Heterodoxy in the classroom: the case of community economic development

Abstract

Purpose

The article seeks to identify and examine HPE concepts and ideas that help teach community economic development to college students.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper's discussion is situated within a descriptive account of the learning context, content and structure of a course on community economic development. Selected course readings are analyzed to identify heterodox concepts and to illustrate how they assist in helping students think critically about community economic development.

Findings

The course readings prove fruitful ground for the identification and examination of a range of heterodox concepts and ideas used to help students to think critically about community economic development issues.

Research limitations/implications

Although successful in examining the contributing roles of heterodoxy in teaching community economic development, the study relied on only one course syllabus.

Practical implications

The article offers a practical way to gauge the use of heterodoxy in the classroom. It provides a case study example of how courses could be adopted to teach heterodox economic concepts and ideas.

Originality/value

The article presents a case study of the use of heterodoxy to help students think creatively and critically, and as such, provides an exemplar for other professors to adopt a similar approach.

Citation

Rosenbaum, R.P. (2012), "Heterodoxy in the classroom: the case of community economic development", On the Horizon, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 218-229. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748121211256810