Discovering CORE’s The Economy: A South Asian Perspective enabled Suma Scaria to better engage her 3rd year students due to its use of practical examples, relevant case studies and its clearer focus on concepts vs other economics textbooks.
The Central University of Karnataka (CUK), established in 2009, is located in Kalaburgi, a region recognised as one of the relatively less developed areas in India. Associate Professor Suma Scaria at the Department of Economic Studies and Planning found existing economics textbooks failed to resonate with students due to an over-emphasis on mathematical complexity and a lack of practical examples. The discovery of CORE’s The Economy provided a solution which engaged and enthused her students.
When Suma began teaching the course Introduction to Game Theory for third-year BA Economics students, her goal was to find a textbook that emphasised conceptual clarity over mathematical approaches, which were often too complex and abstract.
“I was actually looking for a textbook which focuses more on conceptual understanding than mere technical. I found that most of the textbooks on game theory, even at an introductory level, are very technical and highly mathematical, totally disconnected with society.”
After a chance meeting with a professor from another Indian university, Suma discovered CORE’s the The Economy: A South Asian Perspective (TESA) and was impressed by its real-world examples, case studies, and interactive content. CORE’s open-access South Asian adaptation uses the style of CORE’s The Economy, but adapts its topics and features for relevance in South Asian and developing economies, incorporating many practical examples from the region.
Suma’s 30 students, many of whom come from rural and semi-urban backgrounds or are first-generation university students, were also impressed and were especially taken in by the textbook’s practical approach to teaching economics.
“Students are very enthusiastic about the book. They say they understand economics better, and they find it interactive and interesting. They’ll never forget the case studies—Anil, Bala, Thelma, Louis…”
CORE’s emphasis on practical examples and real-world data enabled students to connect classroom theory with their everyday experiences. In particular, Professor Suma found that the way Unit 4 of TESA approaches game theory resonated strongly with her students, owing to its use of relevant examples such as crop farming. The result was a genuine interest and enjoyment of economics amongst her students. Suma commented that TESA is a “very effective textbook, unlike other popular textbooks, since it focuses on conceptual understanding with lots of examples and case studies.”
The textbook continues to be well received, and Sumo tells us she is looking forward to adopting more modules from CORE in the future, alongside the other resources on the CORE website. For Suma, CORE’s practical approach to economics is not only great for students, it’s also rewarding for teachers:
“Textbooks like CORE have a huge trickle-down effect. Our students, often from less privileged backgrounds, are truly enjoying the learning process. As a teacher, it’s fulfilling to see that outcomes are right.”
If you would like to find out more about The Economy: A South Asian Perspective, you can read the preface here.