| Unit name | Economics of Education |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ECONM0042 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Burgess |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Economics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Education is central to some of the most important public policy issues of our time, including inequality, growth and prosperity, and social mobility. This unit will help you to think like an economist about education: approaching the big debates and the important policy choices using the tools and insights from economic analysis. Of course, education also accounts for a huge part of the lives of young people, and their parents. We will consider the role of genes, families, schools and teachers in shaping the life chances of young people. The unit will focus on evidence and policy whilst also introducing the key theoretical concepts.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is very useful for anyone concentrating on applied economics topics, and for people with a strong interest in policy formation.
By placing strong emphasis on statistical techniques to establish causal relationships, this unit is a natural complement to the courses in econometrics and applied econometrics. The unit will give real world meaning and context to the more abstract discussions of data, estimation and causality in other econometrics units.
There are many important policy debates in education, often full of controversy. Since education is linked to so many other topics, this unit complements units on labour economics, public economics and development economics.
An overview of content
This unit aims to help students apply their knowledge of economics and econometrics to the study of education, typically schools and universities. Topics will include general analysis of human capital formation, the role of family, school resources, teachers and pupils in raising attainment, the appropriate governance, regulation and the market structure for schools. The unit will use theoretical models of investment, incentive structure, and markets to gain insights for studying behaviour, but the unit will focus more on empirical evidence, and in particular on causal studies. The unit aims to build in students an appreciation of the issues involved in education reform, the possibilities and the limitations.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will learn how to think like an economist about a crucial policy area. At the end of the unit, you will be able to
Learning Outcomes
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of lectures, large and small group classes, and supported by online resources.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Weekly discussion of ideas and dedicated classes to review and feedback students' outlined plans for their coursework.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
2000 word assignment, answering a question from a choice of questions. (100%). Assesses ILOs 1-3.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ECONM0042).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
