Increasing Ninth Grade Economics Knowledge and Enjoyment Through the Use of a Simulation By William R James III A MASTER S PROJECT For Ed 7999 Submitted to the Office for Graduate Studies Graduate Division of Wayne State University Detroit Michigan In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Masters of Arts in Teaching 2005 MAJOR SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION APPROVED BY Advisor Date Table of Contents Page CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The Situation The Need Purpose and Significance of the study Summary CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Introduction Theoretical bases Internet based as an aide to learning Games and Simulation as an aide to learning Cooperative learning Summary 1 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 5 7 CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY Introduction Hypotheses Population and selection of students Description of Simulation Timeline Data Collection Summary 8 8 8 8 11 11 12 CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS Introduction Hypothesis 1 Results Hypothesis 2 Results Summary 13 14 15 16 CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS Introduction Conclusions Recommendations Personal Observations Summary 17 17 17 18 19 REFERENCES APPENDIX A APPENDIX B APPENDIX C APPENDIX D APPENDIX E APPENDIX F APPENDIX G 20 22 24 27 30 32 34 36 Introduction The Situation Until the introduction of the United States Department of Education during Johnson s administration teaching for the most part was confined to chalk and talk Today however students will have learned that learning is a form of entertainment or more precisely that anything worth learning can take the form of an entertainment and ought to Postman 1986 pg 154 Given the advent of the World Wide Web information is just a click away Instantaneous fast paced everpresent all access to anything and everything this is what students of today understand for this is all they have ever known With this desire for immediacy an age where the eight second sound bite reigns supreme it is no wonder that the National Center for Health Statistics NCHS reported that nearly four million children were diagnosed with ADHD in 2004 NCHS 2004 Because of the short attention span anything that is not entertaining is pushed aside with learning being no different Allowing students the opportunity for hands on learning appears to be something that captivates their attention and at the same time covers the required state curriculum All high school students are required to complete an economics course prior to graduation Many students enter economics with the notion that the entire curriculum is based around money however they soon learn that this is simply one aspect of economics Once the reality of economics begins to set in students quickly lose interest possibly because many younger adolescents are cognitively not developed to think in abstract ways Lecturing about economic concepts such as the law of diminishing returns simply will not keep their attention and will leave a lasting negative image that economics is boring However a teacher can create interest in the subject by showing how economics directly affects their lives now and in the future Coupled with interest is motivation Without incentive motivation would cease to exist Incentives exist in everything humans do whether it is to keep oneself hydrated or studying for a test so one may earn a higher grade when it comes examination time Increasing student motivation becomes easier when there is a reward incentive and when it applies to real life Making a subject topic come to life is something that all teachers strive to do Using a simulation increases the chances that children will grasp the concept of which ever subject the teacher is enthusiastically teaching The Need With a typical U S household carrying an average of approximately 7 000 in credit card debt the education of the reality of economics is vital Involving reward incentives and reality based instruction allows for students to see how economics affects their daily lives presently and in the future By taking a direct role in the learning process students will see how the United States economy functions Participating in a simulation creates a fa ade that what they are doing really is not learning but rather being entertained The Purpose and Significance of The Study The purpose of this study is to provide a valuable learning experience which will utilize numerous economic principals that meet district and state economic education standards Students who do not yet have powerful intrinsic motivation to learn can be helped by extrinsic motivators in the form of rewards Harris 1991 Providing extrinsic rewards will serve to increase student understanding of economics and the relevance it has in their lives Making this learning experience personal will increase the likelihood that more students will succeed thereby decreasing the number of students who fail high school economics Summary Students enter high school with a mandate that they take economics Education in this subject is crucial in that it is the backbone of the United States Understanding economic concepts fully prepares adolescents for the reality of life beyond high school However many students find this topic boring and tedious Allowing students to learn in a nontraditional way will increase their knowledge and enjoyment of a subject they would otherwise despise Chapter Two Review of Related Literature Introduction The following is a review of the literature that supports two concepts the idea of building on students schema that learning is fun and explaining why high school students are taught economics Theoretical Bases Educators are constantly looking for new and inventive ways to assist them in teaching their curriculum Some strategies include Internet based learning VanFossen 1998 para 7 simulationtype activities Bonwell and Eison 1991 para 6 and group centered cooperative learning Kerka 1992 para 7 These strategies have all been gaining popularity in recent years among teachers and all have their benefits With the incorporation of technology into education more teachers are relying on the Internet in assisting with their teaching In 1995 Dr Bernard Dodge officially introduced the concept of a WebQuest A WebQuest according to Dr Dodge is an inquiry oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet optionally supplemented with videoconferencing Dodge 1995 para 2 Using WebQuests or other web based