Games And Students: Perceptions And Evidence From A DUT Case Study

Abstract

The poor performance of first year economics students across higher education institutions is a well-established phenomenon (Parker, 2006). The traditional response has been to analyse this poor performance using a production function where factors are identified and their influence measured. The problem, however, may not be solved entirely by looking at the factors, but at the production function i.e. the relationship between learning and the mode of delivery.

This article seeks to challenge the traditional mode of lecture-based learning by introducing economic games into the formal tuition programme. The evidence collected during research indicates positive results in terms of students’ perceptions and performance.