Micro Econ Videos - Is this really the best?

[Caraway]

My student is taking a Micro Econ class that uses videos from Hillsdale College.  I understand that Economics can be political - but do these videos really represent the BEST exposure to these ideas?  I do not usually react to religious materials, but I find these videos so offensive.  I guess I could overlook it if its truly the only/best way to teach the material, but I don't have enough exposure to the topic to understand.  Seems like Khan/ACDC covers the same material without the Bible verses and anti-government rants.  What am I missing here?

 

Edited to clarify:  Student is taking an online course and these videos have been assigned along with other resources.

Edited February 28, 2020 by Caraway

[TarynB]

I agree with you. There's also the econ course from The Great Courses, but it is a bit dated and doesn't include discussion of major economic events in the last decade-plus. FWIW, my son is using ACDC (secular) videos and a (secular, well-regarded) textbook, and his course is going well.

Edited February 28, 2020 by TarynB

[Lori D.]

Every course provider comes with a specific "slant" or perspective or worldview. Hillsdale College has a very conservative Christian "slant" or worldview. As the homeschool parent, you get to decide what type of "slant" or perspective or worldview best helps your family to learn. You also get to decide to change materials / curricula / courses if they are not working academically for you or the student, or if the material is bringing in too much "off topic" material, or spending too much time on emotional or extreme presentations and is not balanced in presentation. 😉

If Khan, or another video series, is presenting the material in a way that fits better for your family, switch! -- No guilt, no need to look back. 😄

ETA -- my personal opinion 😉 
I always looked first and foremost for quality of academics of the materials, and also how close of a learning style/teaching style match the material was for us. Teaching materials with extreme perspectives or with strong opinions/appeals to emotion did not work for us. I do think that looking at examples of extreme perspectives can be useful when studying Logic and fallacies, or in understanding events in History, Politics, etc.

Speaking as a Christian, I also think that, sadly, the Christian community has fallen into the same trap that our country as a whole has fallen into -- rather than civil debate with opinions backed by facts and evidence and a willingness to actually listen to and try to understand opposing opinions, people seem to feel desperate, and as though they need to "win" converts to their opinion by outshouting and using emotional tactics and fallacies. 😪

Edited February 28, 2020 by Lori D.

[8filltheheart]

I know nothing about Hillsdale, but my kids use Thinkwell's courses for econ (macro and micro).

[Caraway]

37 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

Every course provider comes with a specific "slant" or perspective or worldview. Hillsdale College has a very conservative Christian "slant" or worldview. As the homeschool parent, you get to decide what type of "slant" or perspective or worldview best helps your family to learn. You also get to decide to change materials / curricula / courses if they are not working academically for you or the student, or if the material is bringing in too much "off topic" material, or spending too much time on emotional or extreme presentations and is not balanced in presentation. 😉

If Khan, or another video series, is presenting the material in a way that fits better for your family, switch! -- No guilt, no need to look back. 😄

ETA -- my personal opinion 😉 
I always looked first and foremost for quality of academics of the materials, and also how close of a learning style/teaching style match the material was for us. Teaching materials with extreme perspectives or with strong opinions/appeals to emotion did not work for us. I do think that looking at examples of extreme perspectives can be useful when studying Logic and fallacies, or in understanding events in History, Politics, etc.

Speaking as a Christian, I also think that, sadly, the Christian community has fallen into the same trap that our country as a whole has fallen into -- rather than civil debate with opinions backed by facts and evidence and a willingness to actually listen to and try to understand opposing opinions, people seem to feel desperate, and as though they need to "win" converts to their opinion by outshouting and using emotional tactics and fallacies. 😪

 

If I were doing the course independently I would look for another resource.  I guess I'm surprised that these materials are presented as the same as other materials used in the course - as though they are neutral.  I think that is my issue, because we often use non-secular materials, but I know that going in.  This course is more like secular resource, secular resource, Bible verse, secular resource.  It seems like there should have been mention of this before, or clear labeling or something.  Maybe there was and I missed it.

I agree that we could all do with more civil debate in all categories. 

[cintinative]

FYI. I have the same issue with Notgrass' Economics text. (And their government text, but I guess that's another thread.) I am teaching an Econ class and this is the text they chose.  I would certainly not have picked it myself.  The random picking of Bible verses at the end of the chapters with sketchy or nonexistent relation to the chapter is truly irritating. I love God's Word, and to see it so misappropriated by Christians is annoying. The Bible is not simply a lexicon of quotes to match up with your issue du jour. Stepping off the soap box . . .

I have no idea what we will use when we get there. I do  like the ACDC videos you mentioned (I am using them to supplement my class) and the Glencoe: Economics Today and Tomorrow is pretty readable (but very old). I am also using that to supplement Notgrass for my class.  We have three or four years before my kids take this so I have no idea where we will land.

Edited February 28, 2020 by cintinative

[RootAnn]

I think there have been one or two teachers at PAHS who have picked Hillsdale videos to use in their courses in the past. I do not know if those teachers are still there or if the courses still use them. Obviously, to the teacher, they are the best resource to use to get across the teacher's beliefs, opinions, and perspective on whatever topic is being covered. 

Are they the best resource overall? I don't think so, but I admit to yawning through the Hillsdale videos I tried to watch several years ago.

What can you do now? Not much, probably. Complain? Include your opinion in a review of the online class provider here and/or their site after the class is over. Attempt to use other sources for the same information? (This one is tricky & could go badly.)

[Lori D.]

38 minutes ago, Caraway said:

Edited to clarify:  Student is taking an online course and these videos have been assigned along with other resources.

Ouch.
Can you contact the teacher and request a workaround?
Perhaps ask to move the course to "audit" status, and you skip the Hillsdale videos and instead do the Khan/ACDC videos at home?

Otherwise, unless you're willing to drop the class and finish at home, I think you're probably stuck, and RootAnn's ideas about complaining and leaving feedback would be about it. 😞