Instructional Experiments in Economics

Long ago in the last century, I wrote a "lab manual" to help my Reed colleagues learn to use experiments in teaching introductory economics. In the ensuing years, others found this to be useful, which encouraged me to expand it to include more experiments. In 1995, I began a document called Using Laboratory Experiments to Teach Economics. This manuscript was never finished, though some folks with whom I shared the incomplete draft said it was helpful. Because there seem to be people who might benefit from it, I have been persuaded to place it, still unfinished and woefully unpolished, here on my Web site. Feel free to download it and use the experiments in your classes. If you do, please let me know how they go. If you have specific suggestions or variations, I'd love to hear about them. Perhaps someday I'll even find time to go back and finish the manuscript, incorporating your suggestions and experiences!

For more information, contact me at parker@reed.edu.