A Spreadsheet Simulation Of The Monty Hall Problem

Abstract

The "Monty Hall" problem or "Three Door" problem-where

The Monty Hall problem as a multifaceted experiential learning exercise in quantitative business courses

“…Specifically, students exposed to the proposed pedagogy reported being more convinced of the proper solution, and they were more likely to see the value of analytical tools, than the control group. Patterson, Harmel, and Friesen (2010) provide instructors with a spreadsheet of the MHP for classroom use. They rightly argue that hands-on replications of the game (e.g., playing cards and spinners) are necessarily limited to a small number of trials.…”

“…To lead off the discussion, present Table 1 to the class (e.g., Bennett, 2018;Patterson, Harmel, & Friesen, 2010). Implicit to those probability calculations is that all nine outcomes are equally likely.…”

“…Simulations of the MHP are available on various websites (Patterson, Harmel, & Friesen, 2010). We, instead, provide students with a spreadsheet template for completing the simulations.…”

“…Students are then prompted to run 30 trials-enough to generate notable differences in outcomes from student to student. Upon completion, students compare their results to others Turn next to the worksheet "Running Averages," which calculates the long-run averages of probabilities for the switch and no-switch strategies (Patterson, Harmel, & Friesen, 2010). As before, orient them to the spreadsheet by revealing the formulaic contents of several of the key cells.…”

“…First, although the MHP has appeared variously throughout the research literature, we, as educators, may have overlooked the richness and depth of the educational experience that the MHP has to offer. Morgan et al (1991), for example, approach the MHP solely through a probability lens, whereas Patterson et al (2010) offer a spreadsheet approach. We bring together disparate perspectives on the MHP in a comprehensive, multifaceted experiential learning exercise.…”