Learning through laughter: the role of memes in Applied Economics subjects

Autores/as

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17561/ree.n2.2026.10203

Palabras clave:

memes, applied economics, assessment, perception, higher education

Resumen

The transmission of knowledge through images has gained importance in recent years with the rise of social networks. Recently, images and memes have begun to be incorporated into teaching, allowing traditional classes to be reinforced through modern and fun activities. This paper adds evidence on this novel educational method, describing an assessment activity using memes in Applied Economics subjects, specifically in International Economics for Business and Spanish Economy, in different degree programs at the Complutense University of Madrid. The activity was analysed through two questionnaires that students completed, reflecting their perceptions both before and after its implementation. Based on their answers, the memes produced, and the grades obtained, various findings are found. The results show that the activity was innovative and aroused students' interest in the subject. It represented an accessible and entertaining way of learning, which generated satisfaction among the students. Moreover, their commitment and effort were reflected in the quality of the memes produced.

 

Descargas

Los datos de descarga aún no están disponibles.

Biografía del autor/a

  • Claudia García-García, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España

    Assistant Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, Department of Applied Economics, Structure and History. She obtained her PhD in 2020 with an International Mention in Advanced Quantitative Techniques in the Economic and Business Field from the University of Granada. Prior to this, she completed her Degree in Economics (2015) and a Master’s in Quantitative Techniques in Business Management (2016). In January 2021, she obtained the three accreditations of the PEP Programme from ANECA: Profesora Contratada Doctora (PCD), Profesora Ayudante Doctora (PAD), and Profesora de Universidad Privada (PUP). She has been a visiting scholar at the University of Piraeus (Greece) and the National University of Costa Rica, the latter funded by the CatChain Project under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Additionally, she has actively participated in various research initiatives, including R&D&I projects funded through the Andalusia ERDF Operational Programme, and teaching projects, such as the UCM innovation projects (INNOVA-Docencia). Her primary research interests span several areas of Economics, from econometric techniques to environmental sustainability. She has authored 15 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including 4 high-impact (Q1) papers. Of these, two focus on methodological issues related to multicollinearity, while the other two address topics in sustainability. The two related to green efficiency and eco-innovation (sustainability issues) are the following

  • Sara Fernández, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España

    Associate professor at the Complutense University of Madrid in the Department of Applied Economics, Structure and History, and PhD in Economics and Business since 2018 by the University of Castilla La Mancha. She has a Master's Degree in International Economics and Labour Relations from the University of Castilla La Mancha (2014). Her main lines of research cover different areas of innovation economics such as open innovation and eco-innovation. She has authored several articles and book chapters. His curriculum includes a wide variety of publications, highlighting works in scientific journals such as: Journal of the Knowledge Economy (2024), Structural Change and Economics Dynamics (2024), Energy Policy (2023), Journal of Cleaner Production (2022), Technological Forecasting and Social Change (2021), Regional Studies (2018), among others.She has also participated in several research projects of the National R&D Plan and the Ramón Areces Foundation. In addition, she has been a visiting scholar at the Universidade do Minho (Portugal) and at the National University of Costa Rica within the CatChain project - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

  • Celia Torrecillas Bautista, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España

    Celia Torrecillas is Associate Professor of Economics at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She has a Ph.D. in Social and Legal Sciences in the field of International Economics, from Universidad de Jaén (2014), and Master degree in Innovation Economics and Management, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2011). Her research interests include Multinational Enterprises from developing countries, Innovation and Eco-innovation, and the olive oil sector. With 10 years of postdoc, she has 21 publications in journals and books, including:  Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Structural Change and Economics Dynamics, Energy Policy, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Journal of Cleaner Production, the Journal of Technology Transfer, Science in Public Policy, and Technological Economic Development of Economy. She has participated in research projects funded by Spanish public administrations.  She has been a visiting scholar at the Trinity College in Dublin (Ireland), Lineaus University in Kalmar (Sweeden) and University of Regensburg (Germany).

Referencias

Antón-Sancho, Á., Nieto-Sobrino, M., Fernández-Arias, P., & Vergara-Rodríguez, D. (2022). Usability of memes and humorous resources in virtual learning environments. Education Sciences, 12(3), 208. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12030208

Awidi, I. T., Paynter, M., & Vujosevic, T. (2019). Facebook group in the learning design of a higher education course: An analysis of factors influencing positive learning experience for students. Computers & Education, 129, 106-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.10.018

Botts, M. M. (2024). Learning in Space–Using Science Fiction Podcasts in and out of the Marketing Classroom. Marketing Education Review, 34(2), 164-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2024.2336466

Brenley, D. B., & Covey, J. (2018). Risky behaviour via social media: the role of reasoned and social reactive pathways. Computers in Human Behaviour, 78, 183-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.09.036

Brown, R., & Maudlin, D. (2012). Concepts of vernacular architecture. In C. G Crysler, S. Cairns, & H. Heynen (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of architectural theory (pp. 340-355). SAGE Publications. ISBN: 978-1412946131.

