Incorporating Field Trips Into The Teaching Of Business And Economics: Method And Evaluation

Abstract

Although field trips have been recognized as effective for bridging the gap between theory and practice, instructors rarely step out of the classroom with their students. One reason is that it is unclear how those trips can be efficiently incorporated into the traditional classroom. In this paper, we discuss the motivation, organization and outcomes of field trips in our Managerial Economics and International Business classes.  We use cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the pedagogical value of field trips, and suggest that many of the benefits are non-pecuniary. Although the benefits are subjective and difficult to quantify, pre-and-post tests administered to students suggest that field trips improve their knowledge, as well as enable them to apply classroom learning to practical problems. The paper identifies factors that should be considered when planning and organizing field trips in economics and business.