Abstract
Using GIS to Teach Economics: Increasing Returns to Scale
Track: Business GIS
Author(s): Jill Harris
This research in progress contributes to the emerging scholarship in the area of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and higher education. Specifically, the paper summarizes anecdotal evidence from two graduate MBA courses in managerial economics which were enhanced by access to Business Analyst Online (BAO), a GIS software product developed by Esri.
Student performance on a location decision case study in the GIS-enhanced course demonstrates increasing returns to scale in the production of economics education with the addition of GIS and spatial analytics. This anecdotal evidence suggests two specific directions for continued research: a controlled pedagogy experiment track and an empirical production model track. As institutions of higher education face revenue shortfalls and budget constraints, the necessity of investing in resources with increasing returns to scale is critical. Thus, the current research helps identify efficient and cost-effective inputs for the production of higher learning.
Jill Harris
University of Redlands
PO Box 3080
Redlands , California 92373
United States
Phone: 909-793-2121
E-mail: jill_harris@redlands.edu