An Economics Teaching Card Deck
Johnnie B. Linn III
Division of Business, Concord University
Campus Box 56
Athens, WV 24712
304-384-5337
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
The Economics Teaching Card Deck is a set of playing cards whose faces illustrate concepts in
Economics. Development of the Deck was inspired by the Armed Forces’ most-wanted Iraqi card deck.
A prototype Deck was distributed to students in a microeconomics principles class taught by the author.
Students who used the Deck indicated that it was helpful in preparation for their first exam and that they
would be willing to buy a commercial-quality edition of the Deck in the price range of $5 to $15 per pack.
THE ECONOMICS TEACHING CARD DECK
Development of the Deck
Use of playing cards with illustrated faces as a pedagogical tool began as early as the mid-17th century
[1]. The portability of playing cards, together with their use in games whose rules are already known,
make it possible to introduce material to wide audiences. A notable recent example of such pedagogy is
the Armed Forces Most-Wanted Iraqi Card Deck [2]. The Economics Teaching Card Deck was
developed in the style of the Most-Wanted Iraqi Card Deck to display 54 concepts in principles of
microeconomics and principles of macroeconomics.
Figure 1 shows the three kinds of illustrations employed by the Deck: a) pictures, b) parts of a flow chart,
the whole being a composite of 8 cards, or c) graphs.
Figure 1.
The Deck has four suits of thirteen ranks (ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2), two jokers, and
a title card. Cards of each rank have a common theme as follows:
Aces:
Kings:
Queens:
Jacks:
Tens:
Nines:
Eights:
Sevens:
Sixes:
Fives:
Fours:
Threes:
Twos:
Jokers:
Most Important Concepts in Economics
Most Important Market Innovations
Biggest Economies (with data)
Prevailing Problems in Markets
Most Important Economic Indicators (with data)
Laws of Economics
Flow Chart of Macroeconomy (composite)
Flow Chart of Macroeconomy (composite), continued
Visual Learning Tools
Demand Curve, Consumer Surplus
Supply Curve, Producer Surplus
Equilibrium, Social Optimum, Sub-Optima
Miscellaneous Graphs
Malthusian Population Checks, Hyperinflation
The sources for cards with data are indicated on the respective card faces. The title card identifies and
promotes the sponsoring institution.
In the classroom, the cards can be displayed one at a time when the concept each card represents is
introduced in the course, or the cards can be displayed as sets of four of a kind. The cards can be dealt to
students to assign study topics; or the instructor can generate an impromptu essay exam by facing five (or
seven) cards, and so on.
Introduction and Testing of the Deck
In the fall of 2004 the author prepared prototype sets of the Deck and distributed them to students in his
microeconomics section. The author commissioned the in-house printing facility of his university to
prepare the copies. The cards were printed on card stock, using the CMYK format for the faces and a
maroon university logo design on the backs. The cards did not have the glossy coating or round corners
that store-quality playing cards have. There were a few registration errors with the colors. The printing
facility did not have yellow ink at the time the order was to be executed, so the author agreed to have the
cards printed in CMK only, so there were no greens or yellows in the images, but all images could still be
interpreted as intended. Also, the author prepared a poster-sized replica of each card for display in
lectures.
The students were given their cards in about the third week of the term. The author did not give any
assignments specifically requiring use of the cards. A survey was taken after the first exam. About half
of the students surveyed had not used their cards. Most who used the decks used them as a study tool
rather than in game playing. Most who used the decks said that the cards made a minor contribution to
their preparation for the first exam. A majority of the students said that the card images were useful to
them in getting right answers to questions on the exam. None said that the card images made them
answer questions incorrectly.
Use of the oversized cards in the lectures had no impact for most students on whether they used their card
decks more or less often. The rest were equally divided on whether their personal card decks and the
oversized cards were complements or substitutes.
A strong majority of the students said that they would have bought a store-quality copy of the Deck if it
had been available in the $5 to $15 price range.
Further Developments of the Deck
The Deck can be combined with a database of examination questions to integrate economics into the rules
and strategy of a game. A player might be required to answer a question—provided by a judge—about a
topic of a particular card when it is put into play. For example, in Texas Hold ’em (which seems to be the
most popular college card game), when the “flop” is played, a player may point to a card of the flop or
face a hole card and offer to answer a question about that card. If the player answers correctly, that player
stays in the hand and the remaining players in succession must select another card in the flop or face a
hole card and answer correctly a question about it to stay in the hand.
APPENDIX
The students’ reponses to the survey questions are tabulated below. The number preceding each answer
choice is the number of responses for that answer.
In regard to the companion economics principles course, ECON 201 (Macroeconomics),
(10) I am currently taking the course from Dr. Linn.
(0) I am currently taking the course from someone else.
(5) I took the course previously, either at Concord or somewhere else.
(2) I have not taken Macroeconomics.
Since I received the card deck
(14) I have looked at all the card faces at least once.
(3) I have not looked at all the card faces.
When I use the cards,
(1) I use them primarily or only in playing standard card games (either solitaire or with someone else)
(7) I use them more often to study the images than to use them in a game.
(9) I have not used the cards.
In preparing for the first exam,
(8) I did not use the cards.
(7) The cards made a minor contribution to my exam preparation.
(2) The cards made a major contribution to my exam preparation.
(0) I used nothing else but the cards in preparing for the exam.
Because the instructor used card placards in the lectures:
(3) I used my card deck less often (the card deck and the placards are substitutes).
(10) It made no difference in how often I used my card deck outside of class.
(4) I used my card deck more often (the card deck and the placards are complements).
When I took the first exam,
(8) I did not think about any of the card images.
(0) Card images came to mind, but they were not helpful in answering any questions, or made me answer
questions incorrectly.
(9) Card images came to mind, and they were helpful in my getting right answers to the questions.
When I look at the four card images of a particular rank (aces, or kings, or queens, etc.)
(2) I can’t find anything in common among the four images, even if told what it is.
(6) If I am given a hint about the common theme of the four images, I can figure out what it is.
(9) A common theme among the four images is obvious.
I and my colleagues like to play these kinds of card games (more than one may be circled)
(4) Solitaire
(6) Casino games (blackjack, chemin-de-fer, etc.)
(11) Poker
(6) Hearts, Spades, other trick-taking games
(0) Cribbage
(0) Other ________________________
If, at the beginning of the term, I was offered the opportunity to buy a store-quality deck of these cards
(smooth coating, round corners, right colors, right thickness, in a box) in the price range of $5 to $15,
(12) I would have bought a deck.
(5) I would not have bought a deck.
Comments are given below verbatim:
Very helpful.
If the cards had a smooth coating, I would use them often.
In taking notes I also identify any cards used during lecture. This helps during studying because I can
review my notes then refer to the corresponding card for additional help.
They are a good thing to have.
This card deck would be helpful because you could play and study at the same time.
It’s a good concept, and I would probably buy them if they were only $2 or $3.
I am more of an auditory learner so the cards had no significant benefit to me. However, I think they
would be useful to visual learners.
Great idea!
I think that the cards are a good idea. I haven’t used them very often due to time constraints.
REFERENCES
[1]Goggin, Joyce.
“Metaphor and Madness:
http://bad.eserver.org/reviews/2005/goggin.html.
Stacking
the
Deck
on
Iraq”,
[2]U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Link, “Personality Identification Playing Cards”,
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2003/pipc10042003.html.