Course Writing Assignments
Writing Resources Assignment 1 Assignment 2 Assignment 3
Frequent comments I get with the writing assignments and my responses.
(1) I understand the concepts in class/ when solving problems but when I try to apply it to the real world through writing assignments I find it very difficult.
Response: You find it difficult because application is a hard skill, for all of us. That is exactly why we need to practice it! Your education has value because you develop skills that allow you to when given a real-world problem, to figure out what the essential features are, draw on your concept toolbox to work through it, communicate and defend your reasoning clearly. You will not be given a nice problem to solve that you have seen before with one right answer. Tying our concepts to the real world also makes 206 more relevant, interesting and fun (yes, fun, really!)
(2) You only want us use to 206 concepts but I want to write about other concepts I learnt in Eco 100.
Response: The goal in Eco 100 is to give you an overview of economic concepts and introduce to you thinking like an economist. At the 200 level, you dive deeper.
In an open-ended real world problem there are lots of concepts you can use. I focus on the 206 because (1) My goal is to teach you to apply and communicate 206 concepts and (2) Using Eco 100 results in a superficial analysis and when employed as an economist you are paid for your in-depth analysis. If I can get your analysis by stopping a random person on the street, why should I pay you?
As you see in class, and on the course learning objectives it is very important to me that you understand the assumptions behind and the limitations of your analysis. Focusing on 206 concepts allows you to practise this for our concepts. You will do the same in other classes for other concepts and by the end of your degree you will have a more nuanced in-depth understanding of economics. See RSA Animate’s Economics is for Everyone which animates Ha-Joon Chang talking about the importance of communication, assumptions, nuance and the complexities of the real world.
(3) Writing without jargon is impossible. Economics is complicated and we need jargon.
Response: Jargon allows us to be concise and precise when we communicate with specialists. However, when we communicate with non-specialists (clients, reporters, public etc. ) jargon obscures our message. To have an impact on real world policy we economists need to improve our communication skills. At the undergraduate level, jargon sometimes acts like a crutch and allows us to hide the fact that we have not fully understood the concepts. If Elon Musk can do it we can certainly do it for 206 concepts.
Writing Resources
- The UofT has a great website with lots of good advice – see Writing at the UofT. I would strongly recommend the section on how not to plagiarize . Do not pull a Melania!.
- Know the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing and how to use quotations
- For our class, critical reading is as important as writing so please read that section as well.
- See also Online Resources for Students of English as a Second Language
- Purdue’s Online Writing Lab has a section on how to use the APA citation style. See the in-text and reference list sections in particular.
- There are plenty of online tools to check your grammar, e.g. Grammarly and After the deadline. They are not perfect, but they are useful.
- There are writing centers on campus (and writing plus workshops) to help you. Book your appointments well in advance of deadlines. Note that they cannot help you with content as they do not have the economics knowledge to do so.
- Northwestern University’s NuWrite – Advice from faculty on writing papers in Economics.
Assignment 1
FAQ – will be updated during course
Q: I haven’t written a position paper before and I’m confused – does position paper includes a title? Or do I need to put sub-headings before each paragraph?
A: You don’t need them. A position paper is just a fancy term for a short write-up that argues for a particular position. In your case, it would be arguing for the viewpoint of the students or the professor. You need an introduction, body and conclusion. A title is nice, but not necessary.