Track 4: Using Multimedia and Technology to Improve Teaching

Premiere: Thursday 23 June 2022, 3pm BST//10am EDT

Using Squid Game to Teach Game Theory

Wayne Geerling, Monash University

Premieres, 3pm BST//10am EDT

Abstract

Economic educators have been teaching with pop culture for decades, but the idea of using foreign-language teaching resources to create a more inclusive and diverse classroom has only recently been taken up. This presentation builds on the work of Wooten et al. (2021), who have shown how K-pop can be integrated into an English-language classroom. We use Netflix’s dystopian Korean-language drama series Squid Game to illustrate an active-learning technique to support the teaching of game theory in undergraduate courses. The series is chosen because it demonstrates different games with which the characters have to engage as part of the narrative. Geerling et al. (2020) show that using popular films in class is an effective way to introduce and motivate the deeper learning of core game theory concepts. We build on this work by providing instructors with a menu of quick teaching scenes and extended teaching guides, from which they can freely select and adapt to their particular needs.

REFERENCES
Geerling, W., Nagy, K., Rhee, E., Thomas, N. & Wooten, J.J (2022). “Using Squid Game to Teach Game Theory”, SSRN Working Paper: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3990316

Geerling, W., Mateer, G.D. & Addler, M. (2020), “Crazy Rich Game Theory”, International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 11 (4): 326-342.

Wooten, J. J., Geerling, W., & Calma, A. (2021). “Diversifying the Use of Pop Culture in the Classroom: Using K-pop to Teach Principles of Economics”, International Review of Economics Education, 38: 100220.

Combining Media and Team-Based Learning Application Exercises to Engage Students

Jimena González-Ramírez, Manhattan College

Premieres, 3.20pm BST//10.20am EDT

Abstract

This video shows ways in which media (podcasts and videos) and Team-Based Learning (TBL) application exercises can be combined to engage students and provide real-world applications in both principles of microeconomics and environmental economics courses. TBL is a student-centered teaching strategy that harnesses the power of peer learning through permanent teams (Michaelsen & Sweet, 2004). Within TBL, 4-S application exercises are used to attain an in-depth understanding of course materials. Teams work on the same and significant problem, faced specific choices, and report their choice simultaneous (Thus, the 4-S). These problems typically include multiple defensive answers that are assessed based on the argumentation and on how students use economics to defend the choice. These exercises result in diverse choices that spark great discussions as teams or students defend their choices. While these application exercises are typically used in a TBL context, they can be employed within other teaching styles and can be completed individually. In this video, I show how these TBL exercises can be designed around media such as podcasts (e.g. NPR Planet Money and the Indicator), and videos (e.g. TED Talks) in both principles of microeconomics and environmental economics to demonstrate the applicability of economics and its connections to relevant current events and students’ lives. The video includes specific examples. My usage of podcasts and videos fits within Wooten et al.’s (2020) recommendation to make economics more relevant. I offer evidence that these media have been well-received by students from end-of-the-semester official and anonymous course evaluations. Lastly, I close the video with a few resources:

How to Teach Economics Without a Whiteboard Using OneNote Software (Both in Class and Virtually) 

Anna Yartseva, Birmingham City University 

Premieres, 3.40pm BST//10.40am EDT

Abstract

COVID lockdowns dramatically affected the way we teach our students. As most of teaching moved online, lecturers lost access to many resources and facilities they were using on-campus to deliver their classes, including whiteboards. Teaching Economics with no access to a whiteboard is problematic since economic theory uses graphical models extensively. Delivering Economics subjects at introductory levels usually involves drawing a lot of graphs. More advanced Economics modules frequently require writing equations and algebraic expressions, which also makes a whiteboard a necessity in a classroom. For lectures both graphs and equations can be pre-drawn in powerpoint and shown as a presentation in class (although this can be very time consuming). For seminars it is virtually impossible as graphs are used to explain the material which students struggle with, or to answer a question, or to provide deeper insights to the concept being discussed. This teaching material cannot be prepared in advance as the need for a specific graph occurs in real time during a seminar. That is why a whiteboard is a must for teaching Economics but unavailable when delivering classes online in Teams or Zoom.

Some easily available software – MS OneNote (which comes as a part of the MS Office package) – can provide a convenient solution. This application not only provides a replacement for a whiteboard but actually expands lecturer’s capabilities beyond what is possible with a standard whiteboard. In this video I demonstrate how OneNote can be used to facilitate teaching of Economics subjects both online and in a classroom, show some of its functionality and explain how it can improve students’ learning experience.

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