Running Classroom Experiments in a Large Enrollment Economics Course

Abstract

During the last two decades we have seen the emergence of numerous experimental designs especially suited for teaching in economics. Nevertheless, for the most part, most of these experiments are suited only for classes with small enrollment. This is unfortunate for two reasons. First, most students in college universities take their first (and sometimes more advanced) economics courses in a classroom with at least 100 students or more. Second, large enrollment classes create a set of dynamics impossible to replicate in their much smaller counterparts. While some have suggested ways of adjusting experiments for large classes, for the most part these adjustments always involve engaging only a small portion of the large class while the rest of the students are merely passive observers. In this article I will document my experience in administering one popular experiment, the double-auction, in a large enrollment class at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Since it is designed to be used in a large class where all students participate, this version of the experiment requires very little in terms of materials, technology, and data collection. This case study shows that by making certain adjustments to this popular experiment it is possible to create an activity that can be applied to any class size. Furthermore, by creating some dynamics impossible to replicate in the small classroom, the experiment in a large class has the potential of presenting a new pedagogical experience for students and instructors.