colleagues who may be entering the classroom for the first time. For further insight, refer to 'Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Perspectives from a Business School' (2019).

Release date: July 2023

This is part 1 of a special conference episode based on the 12th Developments in Economics Education (DEE) Conference, organised by the Economics Network, which took place at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh on the 4th and 5th of September 2023.

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) speaks to (in order of appearance): Dimitra Petropoulou (London School of Economics), Tisha Emerson (East Carolina University), Fabio Arico & Ritchie Woodard (University of East Anglia), John Sloman (University of Bristol & University of the West of England), Maria Psyllou (University of Birmingham), Jon Guest and Robert Riegler (Aston University).
 

Release date: October 2023

This is part 2 of a special conference episode based on the 12th Developments in Economics Education (DEE) Conference, organised by the Economics Network, which took place at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh on the 4th and 5th of September 2023.

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) speaks to (in order of appearance): Caroline Elliott (University of Warwick), Gail Hoyt (University of Kentucky), Parama Chaudhury (University College London), Steven Proud (University of Bristol), Matthew Olczak (Aston University), Chris M. Wilson (Loughborough University), Jana Sadeh (University of Southampton), Ashley Lait (University of Bristol).
 

Release date: October 2023

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Dr Annika Johnson, Dr Anastasia Papadopoulou and Dr Stefania Simion from the University of Bristol, who recently presented at one of the Birmingham Economic Education Seminars (BEES), to share insights from a workshop which they ran with an aim to introduce students to the basics of Python using an approach known as pair programming. They discuss potential applications of this approach in a classroom setting for courses on data analysis and beyond. 

Release date: January 2024

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Dr Panagiotis Giannarakis, Dr Emanuela Lotti and Dr Jana Sadeh from the University of Southampton, who recently presented at one of the Birmingham Economics Education Seminars (BEES), to share insights from their ongoing research into whether we can improve student grades and reduce submission times by 'nudging' their procrastination away. They reflect on some of the outcomes of an intervention which they introduced for a long-term assessment, which included a weekly task list and weekly reminders of these tasks. They also provide useful suggestions and important things to take into consideration for those looking to implement something similar. 

Release date: February 2024

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Dr Annika Johnson from the University of Bristol to discuss how the role of A-levels affects students' assessment expectations at university. Drawing on her experience of teaching A-Level economics, and her present role teaching economics at university, Annika provides valuable insights into how our students' approaches to assessment might be influenced by their educational experiences prior to university.

Release date: February 2024

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Dr Maria Psyllou from the University of Birmingham, who recently presented at one of the Birmingham Economics Education Seminars (BEES), to discuss an escape room style game that she introduced into an introductory mathematics course for undergraduate economics students. Maria shares valuable insights into her approach, and provides useful suggestions for implementation on economics courses and beyond.

Release date: March 2024

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Sam McLoughlin (Senior Campaign Manager at Discover Economics), Dr Tim Burnett (Senior Teaching Fellow at Aston University and Academic Champion for Discover Economics), and Amy East (Student at Aston University and Student Champion for Discover Economics), to share insights into their collaborative efforts with Discover Economics to increase the diversity in economics students. They discuss the importance of this initiative and suggest ways in which current economics undergraduate students, lecturers and school teachers can get involved.

Release date: March 2024

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) is in conversation with Aston students Sumedha Sharma (BSc Economics) and Luc Burns (BSc Economics and Management) who have recently completed their final year assessments. They share their experiences on making friends in the first year, navigating placement applications and managing their time during the final year. Whether you're a current student or an aspiring one, this episode is full of valuable insights and tips for making the most of your university experience. Lecturers can also gain perspectives on the lived experience of their students, offering insights into some of the challenges and triumphs faced during university.

Release date: June 2024

In this episode, Dr Karishma Patel (Aston University) is joined by Dr Alex Squires (The University of Manchester), who recently presented at one of the Birmingham Economics Education Seminars (BEES). Alex shares examples of his use of technology in the classroom, and reflects on his journey towards finding a more balanced approach to integrating technology in teaching to improve student engagement.
 

