DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - TMA03 Marked and Returned

A quick turn around for this TMA which is really good for me, back in less than a week which really means no excuses for not cracking on with the work.

And another stunning mark, which is really, really motivating. I don't think I am doing that much different this year than I did last year, but whatever it is I am doing this year my tutor seems to like it.

But no time to rest, on to TMA04.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - TMA03 Submitted

TMA03 finally got finished and submitted. I am not really happy with either part. 

Part A Q4 was a bit difficult to understand what was required and I followed the student notes but can't really see what could be written for the 10 marks - I guess I'll find out shortly.

Part B, this just seemed like a  trip through chapter 10, pretty much summarising what the book said and making it relevant to leisure services. If you hadn't read the book it would seem a pretty good essay, however knowing the contents of chapter 10 it is only multiple references to the chapter's author that stops this being plagiarism - well its maybe not that bad, but I don't really feel I have engaged fully with this section.

Oh well, now a two week wait for the result.........

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 17

Week 17 – Block 4: Optional chapters

Part	Task
17.1 Overview of the optional themes for Block 4	Learn about the four Block 4 themes and choose one of them
17.2 Environmental Economics	Browse the chapters for this theme: Chapters 11, 12 and 13 and video clips
17.3 Economics and Society	Browse the chapters for this theme: Chapters 14, 15 and 16 and video clips
17.4 Business and Innovation	Browse the chapters for this theme: Chapters 17, 18 and 19 and video clips
17.5 Finance	Browse the chapters for this theme: Chapters 17, 20 and 21
17.6 Environmental Economics I	Read DEPMP: Chapter 11
17.7 Economics and Society I	Read DEPMP: Chapter 14
17.8 Business and Innovation I	Read DEPMP: Chapter 17
17.9 Finance I	Read DEPMP: Chapter 17

P A N I C  has now set in !

TMA03 will be finished by the deadline on the 10th Feb, but it will be being written right up to the 11th hour.

Haven't touched the dreaded econometrics Week 15 work yet, so now one big week behind where I would ideally be..... but worse than that we should be starting the process of choosing a theme and I need to get this cracked before next weekends tutorial.

I really don't fancy Finance, so that is out, Business and Innovation and Environmental Economics are not really my thing, so I guess it will have to be Economics and Society which is what I am most interested in anyway.

So three chapters to read and some video clips to watch, and a project question to dream up.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 16

TMA 03

The assignment

Cut-off date: 10 February


Chapter 9 was dreary and dreadful. Poorly written and overly wordy it took what could have been fairly interesting topics and made a real dogs diner of presenting them in an interesting fashion. I have finished the chapter, but it was a struggle and I'd be hard pressed to tell you much of what it was about.

So, 10 days to get Chapter 10 read and the essay written, I just hope chapter 10 is better written.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 15

Week 15 – What do my estimates really mean?

Part	Task
15.1 Online tutorial - What do my estimates really mean?	Complete Econometrics III and Practice exercises III

Welfare Economics and Social Choice (Chapter 9 - yeah, I know, fairly seriously behind again)

This is the section of economics that I thought I would be most interested in but Chapter 9 is written in a manner that I find really difficult to wade through. The author seems to take great delight in dressing up what are comparatively straightforward concepts in unnecessarily complicated language, which just takes longer than it should to read and understand.

So, I am less than impressed, but I need to get through this and Chapter 10 and get the essay written.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Helpful Edgeworth Box tutorials

I found these YouTube videos very helpful when looking at TMA03 Part 1, and the second video with the American guy was especially good.

I'm sure there are many more equally as good video tutorials out there and the Khan Academy are also usually very good, but I thought his explanation of getting to equilibrium but adjusting price was very good.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 14 & TMA02 Marked and Returned

Week 14 – Visible hands: economists and the design of government

Part	Task
14.1 Visible hands: economists and the design of government	Read DEPMP, Book 1, Part II: Chapter 10
14.2 Behavioural economics: Richard Thaler	View some short video clips
14.3 Adam Smith and alternative views of motivation	View some short video clips

Received my TMA02 this morning. Extremely pleased with the mark, just slightly down on the last TMA, so well on track to getting the target score I need in the TMAs to get a distinction in this module - however the EMA is now the big worry in this respect, as I am no clearer on what is required or what I will do for it, and a good score in the TMAs is meaningless unless you can equal it in the EMA.

I also feel a bit of a fraud regarding the TMA marks. It is more a victory for systematic essay planning, well presented diagrams and reasonable prose than any masterful explanation of economic theories. Apart from the econometrics, which everyone seems to hate, the two TMAs so far have been a bit pedestrian in terms of their difficulty.

The TMA result has restored the missing motivation and enthusiasm, so I'll get down to getting some more Edgeworth diagrams crafted this weekend and try and put Part 1 of TMA03 to bed and get some reading done.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 13

Week 13 – Welfare economics and social choice

Part	Task
13.1 Welfare economics and social choice	Read DEPMP, Book 1, Part II: Chapter 9
13.2 New directions in welfare (happiness and the capabilities approach)	View a short film

A long train journey and Chapter 8 was read and pretty much understood. It didn't really seem to be a full chapter's worth of new ideas, but it did go over the slight re-use of already well hammered out concepts in great detail. I hope this chapter on Welfare economics starts getting challenging, as so far this course has been a bit disappointing in terms of being stretched academically.

At some point in the near future our EMA project subjects and ideas have to be decided on and at this stage I have no idea, absolutely nothing, completely bank, inspiration negative.

Well I can get the first part of the next TMA completed now, and then hopefully the last TMA result will arrive.

DD309 : Doing economics: people, markets and policy - Week 12

Week 12 – General equilibrium: efficiency, welfare and redistribution

Part	Task
12.1 General equilibrium: efficiency, welfare and redistribution	Read DEPMP, Book 1, Part II: Chapter 8
12.2 Amartya Sen on justice and injustice This section of the course sounds as though it will be really interesting. Economics mixed with political ideology with a bit of philosophical social justice thrown in. But itis going to have to wait, the next three days are given over to thdTMA, driving the length of the country and looking after elderly relatives. It is just as well I am off work on Monday.	View some short video clips

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.