Summer Research Scholarship

Project duration, hours of engagement & delivery mode

8 January - 16 February 2024;

20-36 hours per week;

On campus (preferred) and remotely

Number of students:

1

Primary Supervisor and further information:

Please contact Dr Mohamad Khaled

This research project investigates students' engagement (behavioural, affective, and cognitive) as they experience the three-colour innovation model in ECON3210 (Financial Markets and Institutions), an advanced undergraduate-level course. The innovation model is implemented during the course tutorials and is designed to foster peer learning in homogenous groups, customised to each student's level of confidence and preparedness. The model is based on the principles of homogenous groups, shown to promote confidence and self-esteem, encourage critical inquiry, and facilitate a deeper understanding of concepts (Briggs, 2020; Boud et al., 2001). Despite the suggested benefits of peer learning in homogenous groups, little yet is known on the impacts this group arrangement has on students’ engagement, particularly, when comparing online and in-person instructional settings. 

The first stage of this project (Jun 2022 to July 2023) sought to investigate how the three-colour tutorials’ innovation affected students’ engagement in online and face-to-face teaching modes, comparing the differences, affordances and challenges of each one. Results from class observations, weekly engagement quizzes and focus groups with students showed the need for modifications in the colour model and tutorial structure (e.g., more scaffolding, the inclusion of ice breaking activities, etc) to meet students' needs and enhance their learning outcomes. In the second stage (Aug 2023 to March 2024), alternatives for students to collaborate in both teaching modes, and for tutors to facilitate the activities will be trialled in the tutorials. The aim is to examine the impacts of such changes on student engagement by comparing the data collected in stage 1 to the data collected in stage 2. 

This research project is expected to provide avenues for the improvement of student engagement, which will benefit not only ECON3210 students but also any other stakeholders interested in implementing/trialling the model in their own teaching context.

Project duration, hours of engagement & delivery mode

8 January - 16 February 2024;

25-30 hours per week;

Both on campus and remotely

Number of students:

1

Primary Supervisor and further information:

Every year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), a federal agency in the United States, sells many banks declared in bankruptcy (i.e., failed banks) using complex auctions. The number of failed banks has increased substantially since the 2008 financial crisis, as financial institutions have increasingly failed to honour their obligations with debtors. A recent notable example was the bankruptcy declaration of the Silicon Valley Bank, a large bank based in California. The failure of a bank has implications for individual investors, who are normally the less able to recover their investment. For that reason, the resolution of failed banks has been under the public scrutiny, since a more efficient liquidation of a bank will reduce the cost of the FDIC to repay affected investors, increasing the overall efficiency of the banking system.

In this project, we aim to empirically analyse the FDIC failed bank auctions by creating, identifying, and estimating a structural econometric model, using the public data available in the FDIC website. We aim to recover deep parameters of bidding firms (e.g., valuation distributions and risk-aversion coefficients) to conduct counterfactual mechanisms. Specifically, we are interested in testing other auction formats, the impact of information disclosure, and the provision of insurance to bidders, among many others. 

Project duration, hours of engagement & delivery mode

8 January - 16 February 2024;

20-36 hours per week;

On campus (preferred) and remotely

Number of students:

1

Primary Supervisor and further information:

Project duration, hours of engagement & delivery mode

8 January - 16 February 2024;

20-36 hours per week;

On campus (preferred) and remotely

Number of students:

1

Primary Supervisor and further information:

Project duration, hours of engagement & delivery mode

8 January – 16 February 2024;

20 hours per week;

The project can be completed under a remote working arrangement

Number of students:

1

Primary Supervisor and further information:

Project duration, hours of engagement & delivery mode

8 January – 16 February 2024;

20 hours per week

Number of students:

1

Primary Supervisor and further information:

 Please contact Dr Zachary Breig