Tax knowledge rose over a forecasting game; there was no other group to compare

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   81 university students on a tax module in Ireland, all of whom filled in surveys at the start and the end. Only students with matching answers at both times were counted.

2. 02

   What they did

   Students used a website to place pretend money on answers to 14 questions about the 2014 national budget. The game ran for three weeks and counted for a tenth of their module grade.

3. 03

   What happened

   Average score out of 10 rose from about 0.8 at the start to about 1.9 at the end. Students who enjoyed learning for its own sake, or liked the thrill, tended to trade on more days. The paper's numbers don't quite add up, so we can't give exact sizes.

What the study found

1. No comparison

   Students' tax knowledge rose over three weeks of a game where they bet pretend money on budget changes.

   • Rule: Get feedback on your progressused
   • Rule: Compete or compare with othersused
   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing itused

   Small study of one group of 81 university students on a tax module · no comparison group · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show

2. No comparison

   Students who enjoyed learning for its own sake, or liked the thrill, tended to trade on more days.

   Small study of one group of 81 university students on a tax module · no comparison group · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show

Source