Video: How the Economic Machine Works by Ray Dalio

Summary of resource: This video is a fantastic explanation of the ‘economic machine’ by investor, entrepreneur, and best-selling author Ray Dalio. The resource is 31 minutes long, and features a rustic animation style complemented by Dalio’s narration. Topics covered include: Debt Cycles, Credit, Income, Spending.

  1. What kind of interaction would the video require from your students? Does it force them to respond in some way (inherent)?

    By virtue of being a YouTube video aimed at casual consumers, this resource does not explicitly require any interaction from viewers. The lack of inherent interaction design might have been avoided to prevent casual consumers (i.e. people stumbling upon the video outside of an educational course) from being turned off.

  2. In what way are they likely to respond to the video on their own, e.g. make notes, do an activity, think about the topic (learner-generated)?

    It is safe to say that most people are part of the ‘Economic Machine’, so a resource like this is bound to cause some reflection on how they (learners) fit into this newly acquired structure of the economy. Additionally, learners might take notes on the various topics covered in the video. Dalio does a good job at highlighting key points which might assist learners in better prioritizing what to note down.

  3. What activity could you suggest that they do, after they have watched the video (designed)? What type of knowledge or skill would that activity help develop? What medium or technology would students use to do the activity?

    An online discussion on the resource’s content would be suited to this style of resource. The video is structured to be very appealing and engaging, and encouraging learners to continue this engagement and discuss aspects of the video would be a suitable form of designed interaction. This activity could be performed in a comments section or some other similar tool (e.g: Padlet).

  4. How could the video have been designed to generate more or better activity from viewers or students?

    Asking questions at key points in the resource could help further engage learners while adding a degree of interaction to the resource.