Joseph Calhoun
Assistant Director, Stavros Center for Economic Education
250 South Woodward Avenue
Tallahassee, FL 32306
jcalhoun@fsu.edu
Phone: 850/644-7723
Fax: 850/644-9866
Background Information
Joseph P. Calhoun is a Lecturer in the Department of Economics and the Assistant Director of the Stavros Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Economic Education at Florida State University. He currently teaches large principles of economics classes with annual enrollment of nearly 3,000 students. To enhance student learning and manage multiple large sections, he is a heavy user of technology both in and outside the classroom. He utilizes Interwrite's PRS (Personal Response System) or "clickers" to ask students a variety of question through the class period. Students respond individually then everyone sees a results graph which is a histogram of the responses for the entire class. In addition, he uses Interwrite's SchoolPad which is a wireless device which lets him control the computer and write on top of PowerPoint slides to create graphs and examples. He records every class period by using Camtasia, a screen and audio-capture program. The recordings are then converted into Podcasts for students to view after class. All class related material is managed on Blackboard, a content management program adopted by FSU.
He is also well known around campus for showing video clips to illustrate concepts and inject humorous breaks. In addition to leading workshops for the Stavros Center, he has presented teaching ideas and technology at several national conferences. He is also responsible for training and mentoring new graduate student teaching assistants for their initial teaching responsibilities at FSU.
A graduate of Illinois State University with a BS in finance and economics and of DePaul University with an MBA, he began his career in the health care industry before leaving to become an economist. His Ph.D. is from the University of Georgia.
Dr. Calhoun has received numerous teaching awards including the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award at the University of Georgia, the Undergraduate Teaching Award at FSU, and three times received the Service Excellence Award for Teaching from Phi Eta Sigma at FSU. He also won first place in the Economics Communicators Contest in 2008 which was cosponsored by the Association of Private Enterprise Education and Market Based Management Institute. He currently resides in Tallahassee, FL with his wife and four daughters.