Castro, A. C. C., & López, P. F. C. (2023). Los memes dentro de las luchas de violencia de genero: limitantes del humor y la reflexion. Punto de vista, 14(21), 81-99. Retrieved from: https://revistas.poligran.edu.co/index.php/puntodevista/article/view/4050/4330

Dawkins, R. (1989). The Selfish Gene (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780192177735.

Dawkins, R. (2006). The Selfish Gene 30th Anniversary Edition (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780191537554.

De Haro, J. J. (2010). Redes sociales en educación. In C. Naval, S. Lara, C. Ugarte, & C. Sádaba (Eds.), Educar para la comunicación y la cooperación social (pp. 203-216). Publicaciones del Consejo Audiovisual de Navarra. ISBN: 978-84-614-4234-8.

Dongqiang, X., De Serio, L., Malakhov, A., & Matys, O. (2020). Memes and education: opportunities, approaches and perspectives. Geopolitical, Social Security and Freedom Journal, 3(2), 14-25. https://doi.org/10.2478/gssfj-2020-0009

Dynel, M. (2022). La vida de los memes de mascarillas del COVID-19: Un estudio diacrónico del panorama memético durante la pandemia. Comunicar: Revista Científica de Comunicación y Educación, 72. https://doi.org/10.3916/C72-2022-06

Fernández, S., García-García, C., & Torrecillas, C. (2024). El uso del podcast en Economía Española. Revista de Estudios Empresariales. Segunda Época, 2024(1), 73-93. https://doi.org/10.17561/ree.n1.2024.8210

Forner Marqués, R. (2021). ¿Qué es un meme? Manual para la identificación de memes. Una propuesta de categorización. Degree dissertation (Final Degree Project; Mentoring: Pastor Aguilar, M.), Universitat Politècnica de València. Retrieved from: https://riunet.upv.es/bitstream/handle/10251/173398/Forner%20-%20QUE%20ES%20UN%20MEMEMANUAL%20PARA%20LA%20IDENTIFICACION%20DE%20MEMES%20UNA%20PROPUESTA%20DE%20CATEGORIZACION.pdf

Guadarrama Herrera, A., Mendoza Guadarrama. C., Díaz Silva, J., & Becerril Morales, F. (2020). El uso de los memes como estrategia didáctica aplicada en las Matemáticas. Cultura Digital y Desarrollo Humano, 4(4), 18-26. Retrieved from: https://drpabloglezcasanova.uaemex.mx/culturadigitalydesarrollo/docs/A1/pdf/Libro_2020.pdf

Hayes, B., & Fatima, S. (2024). ‘A language we understand’: Students’ perceptions of emojis, memes and gifs in higher education teaching. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, 5(3), 154-177. Retrieved from https://sehej.raise-network.com/raise/article/view/1187

Ibañez, M. F. (2019). Memes 2.0, una nueva forma de comunicación. Sociales y virtuales, 6. Disponible en RIDAA-UNQ. Repositorio Institucional Digital de Acceso Abierto de la Universidad Nacional de Quilmes http://ridaa.unq.edu.ar/handle/20.500.11807/3747

Kozma, R. B. (2003). Technology and classroom practices: An international study. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2003.10782399

Ligarretto, R. (2020). Meme educativo: experiencia para una pedagogía de la cultura visual. Revista Educación y Ciudad, 39, 131-145. https://doi.org/10.36737/01230425.n39.2020.2341

Lonnberg, A., Xiao, P., & Wolfinger, K. (2020). The growth, spread, and mutation of internet phenomena: A study of memes. Results in Applied Mathematics, 6, 100092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinam.2020.100092

Marín-Diaz, V., & Cabero-Almenara, J. (2019). Las redes sociales en educación: ¿desde la innovación a la investigación educativa? RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 22(2), 25-33. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.22.2.24248

Morisaki, J. D., Morisaki, F. P., Morisaki, J. C., & Quispe, R. N. (2023). La cultura de los memes en la actualidad y su impacto en la sociedad y educación. Hacedor, 7(2), 210-224. https://doi.org/10.26495/rch.v7i2.2532

Navrouzoglou, P., Kushwah, L., & Selvaretnam, G. (2024). Using a Group Podcast and Policy Brief in an Economics Undergraduate Course to Enhance Sustainability Literacy, Communication and Teamwork Skills. In Sustainability in Business Education, Research and Practices (pp. 41-62). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55996-9_4

Pinto, L. G. A. (2019). Posibilidades del ecosistema digital desde una mirada comunicativo-pedagógica: reflexiones en torno a la elaboración de memes académicos. In Viralizar la educación: Red de experiencias didácticas en torno al meme de Internet (pp. 15-37). Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ecuador. ISBN: 978-9942-8770-0-0.

