2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper presents a learning module called “Water and M&M,” which aims to promote economic literacy and entrepreneurial mindset in engineering education. The activity uses a one-minute video sketch depicting an unusual transaction between two people. In the activity, students first review and explain selected basic principles of economics before analyzing the transaction through scaffolding. Working in small groups, they discuss efficiency and fairness, identify real-life examples of similar transactions, look for value-creation opportunities, and consider the role of governments in the market economy. The module is designed to introduce economics to engineering students innovatively and entertainingly. It also fosters an entrepreneurial mindset by infusing curiosity, creativity, and connection-making into the curriculum. Emerging evidence of the case study's effectiveness is based on student perceptions and teaching reflections of instructors who implemented the activity. By introducing the activity and lessons learned, this paper significantly contributes to promoting economic literacy in engineering education.