OER COURSE UPDATES

New & Improved Lumen Macroeconomics & Microeconomics

Lumen is completing extensive updates to our Macroeconomics and Microeconomics course materials, designed using open educational resources (OER). The new versions include significantly more interactive content to engage students, as well as data-driven improvements to strengthen learning in key areas where many students struggle. (See much more detail below!)

View Content: New & Improved Macroeconomics

Coming Soon: New & Improved Microeconomics

We strongly recommend adopting the new-and-improved course materials as soon as possible. Your students will thank you!

What’s New?

We’ve worked with a team of learning scientists, subject matter experts, and instructional designers to identify overall course improvements needed, as well as specific learning outcomes where students tend to struggle. Content updates include:

  1. Improved course organization
  2. “Try it” embedded practice questions for every learning outcome
  3. “Learn by Doing” activities that invite students to play with simulations, manipulate variables, and/or practice solving quantitative problems
  4. “Watch it” embedded videos to reinforce key concepts
  5. Interactive graphs that provide a step-by-step walkthrough of complicated graphs to help students better visualize and understand economic concepts
  6. Discussions, assignments, and problem sets for every module

Video: Enhancing OER to Improve Learning

Spend 2-minutes with Lumen co-founder David Wiley to see how we’re using learning data to enhance original OER content from OpenStax economics textbooks. These targeted improvements make content more engaging and strengthen learning in key areas where students struggle. 

Recorded Webinar: Economics Course Updates

View the recorded Economics Course Update webinar with Lumen Learning’s Wendy King (social sciences course product manager) and Ross Strader (director of learning engineering. Also presenting are Steve Greenlaw (professor, University of Mary Washington) and Melissa Walker (professor, Tennessee Board of Regents), two subject matter experts who collaborated on the latest course improvements.

Webinar date: Thursday, 5/24, 3-4 pm ET/12-1 pm PT

Course Availability

Updated course materials will be available:

If you’re already teaching a Lumen economics course, we’ll automatically send the updated course materials to you and/or a designated faculty lead for your institution, bundled in a new cartridge (course pack). You can import the new cartridge into your learning management system (LMS) and complete your usual process for setting up your course and aligning content, assignments and assessments with your syllabus.

Waymaker vs. Candela: Which is best for me?

Lumen’s new Macroeconomics and Microeconomics courses are available in both Waymaker (personalized learning + OER) and Candela (standard eBook) formats. Use the comparison information below to understand how they’re different and which may be a better fit for you and your students. You can also request a demo.

Waymaker

Personalized learning tools & analytics wrapped around OER content

  • Complete OER content

  • Outcome alignment

  • Built-in, customizable quizzes (plus test banks if desired)

  • Customizable assignments

  • Personalized study plan for each student
  • Analytics to easily identify and help struggling students
  • Time-saving messaging tools to engage and encourage students

  • Research evidence Waymaker erases performance gaps for Pell-eligible students

  • Standard per student pricing: $25

Candela

Standard, simple eBook format

  • Complete OER content

  • Outcome alignment

  • Test banks for DIY quizzes

  • Customizable assignments

  • Standard per student pricing: $10