Following are links to training courses offered in economics of education. Both upcoming and past courses are listed. Whenever possible, course presentations, reading materials and relevant websites and resources are provided.
Economics of Education and the Economic Analysis of Education Projects, 2008
This course is intended for staff with an interest in the economic of education and for those involved in the application of economic analysis in education projects. It will focus on appropriate public sector roles, project versus sector justification, impact evaluation, and an introduction to incorporating learning outcomes in projects.
Economics of Education and the Economic Analysis of Education Projects, 2006
This course is intended for economists involved in the economic analysis of education projects. It will focus on three important areas of analysis that are found to be in need of improvement: appropriate public sector roles, fiscal impact analysis, and project versus sector justification; as well as an introduction to impact evaluation.
Economic Analysis of Education Projects II, 2000
This course is intended for economists involved in the economic analysis of education projects. It will focus on three important areas of analysis that are found to be in need of improvement, appropriate private-public sector roles, fiscal impact analysis and project versus sector rates of return.
Economic Analysis of Education Projects: One-Day Foundational Training, 1998
This course provides participants with a broad overview of key concepts in the economics of education and their application in Bank-financed projects. It consists of a morning of lectures by experts on: (i) the policy context in the education sector; (ii) human capital theory and benefit-cost analysis in education; (iii) the role of the public and private sectors in education; and (iv) techniques for comparing alternative investments in education. The afternoon session features a workshop with case studies to illustrate applied economic analysis. The discussion is facilitated by a team of resource persons drawn from across the Bank.
The attached hands-on modules provide application tools for economic analysis in the education sector. To facilitate self-paced learning, instruction manuals, learning materials, worksheets and solutions are available on-line, allowing users to download files and perform exercises at their workstations and at their own pace. Templates provided can be used to develop customized project analysis worksheets.
School Amalgamation in Barbados: A Cost-Benefit Exercise
Course Objectives: In this module participants learn how to apply the techniques of cost-benefit analysis to assess alternative options for school amalgamation. Using a Bank-financed project in Barbados as a case study the module shows participants how to identify the alternative options, set up the calculations, and use the framework to inform policy discussions about the various options.
Mauritius Higher and Technical Education Project: Case Study
Course Objectives: Based on the analysis in a Bank-financed project, this module shows participants how to set up a cost-benefit evaluation of an investment to increase the number of university graduates. Beyond assessing overall returns to the project it also shows participants how to analyze the distribution of returns among the various stakeholders--students, the government, and the university. The results are then used to assess the policy implications with regard to financing arrangements.
See also Pedro Belli, Qaisar Khan and George Psacharopoulos (1999). "Assessing a higher education project: a Mauritius feasibility study." Applied Economics 31, 27-35.
Structural Weaknesses in Education: Implications for Project Selection
(Alain Mingat and Jee-Peng Tan)
Course Objectives: This module provides participants with simple tools to diagnose problems in the structure of education systems. It shows (a) how to document and use student flow profiles to identify bottlenecks in the structure of the education system, beginning with entry rates at grade 1 and moving on to subsequent grade-to-grade progression and transition between cycles of education; and (b) how to derive implications from the analysis regarding the ranking of possible interventions to improve the pattern of student flow.
RR: A Program to Estimate the Rate of Return to Investment in Education
Course Objectives: The objective of this module is to introduce participants to concepts in human capital theory and to show how they relate to the calculation of rates of return. Users have the opportunity to make estimates using a data set and a special software supplied at the course. They are also welcome to bring their own data sets for analysis in class.
Cost Analysis in Education: Basic Concepts and Estimation Evaluating the Efficiency of Resource Allocation to Schools
Course Objectives: In this three-part module participants learn how to perform analysis on the cost of education. The first part shows how simple manipulations of aggregate cost data can be used to improve understanding about the structure of costs and its underlying determinants. The second part goes beyond aggregate data to consider the distribution of costs across schools, with exercise to illustrate the diagnosis of possible misallocation of public spending on education across schools. The third part of the module provides participants the opportunity to apply the concepts and techniques from the first two parts, using data for an actual country.
