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 Content Example Assignment
August 23
(Session 1)		 Evaluation and the causal revolution
August 30 Problem set 1  (submit by 11:59 PM)
August 30
(Session 2)		 Regression and inference
August 30 Weekly check-in 2  (submit by noon)
September 7 Problem set 2  (submit by 11:59 PM)
September 7
(Session 3)		 Theories of change and logic models
(No class because of Labor Day—we’ll talk about this content in class on September 13)
September 7 Weekly check-in 3  (submit by noon)
September 13 Evaluation: Background and theory  (submit by 11:59 PM)
September 13
(Session 4)		 Measurement and DAGs
September 13 Weekly check-in 4  (submit by noon)
September 20 Evaluation: Measurement  (submit by 11:59 PM)
September 20
(Session 5)		 DAGs and potential outcomes
September 20 Weekly check-in 5  (submit by noon)
September 27 Evaluation: Causal model  (submit by 11:59 PM)
September 27
(Session 6)		 Threats to validity
September 27 Weekly check-in 6  (submit by noon)
October 4 Evaluation: Threats to validity  (submit by 11:59 PM)
October 4–10 Exam 1  (complete by 11:59 PM on October 10)
Tools and methods Content Example Assignment
October 4
(Session 7)		 Randomization and matching
October 4 Weekly check-in 7  (submit by noon)
October 11 Problem set 3  (submit by 11:59 PM)
October 11
(Session 8)		 Difference-in-differences I
October 11 Weekly check-in 8  (submit by noon)
October 18 Problem set 4  (submit by 11:59 PM)
October 18
(Session 9)		 Difference-in-differences II
October 18 Weekly check-in 9  (submit by noon)
October 25 Problem set 5  (submit by 11:59 PM)
October 25
(Session 10)		 Regression discontinuity I
October 25 Weekly check-in 10  (submit by noon)
November 1 Problem set 6  (submit by 11:59 PM)
November 1
(Session 11)		 Instrumental variables I
November 1 Weekly check-in 11  (submit by noon)
November 8 Problem set 7  (submit by 11:59 PM)
November 8
(Session 12)		 Instrumental variables II + Regression discontinuity II
November 8 Weekly check-in 12  (submit by noon)
November 15 Problem set 8  (submit by 11:59 PM)
November 15–21 Exam 2  (complete by 11:59 PM on November 21)
Applied evaluation Content Example Assignment
November 15
(Session 13)		 Choosing and planning ethical evaluations
November 15 Weekly check-in 13  (submit by noon)
December 6 (new!) Problem set 9  (submit by 11:59 PM)
November 29
(Session 14)		 Ethics, stories, and curiosity
November 29 Weekly check-in 14  (submit by noon)
December 6 In-class open work session
Final Content Example Assignment
December 13 Final project due  (submit by 11:59 PM)