Release date: July 2024

In this episode, Dr. Karishma Patel (Aston University) is joined by Tony Morgan, an Associate Professor in Innovation Management Practice at Leeds University Business School. Tony is one of the founders of the University of Leeds' design thinking community. Design thinking is a problem-solving framework that focuses empathy and a user-centred approach to deeply understand issues and create effective solutions, and has being increasingly applied in Higher Education. Tony shares his experience of unknowingly using the design thinking methodology in the workplace and later applying its principles in higher education. He also shares some ideas for initial steps we can take if we are interested in using the design thinking framework ourselves.

Release date: September 2024

In this episode, Dr. Karishma Patel from Aston University welcomes three colleagues from Newcastle University Business School: Joanne Parker (Lecturer in Accounting), Dr. Ana Bogdanovic (Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Director of Education), and Dr. Yulia Dzenkovska (Lecturer in Marketing). Together, they share their experience of using the design thinking framework to enhance student engagement through extracurricular activities. They also provide lots of practical tips on how to use this framework for other projects.

Release date: October 2024

In this episode, Dr Karishma Patel from Aston University is joined by Dr Sofia Izquierdo Sanchez (University of Manchester) and Dr William Tayler (Lancaster University) to discuss their innovative use of Instagram in economics education. Together, they made the account dailylifeecon, where they create content designed to complement their teaching by connecting economic concepts to everyday life. They share insights from their research that finds a positive link between student engagement with the account and various student outcomes. They also share lots of practical advice and inspiration for educators interested in exploring similar initiatives.

Release date: December 2024

In this episode, Dr Karishma Patel from Aston University speaks with Dr Alexandra Arntsen (Nottingham Business School) about her innovative approach to embedding sustainability into the curriculum. Alex talks us through her use of a negotiation role-playing game that she has used to engage students from various disciplines in discussions around climate change. She shares her thoughts on the importance of embedding sustainability into our teaching, as well as insights into the how the game works, student reactions and practical ideas for bringing it into your own teaching.

Release date: February 2025

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Erkan Demirbas, Davina Bird, Jane Charlesworth, and Abdul Haque from the University of Lincoln to share insights into their project, which focuses on  to enhance teaching in economics, statistics,and finance. James Burlison, a student at the University of Lincoln, also joins the discussion to share his views on the innovation. They talk about how they came up with the ideas for the cartoons, how students were involved in the creative process, and how they have been using these cartoons in their teaching.

Release date: April 2025

In this first of a two-part special, Karishma Patel (Teaching Fellow in Economics, Aston University) reflects on the recent Aston University Learning and Teaching Festival, held on campus on 1st April 2025. The festival brought together staff and students to share ideas, explore innovative practice, and discuss some of the key challenges in higher education today.

In this episode, the focus is on the themes of Digital and AI in Learning and Teaching, and Assessment and Feedback.

We hear from keynote speakers Francis Goodburn (Founding Headteacher, Aston University Mathematics School) and Professor Naomi Winstone (Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Surrey). We also hear from two of Aston’s Associate Deans for Education and Student Experience, Paul Jones (College of Business and Social Sciences) and Saira Hussain (School of Optometry). Finally, we hear some reflections from Robbie Love (Senior Lecturer in Communication and Culture, Aston University).

The episode explores a range of insights from the evolving role of the lecturer in an AI-driven world to how we can enhance student engagement with feedback. Join Karishma as she reflects on all the great discussions that happened across the day.

Release date: May 2025

In this second part of a two-part special, Karishma Patel (Teaching Fellow in Economics, Aston University) reflects on the recent Aston University Learning and Teaching Festival, held on campus on 1st April 2025. The festival brought together staff and students to share ideas, explore innovative practice, and discuss some of the key challenges in higher education today.

In this episode, the focus is on the themes of Belonging and Community, and Student Partnership and Co-Creation.

We hear from those who chaired some of these sessions: Sunday Blake (Policy Manager, GuildHE), Gareth Woods (Associate Dean Education and Student Experience,College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University), and Stephen Rooney (Learning Development Adviser, Library and Learning Services, Aston University). We also hear from a brilliant group of Aston Students’ Unioncommittee members: Taher Gadiwala (Vice President Communities), Sayeed Farooq (Vice President Student Activities), Karina Jutlla (Vice President Welfare), Juan Carlos Garcia Belza (President), and Afia Amanoullah (Vice PresidentEducation).

This episode explores what meaningful student partnership can look like in practice, how small actions can make a big difference to students’ sense of belonging, and the importance of seeing the academic and wider student experiences as one.

Release date: May 2025