Kessler plays games to help make econ lessons more relatable, bearable

Considering teaching the discipline became his specialty, it’s fascinating that John Kessler never took an economics class in high school or as an undergrad in college. In fact, he only taught his first economics class because the high school principal determining his employment gave him no choice.

But then Kessler got hooked, studied further in grad school, and is now a senior lecturer and director of the Center for Economic Education at Purdue University Fort Wayne. He uses unconventional methods to encourage students to participate and interact. As a result, they regularly end up teaching themselves, which goes a long way in helping with comprehension.

“People come to econ because they are often scared,” Kessler said. “I either have students who take it right away when they are starting because they had a really good high school experience, or they wait until senior year because they had a really bad high school experience, and they are dreading taking this class.

“I try to tell them it’s not about math and numbers, and all this stuff you think it is. Math is a tool we use to do economics, but it’s not economics.”

During the second week of each semester, Kessler’s microeconomics classes include a game in which each student receives a small paper bag with a gift. The bags contain items Kessler bought for $1.25 each at a discount store, so he spends about $85 for two classes.

The items include cough drops, stuffed animals, gum, dice, candy, toy cars, flower seeds, word game books, bar soap—whatever Kessler thinks will be unique or interesting. He recently added duct tape, a mini stapler, cleaning wipes, and a dog leash to fill his cart.

After Kessler tells the students they get to keep what’s in the bag, the looks on their faces range from puzzled, to happy, and sometimes disappointed after seeing what they’ve received. After all, who doesn’t want a dog leash or a long-armed red stuffed monkey?

“It’s related to everyday things we do, so every item had some value to it,” said Reece Trill, a sophomore majoring in business management, who received a small stuffed dog. “Especially after the first round when I got to see what everyone else got, that kind of increased the value for me.”

Kessler asks the students to rank their satisfaction with each product. Then he splits the class into teams of two or three students, followed by fours and fives, and then half before bringing everyone back together as one. During each exercise, students trade items with satisfaction ratings tabulated after each round.

During a class earlier this semester, there were only a handful of trades among the 27 students, but the satisfaction ratings increased from 130 after the first round to 151 after the final.

“I learned that some people can get what they want right off the bat, and others have to trade for what they want, or what they think is better than what they got,” said freshman Elijah Marlow, a physics major who kept his Sudoku book. “I think it’s a lot better than if he took them all back or did something theoretical, because it was more hands-on.”

And each student was directly involved in an activity that showed them how voluntary trade creates wealth.

“I want them to live it out,” Kessler said. “If you can get something that gets them engaged and talking, that’s a lot more interesting. It’s more fun making it interactive than just force-feeding them.”

Kessler may mix in six to eight simulations during a semester, including a demand game where students are split into buyers and sellers to negotiate prices. There’s another involving a tennis ball that instructs about cost curves.

The trade game worked because everyone left with a smile, a small gift, and a stronger memory of the lesson. Kessler said he’ll refer to that particular point several times during the semester.

“It’s fun to see when that light turns on because I was once that guy,” Kessler said. “I had no interest in economics or any idea what it was, but it was only when I was forced to teach it that I even realized I liked it.”