In-Class Experiments as an Accompaniment to In-Class Discussion

Abstract

Active learning, including in-class debates, is used in social science classrooms as a means of improving meaning and increasing understanding of complex materials. However, in-class debates do not fully satisfy all aspects of experiential learning because students do not get to experience the results of multifaceted concepts, such as strategic voting. In this article, I explore the use of an experimental voting game to teach the differences in electoral systems. Using defined payouts as policy outcomes, the results show that students who are exposed to known payoffs gained a better understanding of voting strategies under majoritarian and proportional voting schemes. Additionally, measured student outcomes in the form of a final exam showed a statistically significant difference in knowledge of voting behavior. In this way, I provide evidence that in-class experimentation can serve to complement other forms of active learning.