Bringing the ‘Dismal Science’ to Life: Teaching Economics Through Multimedia 1.2.3.

This article examines the pedagogical benefits of using multimedia in the teaching of economics at undergraduate level. It also provides an example from my own teaching to serve as a reference for lecturers interested in creating an interactive learning environment, which prompts genuine two-way discussion in the classroom and produces better learning outcomes for students. The final section ties in the use of multimedia with broader debates among economists about the appropriate level of government intervention in the economy. The paper concludes by arguing that the use of multimedia has strong pedagogical advantages in stimulating greater student engagement and helping to rectify the image of economics in the wider community. Lecturers interested in using multimedia in their teaching will find an extensive list of web resources at the end of this paper.