Simple games for teaching economics online

Student motivation and engagement have become a more pressing issue for all university teachers, including economics professors, as a result of the move to online classes necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The online learning environment requires a high level of student self-discipline, and it seems that some students have responded to this environment with a more relaxed attitude that has undermined their engagement with the learning process. This can be observed in the widely reported reluctance of students to turn on cameras in online classes and in a lack of preparation for, or engagement with, class discussion or participation in online Q&A sessions. More online classes are likely to be offered by many universities even after the resumption of “normal†teaching, so these issues are likely to be ongoing. Economic games, however, may be a way of more fully engaging students in the online context and in productive pedagogical ways. This paper provides an entry point for teachers wishing to trial some simple game-based strategies for enhancing student engagement in their online teaching. Four simple games are presented that can be used in online teaching, targeting different topics. The games are explained, associated pedagogical approaches are recommended, and some preliminary feedback from students indicating the effectiveness of these games is presented.