Special Issue: Case and Game Based Learning in Agricultural and Applied Economics

Call for Papers

Applied Economics and Teaching Resources is calling for manuscripts related to the subject area of active learning using case methods, games, and/or simulations in undergraduate and graduate education. Submissions of Education Scholarship and Research, Educational Innovations and Methods, Case Studies, and Commentaries about developing, implementing, and assessing active learning materials such as case studies, classroom games, and online simulations are strongly encouraged, especially in new areas. In particular, we are seeking submissions that exemplify innovative and effective approaches for:

• Developing and implementing case studies, classroom games and simulations with technologies and techniques that create immersive and interactive learning experiences in an agricultural and applied economics, agribusiness, economics or related program.
• Documenting and analyzing the range of potential approaches to create situated and immersive learning environments across various course modalities, such as in-person, online and hybrid classrooms. Assessing student learning outcomes, motivation and immersion in those approaches. A non-exhaustive list of examples includes case-based learning, novel experiential learning approached, and game-based learning, including in-person classroom games, online simulation games, educational Virtual Reality (VR) games, educational mobile/Augmented Reality (AR) games and other emerging designs. These could be presented as Educational Innovations and Methods or Teaching Commentary articles.
• Researching and examining the relative feasibility, effectiveness and enduring viability of alternative approaches in creating situated experiential learning environments, either as analysis of a specific approach, or as comparative studies of two or more approaches, as listed in the previous bullet point. These could be presented as Education Scholarship and Research, Educational Innovations and Methods, or Teaching Commentary articles.
• Examining Behavioral Economics approaches in classrooms with traditional and innovative game designs of teaching various fields, such as environmental & resource economics, development economics, agribusiness management, production economics, and consumer behavior.
• Considerations about diversity, equity and inclusion as dimensions of students’ access and participation in case- and game-based learning are encouraged.

With the rise of active learning and other participatory teaching methods in college classrooms, this special issue aims to collect emerging research and innovative educational cases and games in our and related disciplines. We expect this special issue will be of broad interest to agricultural and applied economists, economics teachers, agribusiness and business researchers and teachers, including those who are directly involved in undergraduate and graduate education, their administrators (both Department Heads and Deans), industry and private partners who intend to collaborate with academia in problem solving and talent seeking.

The special issue will be edited by Dr. Jason Bergtold (bergtold@ksu.edu) at Kansas State University in addition to the Dr. Na Zuo (nazuo@arizona.edu), co-editor of AETR.

Special Issue Timeline:
If you are interested in making a submission to the special issue, please submit an abstract of 100 to 300 words to Dr. Jason Bergtold (bergtold@ksu.edu) by February 28, 2025 at the latest. The abstract should describe the overall theme/topic of the manuscript, how it relates to the special issue call, and how it can be used for educational purposes. Your abstract will be reviewed once submitted and you will then be informed if you will be invited to submit a submission to the special issue.

We plan on having up to two issues for this special issue based on submissions. For submissions based on case and game-based learning that have already been designed and are being or have been tested in the classroom, we will require that full papers be submitted through AETR online by July 31, 2025. For submissions proposing new methods that are still in development and testing in the classroom that may take a bit more time for manuscript development, we require that full papers be submitted through AETR online by January 31, 2026.

All papers will go through a double-blind peer review process and be available online via Advanced Access for readers once accepted. All submissions will need to follow the AETR submission guidelines at: https://www.aetrjournal.org/contribute/submission-guidelines. If you have questions about the special issue, please email the special issue editors.