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
August 22 Evaluation and the causal revolution
August 29 Weekly check-in 1  (submit by noon)
August 29 Problem set 1  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 2
August 29 Regression and inference
August 29 Weekly check-in 2  (submit by noon)
September 6 Problem set 2  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 3
September 5 Theories of change and logic models
(No class because of Labor Day—we’ll talk about this content in class on September 12)
September 6 Weekly check-in 3  (submit by noon)
September 12 Evaluation: Background and theory  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 4
September 12 Measurement and DAGs
September 12 Weekly check-in 4  (submit by noon)
September 19 Evaluation: Measurement  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 5
September 19 DAGs and potential outcomes
September 19 Weekly check-in 5  (submit by noon)
September 26 Evaluation: Causal model  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 6
September 26 Threats to validity
September 26 Weekly check-in 6  (submit by noon)
October 3 Evaluation: Threats to validity  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Exam 1
October 3–October 9 Exam 1

Tools and methods

Title Content Example Assignment
Session 7
October 3 Randomization and matching
October 3 Weekly check-in 7  (submit by noon)
October 10 Problem set 3  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 8
October 10 Difference-in-differences I
October 10 Weekly check-in 8  (submit by noon)
October 17 Problem set 4  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 9
October 17 Difference-in-differences II
October 17 Weekly check-in 9  (submit by noon)
October 24 Problem set 5  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 10
October 24 Regression discontinuity I
October 24 Weekly check-in 10  (submit by noon)
October 31 Problem set 6  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 11
October 31 Instrumental variables I
October 31 Weekly check-in 11  (submit by noon)
November 7 Problem set 7  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 12
November 7 Instrumental variables II + Regression discontinuity II
November 7 Weekly check-in 12  (submit by noon)
November 14 Problem set 8  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Exam 2
November 14–November 20 Exam 2

Applied evaluation

Title Content Example Assignment
Session 13
November 14 Choosing and planning ethical evaluations
November 14 Weekly check-in 13  (submit by noon)
November 28 Problem set 9  (submit by 11:59 PM)
Session 14
November 28 Ethics, stories, and curiosity
November 28 Weekly check-in 14  (submit by noon)

Final

Title Content Example Assignment
Final project
December 12 Final project due