IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/jtc/journl/v10y2025i2p119-138.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Learning Economics in the Massively Multiplayer Online World of RuneScape

Author

Listed:
  • Tyler Somerville

    (Robert Morris University)

  • Brian O'Roark

    (Robert Morris University)

Abstract

Economics instructors have used various media to illustrate economic topics for their students, but one media type has been underutilized: video games...

Suggested Citation

  • Tyler Somerville & Brian O'Roark, 2025. "Learning Economics in the Massively Multiplayer Online World of RuneScape," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 10(2), pages 119-138, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:jtc:journl:v:10:y:2025:i:2:p:119-138
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://downloads.journalofeconomicsteaching.org/2024/2024-15.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journalofeconomicsteaching.org/learning-economics-in-the-massively-multiplayer-online-world-of-runescape-somerville-oroark/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brander, James A & Taylor, M Scott, 1998. "The Simple Economics of Easter Island: A Ricardo-Malthus Model of Renewable Resource Use," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(1), pages 119-138, March.
    2. Robert Lawson & Joshua Hall & G. Dirk Mateer, 2008. "From Abba to Zeppelin, Led: Using Music to Teach Economics," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 107-107, January.
    3. William A. Hamlen Jr., 2000. "The Economics of Animal Farm," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 66(4), pages 942-956, April.
    4. Jadrian J. Wooten, 2018. "Economics media library," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(4), pages 364-365, October.
    5. Adalbert Mayer, 2015. "Connecting Supply and Demand-An Interactive Visualization," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(4), pages 442-442, October.
    6. Tim Rogmans, 2018. "Teaching Macroeconomics with the Econland Simulation Game and Learning Platform," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 2(2), pages 92-103, January.
    7. Roback, Jennifer, 1985. "The Economic Thought of George Orwell," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 127-132, May.
    8. Linda S. Ghent & Alan Grant & George Lesica, 2011. "The Economics of Seinfeld," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(3), pages 317-318, July.
    9. William A. Hamlen, 2000. "The Economics of Animal Farm," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 66(4), pages 942-956, April.
    10. repec:jpe:journl:1747 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Rockoff, Hugh, 1990. "The "Wizard of Oz" as a Monetary Allegory," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(4), pages 739-760, August.
    12. William A. Hamlen Jr., 2000. "The Economics of Animal Farm," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 66(4), pages 942-956, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Charity-Joy Acchiardo & Deirdre Calhoun & Megan Kirts & G. Dirk Mateer, 2021. "A Pixar Is Worth a Thousand Words," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 6(1), pages 1-23, May.
    2. Abdullah Al-Bahrani & David Mahon & G. Dirk Mateer & Patrick Ryan Murphy, 2018. "Pokemon GO: Applications for the Economics Classroom," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 3(2), pages 218-231, December.
    3. Brian O'Roark, 2017. "Super-Economics Man! Using Superheroes to Teach Economics," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 2(1), pages 51-67, June.
    4. Michael Jaeger & Jadrian Wooten, 2023. "The Most Magical Way to Teach: Disney Music In The Classroom," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 8(1), pages 12-23, January.
    5. Marie Briguglio & Charity-Joy Acchiardo & Dirk Mateer & Wayne Geerling, 2020. "Behavioral economics in film: Insights for educators," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 4(1), pages 17-28, December.
    6. Amel Ben Abdesslem & Julien Picault, 2023. "Bounty Hunters Can Teach Microeconomics: Illustrations from Netflix's Cowboy Bebop," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 49(3), pages 349-367, June.
    7. Cecil E. Bohanon & Michelle Albert Vachris, 2011. "Economics and Literature: The Gains from Trade," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 21, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Ben Abdesslem, Amel & Picault, Julien, 2023. "Using Netflix Original Series to teach economics: A diversity and inclusion approach," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    9. Amel Ben Abdesslem, 2022. "Teaching Macroeconomics Through Music," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 7(3), pages 200-216, October.
    10. Rousu, Matthew C. & Melichar, Mark & Hackenberry, Bailey, 2021. "Using Music to Teach Agricultural, Applied, and Environmental Economics," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 3(4), November.
    11. Steve Muchiri & Mihai Paraschiv & Jadrian Wooten, 2022. "Teaching Economics with Breaking Bad," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 7(1), pages 74-91, January.
    12. James A. Brander, 2007. "Viewpoint: Sustainability: Malthus revisited?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(1), pages 1-38, February.
    13. Brian C. O'Neill & Deborah Balk & Melanie Brickman & Markos Ezra, 2001. "A Guide to Global Population Projections," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 4(8), pages 203-288.
    14. repec:tiu:tiutis:fe79a9d2-e9e3-4dbc-9539-cdece886993d is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Nils‐Petter Lagerlöf & Thomas Tangerås, 2008. "From rent seeking to human capital: a model where resource shocks cause transitions from stagnation to growth," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(3), pages 760-780, August.
    16. Partha Dasgupta & Tapan Mitra & Gerhard Sorger, 2019. "Harvesting the Commons," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(3), pages 613-636, March.
    17. Pedro, de Mendonça, 2009. "Self-Enforcing Climate Change Treaties: A Generalized Differential Game Approach with Applications," MPRA Paper 17889, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Nils-Petter Lagerlof, 2002. "The Roads To and From Serfdom," Macroeconomics 0212011, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Xu, Si & He, Xiaoyi & Xiong, Feng & Chen, Peiyao, 2024. "CEOs’ early-life famine experience and corporate donations: Evidence from the great Chinese famine," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    20. Xiaojie Chen & Attila Szolnoki, 2018. "Punishment and inspection for governing the commons in a feedback-evolving game," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(7), pages 1-15, July.
    21. Schiff, Maurice, 2021. "Low, High and Super Congestion of a Renewable Natural Resource under Autarky and Trade," IZA Discussion Papers 14279, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • A21 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Pre-college
    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:jtc:journl:v:10:y:2025:i:2:p:119-138. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ben Smith (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journalofeconomicsteaching.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.