Prof asks for help with unusual idea: learning economics by video game [econ]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

See, by way of background, what Russ is talking about:
http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/cooperation/index.html

Any suggestions?

-Declan


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Various stuff
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 16:38:24 -0400
From: Russell Roberts <rrobert2 () gmu edu>
To: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>

Declan,

Good to talk to you as always.

I've been thinking recently about what Hayek called spontaneous order 
which is related to complexity theory—the idea that things can be 
orderly without conscious planning, the idea that markets coordinate 
information without a coordinator, the idea that we all free to make our 
own plans and yet somehow, they mesh in wondrous ways without anyone 
being in charge of the meshing. The development of the internet and to 
some extent, the open source phenomenon are examples of these kinds of 
processes but so is the ability of the economy to provide lots of 
low-carb products at low prices when people suddenly decide to reduce 
their carbs. The same process will cure prostate cancer some day if we 
let it work.

Explaining the mystery and beauty of this process and what holds it 
together is often neglected in economic education simply because it's 
hard to explain. So I've been thinking about non-standard ways of 
teaching this stuff--video games and movies that would allow people to 
absorb these lessons in non-textbook ways. Know any visually creative 
people who might be interested in such projects?

Russ


Russell Roberts
Professor of Economics
J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith Distinguished Scholar at the Mercatus Center
Department of Economics
4400 University Dr.
MSN 3G4
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA. 22030

703-993-1186
roberts () gmu edu
http://www.invisibleheart.com
http://www.cafehayek.com

Research Fellow
Hoover Institution
Stanford University

Features Editor
Library of Economics and Liberty
http://www.econlib.org

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