Photo Narration Assignments in Principles of Macroeconomics Course: From Abstraction to Reality
Why Does the Perfectly Discriminating Monopolist Look Like Perfect Competition and Why Doesn’t It? A Pedagogical Treatment for Intermediate Microeconomics (Liard-Muriente)
October 19, 2026Introductory macroeconomics students frequently struggle to connect abstract economic models to real-world experiences. Students selected real-world photographs and used them to narrate macroeconomic concepts in a principles macroeconomics course. The assignments were structured with clear formatting rules, citation requirements, and supported analytical depth. This article provides detailed descriptions of each assignment so that instructors can adopt or adapt the approach. The instructor’s experience, as well as course assessments, provide evidence suggesting that scaffolded visual assignments (in the form of photo narration) can reinforce student learning outcomes such as macroeconomic literacy, applied reasoning, and student engagement without replacing traditional analytical tools.
by Subhadra Ganguli and Laura Cruz
Ganguli, S., & Cruz, L. (2026). Photo Narration Assignments in Principles of Macroeconomics Course: From Abstraction to Reality. Available online at Journal of Economics Teaching, DOI: 10.58311/jeconteach/ebfe78eb6c63ac648ad6586dcf7c43fdfd5cb6ad
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