What Does Homer Simpson Know About Microeconomics? Teaching Principles by Incorporating Popular Media Into a Group Exercise

Abstract

In Daniel Hamermesh’s article, “Microeconomic Principles Teaching Tricks,” he notes that what appears to be largely lacking in the literature is plain advice about how to avoid having the (microeconomics) course becoming a burden to both students and the instructor (Hamermesh, 2002). In this paper, we discuss the use of a group exercise in introductory microeconomics in which the students use a clip from a popular movie or television show to demonstrate an economic concept. The activity is modeled for the students and, with guidance from the instructor or teaching assistant, the students use their creativity and critical thinking to find and explain clips of their own. This exercise has the added benefit of honing oral and written presentation skills as well as traditional economic analysis techniques. According to Hamermesh (2002), the burden of teaching while maintaining student interest is greater in economics than in other courses, perhaps due to the abstract nature of the material. This exercise helps to keep the focus on teaching ideas, not techniques.