Schedule

Here’s your roadmap for the semester!

  • Content (): This page contains the readings, slides, and recorded lectures for the week. Read and watch these before our in-person class.

  • Example (): This page contains fully annotated R code and other supplementary information that you can use as a reference for your assignments and project. This is only a reference page—you don’t have to necessarily do anything here. Some sections also contain videos of me live coding the examples so you can see what it looks like to work with R in real time. This page will be very helpful as you work on your assignments.

  • Assignment (): This page contains the instructions for each assignment. Weekly reports are due by noon on the day of class. Other assignments are due by 11:59 PM on the day they’re listed.

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Evaluation and causation

Title Content Example Assignment
Session 1
January 12 Evaluation and the causal revolution
January 19 Weekly check-in 1  (submit by noon)
January 19 Problem set 1  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 2
January 19 Regression and inference
January 19 Weekly check-in 2  (submit by noon)
January 26 Problem set 2  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 3
January 26 Theories of change and logic models
January 26 Weekly check-in 3  (submit by noon)
February 2 Evaluation: Background and theory  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 4
February 2 Measurement and DAGs
February 2 Weekly check-in 4  (submit by noon)
February 9 Evaluation: Measurement  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 5
February 9 DAGs and potential outcomes
February 9 Weekly check-in 5  (submit by noon)
February 16 Evaluation: Causal model  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 6
February 16 Threats to validity
February 16 Weekly check-in 6  (submit by noon)
February 23 Evaluation: Threats to validity  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Exam 1
February 23–March 2 Exam 1

Tools and methods

Title Content Example Assignment
Session 7
February 23 Randomization and matching
February 23 Weekly check-in 7  (submit by noon)
March 2 Problem set 3  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 8
March 2 Difference-in-differences I
March 2 Weekly check-in 8  (submit by noon)
March 9 Problem set 4  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 9
March 9 Difference-in-differences II
March 9 Weekly check-in 9  (submit by noon)
March 23 Problem set 5  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 10
March 23 Regression discontinuity I
March 23 Weekly check-in 10  (submit by noon)
March 30 Problem set 6  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 11
March 30 Instrumental variables I
March 30 Weekly check-in 11  (submit by noon)
April 6 Problem set 7  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 12
April 6 Instrumental variables II + Regression discontinuity II
April 6 Weekly check-in 12  (submit by noon)
April 13 Problem set 8  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Exam 2
April 13–April 20 Exam 2

Applied evaluation

Title Content Example Assignment
Session 13
April 13 Choosing and planning ethical evaluations
April 13 Weekly check-in 13  (submit by noon)
April 20 Problem set 9  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 14
April 20 Ethics, stories, and curiosity
April 20 Weekly check-in 14  (submit by noon)

Final

Title Content Example Assignment
Final project
May 1 Final project due