The Most Interesting Economist in History Using an NCAA-Style Tournament Assignment to Teach the History of Economic Thought
School’s (Almost) Out! A Summer-Themed Economics Review Class to Get Students Through Finals (Mandzik)
October 20, 2024Exploring the Disconnect Between the Discussion of Economic Policy in a Microeconomics Principles Course and the News Media (Kutch)
December 8, 2024I describe an assignment for a history of economic thought (HET) course, “The Most Interesting Economist in History,” modeled on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) College Basketball Tournament. Economic thinkers are paired in head-to-head matchups for each era and students vote for those they find to be more “interesting” and must explain the reasoning behind their votes. This assignment promotes active learning and is a more engaging way to juggle complex themes with a large list of thinkers over a semester-long seminar.
by Ryan Safner
Safner, R. (2025). The Most Interesting Economist in History Using an NCAA-Style Tournament Assignment to Teach the History of Economic Thought. Journal of Economics Teaching, 10(1), 1-19. DOI: 10.58311/jeconteach/eb28a8422b47f3906de9a23ca294c88fea1452d9
Want to be notified of articles when they are released? Subscribe to our newsletter!