Bullish on Mathematics: Using Stock Market Simulations to Enhance Learning

Abstract

Middle school students are rapidly developing a keen interest in the stock market and investments (Turner 2000; Kelly 2000). They are participating in online stock market simulations in record numbers, have started investment clubs at their schools, and are educating their parents about finding up-to-the-minute financial information on the Internet. For these students, a typical family dinner conversation might sound something like this: “Dump GM, Mom, and buy EMC Software. I went online and looked at some graphs. Its growth rate is awesome, and there is a huge demand for computer storage with the digital revolution. It's cheap at $25.”