Piñeiro-Otero, T., & Martínez-Rolán, X. (2016). Understanding Digital Marketing - Basics and Actions. In C. Machado, & J. Davim (Eds.), MBA. Management and Industrial Engineering. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28281-7_2

Ramos García, A. M., & Caurcel Cara, M. J. (2009). Cuestionario de valoración de la utilidad de los podcast como herramienta de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Proyecto de Innovación Docente “La tarea colaborativa y las nuevas tecnologías para la mejora de la competencia oral en LE”, Universidad de Granada. Retrieved from: http://hdl.handle.net/10481/75287

Rex, L., & Woywod, C. (2014). Envisioning home, self, and community through vernacular art environments. Art Education, 67(6), 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2014.11519297

Rodríguez Guevara, J. E. (2021). Integración de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación en los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje. RIESED: Revista Internacional de Estudios sobre Sistemas Educativos, 3(11), 99-111. Retrieved from: https://www.riesed.org/index.php/RIESED/article/view/140

Salinas, J. (2004). Innovación docente y uso de las TIC en la enseñanza universitaria. RUSC, Universities & Knowledge Society, 1(1).

Smith, E. E. (2017). Social media in undergraduate learning: categories and characteristics. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0049-y

Solon, O. (2013). Richard Dawkins on the internet’s hijacking of the word ‘meme’. Wired UK, 20. Retrieved from: http://res.tigerge.cn/20200330/%E8%A1%A5%E5%85%852%20Richard%20Dawkins%20on%20the%20internet's%20hijacking%20of%20the%20word%20'meme'.pdf

Suárez-Guerrero, C., Passeron, E. Herrera-Urízar, G., & Gamboa Cordero, Y. M. (2022). Memes como instrumento de evaluación del aprendizaje. Un caso en la universidad. REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria, 20(2), 165-180. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2022.18551

Tidy, H., Bolton-King, R. S., Croxton, R., Mullen, C., Nichols-Drew, L., Carlysle-Davies, F., Moran. K. S., & Irving-Walton, J. (2024). Enhancing the student learning experience through memes. Science & Justice, 64(3), 280-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2024.03.004

Urbina, N. (2005). El arte conceptual: punto culminante de la estética procesual o el arte como proceso. Estética, 6. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/4112749/Neida_Urbina_El_arte_conceptual_Punto_culminante_de_la_estetica_procesual_o_el_arte_como_proceso01

Wallace, I. (2014). What is post-internet art? Understanding the revolutionary new art movement. Artspace Magazine Trend Report, 18. Retrieved from: https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/trend_report/post_internet_art-52138

Descargas

Publicado

2026-06-22

Número

Número 2/2026, Época 2

Sección

TRIBUNA

Licencia

Derechos de autor 2026 Claudia García-García, Sara Fernández, Celia Torrecillas Bautista

Creative Commons License

Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.

  1. Los autores/as conservarán sus derechos de autor y garantizarán a la revista el derecho de primera publicación de su obra, el cuál estará simultáneamente sujeto a la Licencia de reconocimiento de Creative Commons que permite a terceros compartir la obra siempre que se indique su autor y su primera publicación esta revista.
  2. Los autores/as podrán adoptar otros acuerdos de licencia no exclusiva de distribución de la versión de la obra publicada (p. ej.: depositarla en un archivo telemático institucional o publicarla en un volumen monográfico) siempre que se indique la publicación inicial en esta revista.
  3. Se permite y recomienda a los autores/as difundir su obra a través de Internet (p. ej.: en archivos telemáticos institucionales o en su página web) antes y durante el proceso de envío, lo cual puede producir intercambios interesantes y aumentar las citas de la obra publicada. (Véase El efecto del acceso abierto).

La Revista de Estudios Empresariales. Segunda Época, utiliza PKP Preservation Network (PN).

Cómo citar

García-García, C., Fernández, S., & Torrecillas Bautista, C. (2026). Learning through laughter: the role of memes in Applied Economics subjects. Revista De Estudios Empresariales. Segunda Época, e10203. https://doi.org/10.17561/ree.n2.2026.10203