This presentation is part of: A20-2 Active Learning Strategies in Economics

Play that Funky Music, Econ Prof.!

Carlos Liard-Muriente, Ph.D., Department of Economics, Central Connecticut State University, Robert Vance Academic Center, Suite 208-05, 1615 Stanley St., New Britain, CT 06050

As Goffe and Sosin (2005) explain, college courses have experience a dramatic transformation with the integration of technology.  In economics, as Becker (2003, 2004) and Becker and Watts (1998, 2001, 2006), this transformation has been rather slow. Furthermore, as Hoyt (2003) argues, there is a clear need to make economics more fulfilling.  Different approaches have been put to the test: new software promoted by publishers, APLIA, and PowerPoint are some examples.  However, as Daniels, Kane, Rosario, Creahan, Liard-Muriente, and Mallia (2008) argue, in the case of PowerPoint, this technology does not have a significant impact on student performance. A new approach that seems to be getting more attention is the integration of music to the college economic curriculum.  For example, Tinari and Khandke (2000), Hall, Lawson, and Mateer (2006), and Mateer (2004, 2006) explain the use of popular songs to teach economics.  As a part of a learning outcomes experiment, and as a course requirement, students apply their economic knowledge by selecting songs and animations, while finding economic content in the lyrics they select.  This paper reports the experience of one such experiment in the setting of an intro to economics course.