Learning by experimenting: An introductory course on experimental economics

• Published in: The Journal of economic education Vol. 56; no. 4; pp. 329 - 338
• Main Author: Picault, Julien
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 02.10.2025
• Subjects: Authentic assessment; classroom experiments; economic teaching; experimental learning; experiments
• ISSN: 0022-0485; 2152-4068
• DOI: 10.1080/00220485.2025.2528713

This article's author describes an upper-level economics course that introduces students to experimental economics. The course, built around a term-long project requiring students to develop experiments in small groups, has two main objectives: (1) solidify students' learning of key economic concepts, and (2) introduce students to experimental economics and experimental design. A scaffolded sequence of activities designed to help students create an experiment while solidifying their learning of economic concepts is followed. The scaffolding has four objectives: (1) learning about experimental design and its challenges, (2) practicing with experiments as a subject, (3) practicing with experiments as an experimenter, and (4) developing an experiment. Utilizing small groups allows students to learn from instructor and peer interactions while applying theoretical knowledge accumulated in previous economic courses.