‘The Game of Life’: Using a Student Developed Course Project to Create a Learning Community in the Classroom

KimMarie McGoldrick

The American Economist, 2003, vol. 47, issue 2, 52-68

Abstract: In the fall of 2000, students in a Women and Gender Issues in Economics course were asked to develop a program that would enlighten college residents regarding women in business and the glass ceiling. At the start of the semester, students were simply told that it would be their responsibility to develop, plan, and present this hour and a half program. The instructor's role was that of facilitator, providing feedback, generating summaries of work completed, identifying issues yet to be tackled, and keeping the class on task. Students decided to create an interactive game based on The Game of Life that would follow the life and career decisions of three women with decidedly different educational backgrounds. Through a variety of life stages, students showed how decisions are influenced by a variety of factors (education, location, family, etc.) and that decisions early in one's life can have compounding effects throughout. This paper describes the process by which the students decided on mimicking The Game of Life , how they divided up workloads, generated life stages (with specific topics to be addressed), and advertised and evaluated their project. Throughout this discussion it will be evident that students had full ownership of the project and the instructor (and author) suggests that this process is one that is consistent with many of the ideals of an engaged pedagogy.

Date: 2003
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:amerec:v:47:y:2003:i:2:p:52-68

DOI: 10.1177/056943450304700205

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