# 2022 Summer Workshops Battle Plan

Battle plan for the [African](https://quantecon.github.io/ASE_ENSEA_workshop/) and [Indian](https://quantecon.github.io/indian_summer_workshop/) QuantEcon summer workshops 2022.

## Suggested Structure of the Workshops

This section discusses how the workshops will run.

### Week 0 (week prior to start date)

* Live lectures and tutorials for TAs to explain material and check understanding.
* Prepare and populate Google classroom

### Week 1

This week will be 100% asynchonous.

* One pre-recorded introductory lecture that explains how the workshop will run.
* Five relatively easy lectures: pre-recorded video plus slides or notebooks (see below).
* An actively monitored forum, with TAs doing most of responding.
* An exam, where the best 100 (?) are selected. (Dro)

### Week 2

This week will be a mix of asynchronous and live tutes.

* Five harder lectures: pre-recorded video plus slides or notebooks (see below).
* Live tutorials in groups of 20 (?), run by the lecturer of the day and TAs
* Exam for certificate?

**Notes (25-May-2022)**

Tom's Vision

1. Start with Elementary Workshop (Python Programming)
2. Advanced lectures point to each other and students can to self-guided learning and self select into lectures.
3. (Interactivity?) Pre-specified small number of online lectures with Q&A. Interactivity is a major cost driver, along with scale.
4. Setup a Forum (to encourage async interaction component) to serve as the main extend of interaction

## Suggested content

### Week 1

1. (**TS**) Introduction to Python (Working in Colab, Basic Python, OOP, etc.)
2. (**JS**) Scientific computing in Python (NumPy, SciPy, JAX, etc.)
3. (**MM**) Data science with Python (pandas, working with data)
4. (**JS**) Markov chains (Simulations, stationary distributions, ergodicity)
5. (**JS**) Asset pricing (Risk neutral pricing, SDFs, options, pricing cash
flows, Neumann series lemma)

### Week 2

2. (**JS**) Optimal stopping (Banach's theorem in finite dimensions, job
search, American options, firm entry and exit)
1. (**JS**) Finite Markov decision processes (theory and applications, algorithms)
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?

### Tom's Suggestions

#### Baby

1. Python basics (functions, classes, containers, pandas) to teach basics.

#### Intermediate

1. Law of Large Numbers and CLT
2. Permanant Income Model
3. Two Meanings of Probability
4. Multivariate Normal Distributions
5. Univariate Time Series with Linear Algebra
6. Finite Markov Chains (+ Extension: Asset Pricing)

3-Day Subgroup:
1. Rational Expectations Equilibrium
2. Cass Coopmans 1 & 2 (Big K, Little K)
3. LQ Foundations
4. Two Problems that Stump Milton Friedman (After Dynamic Programming)

#### Ambitious

1.

- [ ] Check Tom's Youtube channel.

## Discussion Points

* Are we still happy with Google classrooms and Colab?
* Which meeting platform to use for tutes?
* Share TAs across two summer workshops?
* Identify TAs. (JS has some students who might help.)

## To-do List

* Email responding students to let them know they are registered.
* Add dates to https://quantecon.github.io/indian_summer_workshop/
* Tom to find out dates
* Contact TAs. (JS has some students who might help.)
* Make videos!
* @mmcky to look at supporting Problem Sets in Google Colab
* @mmcky to continue investigating the infrastructure required for tracked assesments in case we want to conduct exams and generated certificates.