Computational Thinking in Economics

Maik Meusel, University of Zurich
maik.meusel@business.uzh.ch

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ABSTRACT

In this presentation, we discuss computational thinking in the context of teaching economics. While traditional textbooks either focus on the economic theory or the methods used to analyze economical problems, we use a more intuitive and explorative approach: Imagine you only had a computer with access to data and the Wolfram Language. How would you solve economic problems? 

In applying computational thinking to economics, we aim to engage a broader audience in studying economic problems. In this talk, we will showcase a few examples from a forthcoming interactive book and discuss the challenges of shifting the paradigm toward a new way of teaching economics.

Computational Thinking Definitions

Computational thinking is taking an approach to solving problems, designing systems and understanding human behaviour that draws on concepts fundamental to computing. 
–Jeanette M.Wing

[...] [F]ormulating things with enough clarity, and in a systematic enough way, that one can tell a computer how to do them. 
–Stephen Wolfram

Computational thinking (CT) is [...] a collection of computational ideas and habits of mind that people in computing disciplines acquire through their work in designing programs, software, simulations, and computations performed by machinery. –Matti Tedre, Peter J.Denning

What is it about?

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Why do we need CT?

Computational Thinking in Economics

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Creating CT Content

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Take Aways

Do not restrict your audience, use abstraction

Use real-world problems

Focus on the problem, not the methods, or the math

Intrigue, don‘t indoctrinate

Use interactivity as much as possible