GT Game Theorylesson page

Public goods activity

Use group projects to teach free-riding and cooperation.

A group project is a public-good problem students already know: everyone benefits from shared effort, but each person may hope someone else carries the cost.

Try the group project module

Teacher setup

Start with a simple case: four students share one grade, the deadline is close, and the work is uneven. Ask what rule would make cooperation easier without humiliating someone who is struggling.

Discussion prompts

  1. What is the shared resource?
  2. What does cooperation look like?
  3. What shortcut is tempting?
  4. What rule would protect the group and still allow repair?