Economics instructors have long used popular culture and contemporary issues to illustrate economic concepts. Some instructors have expanded this idea by developing entire courses around engaging themes and contexts. For example, Leet and Houser (2003) and Diaz Vidal et al. (2020) describe courses built around movies, while Shostya (2024) uses photography as a vehicle for teaching economic concepts and analysis.

Other instructors have relied on contemporary topics and technologies to engage students. Monaco (2018) uses online dating to teach economic modeling, while Chalioti (2022) develops a course on the economics of artificial intelligence and innovation. Similarly, Jenkins (2022) uses Python programming and macroeconomic data analysis to help students develop both computational and economic skills.