Teaching randomized strategies with classroom experiments: An application from sports econ

Teaching with experiments can be an exciting way to bring economic theory to life and presents a unique way to engage students in their course work. Experiments can be used successfully in small and large classrooms alike and in both principles and upper level courses. Designing an experiment that is easy to employ, instructive for students, and engaging can be a daunting but rewarding process.

Experiments are particularly effective when presenting concepts that span across two or more fields of economic study—one field where this crossover is especially prominent is Game Theory. Students tend to find the subject matter fun and exciting but the course is not commonly offered at an undergraduate level. As a result many incorporate its subject matter into other upper level courses as much as possible. Sports Economics is a course where Game Theory topics appear regularly but students are often resistant to a theoretical analysis of the “game”. In instances like these, classroom experiments can be used as a way to present the complex material to students in a more accessible manner.

In this experiment, students take part in a simultaneous move, zero-sum game—the act of taking a penalty kick in the game of soccer. Each student in the class plays the game for several consecutive periods taking a turn as a “player” and as a “scout” (i.e., an outside observer). The goal of each player is to accumulate as many points for their team as possible while the scout watches trying to identify any strategy trends or patterns that may aid them (and their team) in future interactions. From their experiences students gain an understanding of the complex nature of simultaneous move games and the importance of randomized strategies.