Using Prediction Markets as a Tool for Classroom and Civic Engagement

In the post-COVID classroom, some challenges remain the same as pre-COVID: keeping students actively engaged in the course and seeking ways to help them understand how to apply course content to real-world scenarios. In an effort to address this enduring barrier, we implement a prediction market focused on the 2022 congressional midterm elections in our introductory and upper-level political science courses. Using original survey data, obtained through the administration of pre and post surveys, we discuss the impact of the market on behavior, knowledge, and attitude. We will also explain how we accomplished this continuous semester project using both the prediction market and classroom assignments with the goal of providing useful tips for anyone seeking alternative methods of engagement and different ways by which to achieve it in either introductory or upper level courses.