Do Business Students Benefit From Playing Economics Classroom Games?

1
Do Business Students Benefit From Playing
Economics Classroom Games?

• Economics Network Mini Project
• Mike Walsh
• Coventry University
• Ref DEE conf 09 TCs and games business v4

2
(1) Introduction

• Students state a preference for active learning
• Classroom games and experiments help
• Promote active learning
• Introduce / embed economic concepts
• Address differing learning styles
• Business students find economics relatively
  difficult

3

• Project assessed if games improved the learning
  experience, and if students acquired selected
  threshold concepts
• Consider year 1 Business students on a compulsory
  economics module
• No economics beyond year1
• Promote understanding and working knowledge
  (Salami 2005)
• YOU WILL PLAY THE PRODUCTION GAME

4
(2) Method

• Two workshop groups 1 control group
• Lectures
• Introduce a concept
• Run games
• Give limited feedback in lecture
• Follow up exercises with two research groups

5

• Evaluation
• Short answer questions in summative assessment
  (EXAM)
• Student questionnaires to evaluate student
  satisfaction with the learning process

6
(3) Games

• Game Production game
• Simplified Tennis Ball Game
• Threshold concepts considered Marginality and
  economic modelling.
• Resources developed
• Worksheet focusing on cost rather than production
  theory, particularly understanding of AC MC
• Problematic in the past
• Linking results to perfect competition exit of
  BA from regional air routes
• http//www.economicsnetwork

7
Number of workers (L) Output(Q) (bricks) Total Fixed Cost Total Variable Cost Total Cost Marginal Cost (?TC/?Q) Average Variable Cost Average Fixed Cost Average Cost
0

1
 
2
 
3

4
 
5
 
6

7
8

• Game Deal or no deal.
• Threshold concept considered Opportunity cost
• Deal or No deal
• Game International Trade Game
• Threshold concepts considered Elasticity,
  opportunity cost, partial equilibrium
• http//www.economicsnetwork
• Game Exchange Rates
• Threshold concepts considered Partial
  equilibrium and economic modelling

9
(4) Results
10
(a) Economics Network Questionnaire April-May
2008

• Student satisfaction with games high

11
I found the economics classroom games useful
4 or 5 on the Likert scale - strongly / very
strongly agreeing with the statement N 51
12
The classroom games helped link economics to
business issues
13
Which game was most useful (score of 4 or 5)?

• Production Game 80
• International Trade Game 74
• Exchange Rate Game 65
• Deal or No Deal 44

14
(b) Coventry University Module Questionnaire May
2008)

• Selected student answers to the question What
  were three good things about the module?
• Games explain the real world
• The use of games and case studies to emphasis
  points
• Action learning is also included within lectures
  (games, videos etc)
• Students are able to get more involved in
  lectures. The lectures keep my attention

15
(c) Summative Assessment

• May 2008 Exam
• Students had to identify and explain threshold
  concepts that were relevant to business
  situations

16
Threshold concept Study group marks (n54) Control group marks (n24)
Opportunity cost marginal question 24 26
Economic modelling question 58 38
Overall exam mark 48 45
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(5) Conclusions

• Games made economics more interesting
• Need follow up activities
• No clear evidence from exam questions regarding
  acquisition of threshold concepts
• Games take up valuable time, but benefits can
  outweigh the costs

18
Bibliography

• Emerson T and Taylor B, Comparing Student
  Achievement Across Experimental and
  Lecture-Orientated Sections of a Principles of
  Microeconomics Course, Sothern Economic Journal,
  70 (3)
• Hedges M, (2004), Case study Tennis Balls in
  Economics, Economics Network
• Holt C, (1999), Teaching Economics With
  Classroom Experiments, Southern Economic
  Journal, 65 (3)
• Meyer J and Land R, (2002), Threshold Concepts
  and Troublesome Knowledge (1) linkages to ways
  of thinking and practicing within the
  disciplines, ISL 2002 Conceptual Paper
• Salami M, (2005) Teaching Economic Literacy
  Why, What and How', International Review of
  Economics Education, vol 4, issue 2