DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - TMA 1 Marked and Returned

If the TMA mark hadn't arrived by this evening there would have been an email to my tutor tomorrow asking where it was. There must be some sort of name for this, but not having my TMA marked quickly really adversely effects my ability to study.

The TMA mark was however really motivating, highest first TMA mark I've every had, and as it stands for 20% of the overall OCAS score a really positive start to trying to get over the illusive 85% OCAS needed for a distinction. Although I think getting 85% on the TMAs is one thing, matching that on the dissertation will be the really difficult challenge.

I'll start Part 2 tomorrow, two and a half weeks behind schedule, so thank goodness for the Xmas break.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - TMA01 submitted

It is not due in until the 18th November, but there is pretty much nothing more to be done to it of any consequence, it is as good as its going to get.

Any further editing is just engaging in the law of diminishing returns. Read it, add a comma, read it again, delete a comma - I'm not adding or editing anything of any substance.

So hopefully an early submission will result in an early return, although I am not holding my breath, I seem to get tutors that treat the two week marking deadline as a contractual obligation, while other students seem to have their TMAs marked and returned almost by return of email. As long as my tutor is thorough and fair that will be fine, although thorough and lenient would be even better.

This should have been a pretty straight forward TMA but I found I had to go back to the questions on Part A repeatedly to ensure I was just answered what was asked and not expanding too much as that just caused overlap with the next question and the work count just wouldn't allow for that.

Part B was also tricky in that my first attempt ended up comparing two models which was not what was asked, so a subtle re-write was required to concentrate on the question asked.

I am fairly hopeful of a good mark, and it would be nice to start the course on a high, time will tell.

No excuses now, on with Part Two, and getting ready to grapple with Gretl.

Students Ready!..... Gretl Ready!...... Lets get ready to ....... stumble about blindly with Gretl in in econometric treacle.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 7

Week 7 – Firms in markets: technology, efficiency and productivity

Part	Task
7.1 Firms in markets: technology, efficiency and productivity	Read DEPMP, Book 1, Part I: Chapter 5
7.2 Differences between neoclassical and evolutionary economics	View some short video clips
7.3 Online tutorials – isoquants	Complete Isoquants I – IV
7.4 [Optional] Tutorials 3 and 6	DD202 CD-ROM tutorials (revision material)

	Week 7 is going to have to wait for a bit as this weekend is all about the TMA. Very nearly there, just a bit of tidying up to do, a re-read and probably submit on Monday.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 6

TMA 01

The assignment

Cut-off date: 18 November 2014

The last week has reminded me that I work best working to an imminent deadline, so the past seven days has not been as productive as it would normally be.

Part A is pretty much done, just needs a bit of a tidy up and check that everything has been covered.

Part B, I'm about 750 words in. Introduction and definitions covered eleaves about 1000words for the body of the argument and the conclusion. I know what I am going to write, I just need to sit down and get stuck in. Today is out of the question with family commitments and tomorrow we're off to see the Dallas Cowboys at Wembly, so that's this weekend written off study-wise. Just as well we still have another week to go.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 5

Review week

I am not sure what review week is for, but it gives everyone an extra week for the TMA so better use it wisely.

Finished Chapter 4, it was interesting but I didn't see an obvious essay answer poking out. I'll have to go over it again but with the essay question in mind.

The econometrics tutorials have been hard going. GRTL doesn't seem that intuitive and usually I love stats and graphs, so struggling with this is a disappointment. I think I will need to plough through these in case we need something from it for the TMA answer.

I have bought the textbook "Economics" by Begg et al. It is not cheap, but it has already explained a couple of things that were not answered fully at the tutorial. I think I'll be dipping in to this book a lot.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 4

Week 4 – Well-being, power and inequality within households

Part	Task
4.1 Well-being, power and inequality within households	Read DEPMP, Book 1, Part I: Chapter 4
4.2 Amartya Sen on gender and inequality in economics	View some short video clips
4.3 Online tutorial – econometrics	Complete Econometrics I and Practice exercises I

Its been an incredibly busy week both at work and at home. If I wasn't actually actively involved in doing something - be that work or home chores such as cooking, cleaning or emergency DIY (don't ask, I'm not a plumber to trade, I may well be qualified and experienced now ......), I was just too tired to read and concentrate on what was on the page.

Consequently, I have not made great headway into what appears to be a very interesting Chapter 4, so the week ahead of schedule that I'd banked has now evaporated...... What I have read is the theory of why we should be happier together as couples fron an economics point of view. The book makes much of the graphical model and how both the man and woman (obviously a very traditional idea of a couple and I'm sure nothing is inferred by this) can be happier being together. The book hasn't yet looked at the part of the model that shows both could be far more miserable, but perhaps economists are hopelessly optimistic romantics, I know I am 😊

On the up-side, I am fairly relaxed about Part 1 of the TMA, and as soon as I read Chapter 4 I'll know how I feel about Part 2. It does seem a lot of words to write on a very small question but this could be a very big subject.

