One nation under stress: A cooperative learning exercise to promote diversity and inclusion in introductory macroeconomics

Abstract

The author of this article discusses a cooperative learning exercise designed for introductory macroeconomics that was completed by 44 groups of three or four students during the spring 2021, fall 2021, and spring 2022 semesters at a private U.S. liberal arts college. The exercise aims to foster an active learning community where students collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds and discuss economic issues with sensitivity and open-mindedness to promote mutual understanding. It provides students an opportunity to apply the concepts they learned in class to a real-world example and to integrate economic insights with those from other disciplines. The article details the exercise’s design and implementation process so that its structure can be adapted to a different content or course.