This is Robert's teaching page. It should contain course
descriptions for all lecture courses, some links to older
material, and announcements that serve as a means of
communicating short-run changes to course participants.
[Latest update 13/1/2021]
[Continuously under construction]
Courses in the
winter semester 2020
General comment: Planning ahead for this
semester is difficult because of the many uncertainties concerning the reaction
of the university and of other institutions to the issue of a virus disease. I
am trying to update this page according to the currently most probable
situation.
040131 Introductory Econometrics
UK (4 hours per week, 8 ECTS)
Language of instruction: English
Time and location:
Monday, 9:45-11:15, Hörsaal 1, Oskar Morgenstern Platz
Wednesday, 9:45-11:15, Hörsaal 1, Oskar Morgenstern Platz
Starts: October 5, 2020
Specific comment: Unfortunately, all face-to-face teaching was stopped at the beginning of November. We continue via synchronous on-line teaching at the usual time units. Because teaching is on-line, we do not have to restrict ourselves to the units convened in U:Find, however, so all possible time slots are used, of course excepting no-teaching days and holidays. Two units must be reserved for the tests (midterm and final). Finals should happen, unless otherwise convened, in the last unit in January. The October course units have been recorded, with video recordings accessible to participants via Moodle.
Course description: The course introduces the
most common statistical methods that are used in empirical economics. This
includes linear regression (ordinary least squares, generalized least squares,
instrumental variables) in static and dynamic equations and the corresponding
hypothesis tests (restriction tests as well as diagnostic tests). The basic
literature used for the course is Jeffrey M. Wooldridge: Introductory
Econometrics (South-Western, 4th edition). The methods are
highlighted in empirical applications using Stata.
Plan of the course: Assessment is based on two
written tests and on assignments. Dates
will be convened in class: first test will be on December 2, second test in the last unit in January. No
alternative dates for these tests can be provided. Tests carry weights of
35 % each in the final grade. An additional 30 % of the final grade
can be obtained from occasional homework assignments (each of them carries
10 %, and there may be more than three) that can be done in groups of up
to three students. A positive grade requires at least 50 % of the score of
100 and attendance at the first written test. Dropping the course without a
grade is only possible before the first written test.
VO (2 hours per week, 4 ECTS)
Language of instruction: English
Time and location:
Because of the current regulations, this course is done virtually (here,
they call this “digitally”). During October, the was taught asynchronously. An
asynchronous course consists of teaching material (videos and other files) that
is made accessible to participants via Moodle, as the course progresses. From
November, the course has been taught via synchronous teaching.
Starts: October 5, 2020
Course description: The course covers topics in the
realm of macroeconomics that will help students understand and analyze the
macroeconomic performance of countries both in the long run and at
business-cycle frequencies.
This lecture course reviews
material on macroeconomics that participants know from their bachelor studies
and aims at deepening this knowledge. The textbook "Macroeconomics:
Institutions, Instability, and the Financial System" (Wendy Carlin &
David Soskice; Oxford University Press) serves as the main literature for this
course. Topics to be covered are:
1. The demand side of the economy
Course descriptions
for past semesters can be accessed by links beneath this line:
Summer semester
2020 Winter semester
2019
Summer semester
2019 Winter semester
2018
Summer semester
2018 Winter semester
2017
Summer semester
2017 Winter semester
2016
Summer semester
2016 Winter semester
2015
Summer semester
2015 Winter semester
2014
Summer semester 2013 Winter semester 2012
Summer semester 2012 Winter semester
2011
Summer semester 2011 Winter semester 2010
Summer semester 2010 Winter semester 2009
Summer semester 2008 Winter semester 2007
Summer semester 2007 Winter semester 2006
Summer semester 2006 Winter semester 2005
Summer semester 2004 Winter semester 2003
Summer semester 2003 Winter semester 2002
Since 2012, course grades do not appear on these
pages, for reasons of data protection. Participants are always informed via
e-mail.
Grades from the era
before 2012 can be accessed here.
Regarding the continuing
coronavirus problem, of course I have to follow the rules and instructions that
are being announced for the whole university. There are no regular office hours
for the time being, physical meetings with students are discouraged, I suggest
using skype. Whereas distance teaching can be an interesting challenge,
distance examinations by construction do not really satisfy. I hope that tests
and exams at the university location will be feasible in the next semester, but
the outlook remains bleak for the current semester.
General
information for all courses
If you have any paper material for me (such as
homework assignments or forms), please leave it with our administration. Never
leave any material with other faculty.
In case you cannot attend a test (not an exam; there are special regulations for no-show at exams) for important reasons or you are unable to be present at any other dated event within a course, please give me notice via e-mail immediately. I expect such notifications to arrive within three days after the event that you missed.
Course information for 040131
Introductory Econometrics
·
Since November 4,
teaching has been done on-line via BigBlueButton. All
material is available on the Moodle surface. There are also recordings for the
October sessions. The BigBlueButton sessions are also
recorded in principle, but the unit on November 11 was not recorded due to
technical problems. As a consequence, we switched to Collaborate, which proved
to work much better. Fortunately, currently I can teach from my office, which
benefits the quality of the transmission.
·
The midterm test
was on December 2; like all other tests currently, it was done on-line
‘digitally’. Also, role-model tests had been uploaded on Moodle. Results have
been sent to participants.
·
Please note that
the sequence of course units does not follow the pattern provided in u:space any more, as we do not need physical classrooms.
Nonetheless, I will not teach beyond January 20, as participants may already
have allotted their personal schedules accordingly. This final test uses course
material that has been taught until (and including) January 13. The unit on
January 18 is reserved for repetition.
·
The final test will be on January 20, 9:45-11:15am. This time
slot follows the preferences of those participants who voted (thank you for
voting). It will be another on-line
test, just like the midterm test. Note that even the final test will not be an
“exam”, no registration is required, there will not be any alternative dates.
·
The material on
instrumental variables that had to be skipped this year is made available to
participants via Moodle. It is not relevant for the final test.
Course information for 040216 Macroeconomics
(MA)
·
Since November 9,
teaching has been switched from asynchronous (voice-over) to synchronous via
Blackboard Collaborate. Sessions are also recorded, so they can be watched
later. All material is accessible to participants via the Moodle surface.
·
The first exam date will be on January 27. On advice from the study
advisor, it has now been decided that this exam will be online only. Note that this is an exam, and you must register for
the exam, the registration for the course does not suffice.
·
Three more exam
dates will be provided, all in the summer semester (March to June 2021).
Link to course material for SS 2020, for reference
Link to course material for WS 2019, for reference
Link to course material from SS 2019, for reference
Link to course material from WS 2018, for reference
Link to course material from SS 2018, for reference
Link to course material from WS 2017, for reference
Link to course material from SS 2017, for reference
Link to course material from WS 2016, for reference
Link to
course material from SS 2016, for reference
Link to
course material from WS 2015, for reference
Link
to course material from SS 2015, for reference
Link to
course material from WS 2014, for reference
Link to
course material from SS 2013, for reference
Link to course material from WS 2012, for reference
Link to
course material from SS 2012, for reference
Link to
course material from WS 2011, for reference