MobLab economics games and simulations offer a simple and fun solution for teachers to guide students through abstract theories and make them resonate.
Before using MobLab, watch our Videotutorial. It shows all there is to know about login, navigation and instruction of MobLab games in your classes.
For further information see also here (six steps that help you to get started using MobLab games and modules through Iconomix).
Here is a list of the MobLab games with free access for Iconomix Users, which are suitable for upper secondary education (especially baccalaureate schools):
| Competitive Market | Students take either the role of a seller or a buyer and trade in a virtual good in a classic double auction market. You can replay the game with taxes, subsidies, price controlls, and other variations. |
| Public Good: Linear | Each round, every student individually decides how much of their income they would like to contribute to a public good. The payoff from the public good linearly depends on the total contributions of all students in the group. |
| Public Good: Discrete | Each round, every student individually decides how much of their income they would like to contribute to a public good. The public good only yields a payoff, if the total contributions of all students in the group exceed a pre-defined threshold. |
| Public Good: Punishment & Rewards | Each round, every student individually decides how much of their time they would like to contribute to a public good. The payoff of the public good linearly depends on the total contributions of all students in the group. You can configure the rules such that students can see how much each group member contributed, and that students are able to either reward or punish group members based on their contributions. |
| Bank Run | Each round, students individually decide if they would like to keep their deposits in a bank or, if they would like to withdraw their money. If too many students withdraw their money, the bank goes bankrupt. |
| Prisoner's Dilemma: Push & Pull | This is a card game version of the classic prisoner's dilemma game. Students are grouped in pairs. Their payoff depends on their own decisions as well as of the decisions of their partner. |
| Ultimatum | Students are grouped into pairs. One student takes the role of the proposer and the other takes the role of the receiver. The propeser makes an offer on how to split 100 Dollar. If the receiver accepts the offer, the money is split accordningly, if rejected, both get 0 Dollar. |
| Commons: Fishery | Each round, every student individually decides how many fish to catch from a shared lake. The remaining numer of fish doubles at the end of every round. |
| Matrix: Instructor Specified | You can create your own 2-player matrix-form game to play various games from game theory with your students, such as prisoner's dilemma, zero-sum-games, game of chicken, coordniation games, etc. |
| Simple Labor Market | Students take either the role of a worker or a firm. The firms post job advertisments which the workers accept or reject based on their opportunity costs of staying at home. You can show how implementing a minimum wage can result in a higher unemployment rate. |
| Comparative Advantage | Students are grouped into pairs. One has a comparative advantage in making burgers, the other has a comparative advantage in making fries. By enabeling trade, you can show how both students are able to achieve a higher outputs. |
| Dictator | How altruistic are your students? Students are grouped into pairs. One student takes the role of the dictator and the other takes the role of the receiver. The dictator decides how 100 Dollar are split between the two. We recommend playing this game in combination with the Ultimatum Game. |
| Trust | Students are grouped into pairs. One student takes the role of the investor and the other takes the role of the receiver. The investor has 100 Dollar and decides how much to give to the receiver. The given amount is multiplied by three. In the next stage, the receiver decides how much to return to the investor. |
| Consumer Choice | Students need to decide between the consumption of two goods and experience diminishing marginal utility. |
| Bargaining | Like in the Ultimatum Game, students are grouped into pairs. One student takes the role of the proposer and the other takes the role of the receiver. The propeser makes an offer on how to split 100 Dollars. If the receiver accepts the offer, the money is split accordningly. If the receiver rejects, they can make a counter proposal. |
| Voter Paradox | Some students proposed a basketball club for their school. To determine whether the club is worthwhile the teachers ask students to vote. Each student has a choice: Vote or Abstain. Abstention costs the student nothing. On the other hand, voting is costly because students must walk to the school to vote on a Saturday. If the number of votes passes a minimum threshold, then the basketball club is created and each student receives 100 points. If the minimum threshold isn’t reached, each student receives 0 points. |
| Voter Turnout | There are competing proposals for clubs. Students are divided between soccer and basketball club proposals, and only one club can be created. To determine which club should be created the teachers asks students to vote. Each student has a preferred club and a choice: Vote or Abstain. Abstention costs the student nothing. On the other hand, voting is costly because students must walk to school to vote on a Saturday. Whichever club receives the most votes will be created. If a student’s preferred club is created they receive 100 points, otherwise the student receives zero points. |
