Engaging Students Through Play in Microeconomics Using the Clash of Markets Card Game

Long considered a difficult subject, microeconomics courses can result in disinterest among students. In response to this issue, the researcher developed an innovative educational tool that would not only motivate students to learn but also instill essential economic principles in an easy and enjoyable approach. The Clash of Markets Game is a card game that is played using a specially printed deck of 80 cards consisting of market cards and microeconomics concept cards. It teaches students about market structures, consumer behavior, supply and demand. A class consisting of 48 students taking a Microeconomics course took part in the research that assessed their perceptions across three dimensions of acceptability for the Clash of Markets Game – attention, relevance, and satisfaction. The results of the survey showed that students responded positively to the game. The game kept the students engaged, helped them comprehend the course material, and added to their overall enjoyment of the class. These findings imply that integrating game-based learning tools like Clash of Markets can be a strong supplement to traditional instruction, particularly in content-heavy subjects such as microeconomics.