CLASSROOM EXPERIMENTS: NOT JUST FUN AND GAMES |
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| Authors: | YVONNE DURHAM THOMAS MCKINNON CRAIG SCHULMAN |
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| Institution: | Durham:;Associate Professor, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225. Phone 1-360-650-2794, Fax 1-360-650-6315, E-mail McKinnon:;University Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701. Phone 1-479-575-3266, Fax 1-479-575-3241, E-mail Schulman:;Visiting Associate Professor, Texas A&M University and Principal, LECG, LLC, College Station, TX 77845. Phone 1-979-694-5790, Fax 1-979-694-5790, E-mail |
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| Abstract: | The impact of classroom experiments on student performance, attitudes towards economics, and retention is examined. Experiments increase cognitive gains overall but may be more helpful in teaching some topics than others. The size of the impact varies with preferred learning style. Multimodal and kinesthetic learners are significantly affected, while read–write learners fare just as well with the traditional lecture/discussion format. Attitudes towards economics and retention of economic knowledge are also improved by classroom experiments. The results indicate that the costs of implementing experiments in the classroom may very well be offset by the benefits to students. ( JEL A22, C90) |
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