Revival of essay writing in economics

Over the years, we have seen an increase in class size at all levels of leaning and across all curricula. As one might expect, the impact of this growth on student performance is constantly questioned. One of the consequences of large classes is the pending extinction of the essay test and dwindling research paper assignments. Scholars in any discipline typically understand that writing brings extraordinary focus to one's thinking. Our students are losing that experience as large classes make essay grading increasingly onerous. In this paper, based on my experience teaching principles of economics, it is suggested that with the help of technology, writing can make a comeback in large class settings.