Equity in Education: A Two-Part Hands-On Training Module
Course Objectives: In this module participants will learn about key concepts in the analysis of equity in education as well as techniques to perform the analysis. It shows how to distinguish between two important sources of inequity: that arising from the education system's structural characteristics in terms of overall enrollment and financing arrangements; and that arising from the socio-economic profile of students. Participants work with data to document both sources of inequity, using the framework to simulate the impact of policy options in the education sector.
The Economics of Language: Application to Education
A. Microdata Analysis of Language Skills and Earnings
B. Bilingual Education: Costs and Benefits
Course Objectives: This module offers participants an overview of the analysis of linguistic minorities in developing and transitional economies. It will address issues relating to linguistic heterogeneity, data gathering and data analysis. The hands-on exercises will show: (a) how to analyze the relation between linguistic diversity and economic growth; (b) how to perform cost-benefit analysis of bilingual education; and (c) how to estimate private returns from dominant language proficiency. You can access the power point presentations by clicking on the following titles "The Economics of Language" by Harry Anthony Patrinos and "The Economics of Language: Application to Education" by Barry R. Chiswick.
- Microdata Analysis of Language Skills and Earnings
The first exercise uses a very simple model of an economy to demonstrate the potential
adverse effects of linguistic heterogeneity on the aggregate level of income (GDP) and on
the income of segments of the population, in particular, economically disadvantaged
groups. The second module provides exercises on basic statistical techniques and the use
of microdata to analyze the determinants of dominant language skills among linguistic
minorities and the relation between language skills and earnings in the labor market.
- Bilingual Education: Costs and Benefits
This exercise assigns participants the task of comparing the economic benefits of options
for learning the metropolitan language in primary schools.
Economic Analysis of Educational Technology
Course Objectives: This module provides participants with basic techniques to assess the costs and benefits of investments in educational technology. It uses two specific applications of technology in education--computer assisted instruction and distance learning--to illustrate the key concepts and techniques. Participants work with data to define cost functions, analyze the benefits in terms of learning outcomes and labor market performance, and combine the data to assess the implications for policy and project interventions.
Policy Issues in Girl's Schooling: A Three-Part Training Module
Course Objectives:In this three-part course, participants will learn techniques to address generic policy issues relating to girls' schooling. Part 1 will focus on the diagnosis of perceived problems in girls' schooling, including assessment of the loci of these problems in the structure of education systems. Part 2 will shift to evaluation of potential policy options to improve schooling outcomes for girls, using regression and simulation analyses. Part 3 will show how to consolidate the analysis to design cost-effective and contextually-responsive policy or project packages. The techniques are generally applicable to the analysis of disparities in schooling across population groups defined by criteria other than gender.
Comparative Policy Analysis in Education: A Three-Part Training Module
Course Objectives: The course is designed to enhance the skills of Bank staff in comparative policy analysis. It provides participants with practical tools to conduct the analysis, as well as analytical concepts to interpret the results for their policy implications. The module moves systematically from simple comparative analysis to consider comparisons of structural differences in education systems, comparisons adjusted for differences in economic context, and comparisons of system efficiency . It also shows how to consolidate the various pieces of analysis into succinct country profiles that can be used to develop policy dialogue strategies and identify priorities for future analytical work. The course was taught using a combination of lecture and self-paced hands-on computer manipulation by each participant. In order to benefit fully from the course, participants will need to have a good working knowledge of Excel.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Education
Cost Effectiveness Analysis of Education: A Two-Part Training Module Course Objectives: The course is intended to enhance course participants' skill in the following areas: (a) appreciation of the policy context for cost-effeciteveness analysis; (b) understanding of the steps involved in the analysis; (c) ability to draw policy conclusions from the results of cost-effectiveness analysis; and (d) capacity to apply the concepts of cost-effectiveness in policy or project design. In order to benefit fully from the course participants will need to have a good working knowledge of excel..
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