Hopefully, life is about to return to normal and study will recommence shortly.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 3

Week 3 – Saving and working: decisions over time

Part	Task
3.1 Saving and working: decisions over time	Read DEPMP, Book 1, Part I: Chapter 3
3.2 Saving behaviour and savings policy	View some short video clips
3.3 Online tutorials – indifference curves	Complete Indifference curves V and VI
3.4 Econometrics – getting started	Getting started with gretl and revision with the DD202 tutorials
3.5 Online tutorial – econometrics	Start Econometrics I and Practice exercises I

Week 3's reading has been very interesting, but the model appears to rely on some huge simplifications and assumptions regarding relative opportunity costs and how things work in the real world, which you need to accept or ignore in order to move forward with the points they are trying to make.

Once you can do this, it is relatively straight forward and exactly what you need for TMA Part 1.

I have had a look forward to TMA1 - Part A, and it is pretty much covered by the Indifference Curve Online Tutorials, especially tutorials 5 & 6, so I guess if every point they make in the tutorial is reflected in the TMA answer you will pretty much be there or thereabouts.

First of three face to face tutorials, about a third of the tutor group attended which considering how far some came to be there was a pretty good attendance. As usual they were a nice bunch of people from very diverse backgrounds and ages, and I probably got more out of meting them at the tutorial than actually learning anything particularly new.


Deflation Update
Bank of England announced in the last couple of days that interest rates will remain low until next autumn which should help inflationary pressures in the short term, but Europe's problems are, I think, still the biggest threat to the UK recovery.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 2

Week 2 – Consumption

Part	Task
2.1 Consumption	Read DEPMP, Book 1, Part I: Chapter 2
2.2 Consumption in a recession	View a short film
2.3 Online tutorials – indifference curves	Complete Indifference curves I–IV

I am enjoying this course so far. Indifference curves make sense, well pretty much most of the time. The explanation seems logical and reasonable....... and I like it.

I have a feeling however that a shock must be just around the corner.

Now on to Week 3 in an effort to keep slightly ahead.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 1

	Week 1 – Industrial capitalism, markets and economics Part Task 1.1 Explore the DD309 study materials Read online welcome letter 1.2 Using forums in DD309 Read forum information 1.3 Industrial capitalism, markets and economics Read DEPMP, Book 1, Part I, Chapter 1 1.4 Rethinking market economics View a short film 1.5 Online tutorials: Game theory Complete Game theory I and Game theory II 1.6 [Optional] Tutorial 3: Modelling demand DD202 CD-ROM tutorial (revision material)
	Even before you get to 1.3 and opened the book for the first time (were you to do everything in the order suggested)  there was quite a bit of reading in 1.1 and 1.2. The main message I took from these sections was that Level 3 courses will be a bit of a step up from Level 2, a far bigger step than that from Level 1 to Level 2
	The TMAs on their own are around 50% bigger in terms of word count and require a far better standard of answer than I have been used to for the last three years.( Writing at Level 3 ) From the DD309 Course Webpage the TMAs are made up of the following sections. TMA/EMA Cut-off date Word limit Weighting 01 18 Nov. 2014 Part A: 800 Part B: 1800 20% (substitutable) 02 6 Jan. 2015 Part A: 700 Part B: 700 Part C: 1400 20% (substitutable) 03 10 Feb. 2015     Part A: 800 Part B: 1500 20% (substitutable) 04 10 Mar 2015 Part A: 800 Part B: 1500 15% (substitutable) 05 21 April 2015 Part A: 1200 Part B: 800 15% (substitutable) 06 12 May 2015 1200 10% (non-substitutable) EMA 5 June 2015 5000
	So, if nothing else this demonstrates the need to keep up to schedule, I'm not going to be able to wing a 2600 TMA in a day or so........ At least Chapter 1 was fairly straight forward and I still remember and understand the game theory sections from DD209, so not too much of a study shock from Week 1. GRETL and the accompanying data sets for Part 1 are downloaded and installed, but as yet I've not attempted to do anything with them. TUTORIALS Mid-week last week the tutorial dates came through, and then went away again.....and then came back. Initially I was very disappointed at there only being three face to face tutorials and the rest, five I think, are online. I like the chance to meet other students face to face and this has been severely reduced now. The DD309 that is running now had tutorials in London and they seemed to meet up before/after for drinks/discussions which seems a good idea, but now I will be driving that is less likely especially if there is only three tutorials as it doesn't really afford the opportunity to develop relationips. On the plus side it will cut down on traveling and getting up really early, and as long as the 'technicals' are up to speed, it may be a fairly efficient way to do tutorials...... we will see.
	It would appear that the tutorials are a real lottery. Those in London, Tonbridge and Cardiff have 6 face to face tutorials, while those in Ireland have only two face to face tutorials, so there doesn't seem to be any set standards for the learning experience.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - The Course Website Opens

The course website is open and looks a pretty familiar setup which is good. As this is a fairly mature course there will hopefully not be some of the problems we came across in DD209's first year.

No news yet on my tutor or tutorial dates, but hopefully that will come soon.