Evaluation of Investments in Workforce Education

The mission of WF ED 543 is to develop familiarity with concepts and methods for evaluating investments in economic and workforce development. I have arranged for students enrolled in this course to have access to proprietary software for economic and workforce analysis that is used for policy studies. Students will use IMPLAN (see http://www.implan.com), the U.S. gold standard for economic impact analysis.

Also available will be the REMI Policy Insight model (http://www.remi.com), widely recognized as a world-class simulation model applicable to considering the impact of various policies on workforce education and development.

Work we have completed with these economic models is summarized at http://wedi/psu/edu. In addition, I have created an information market, which is described at http://InformationMarket.notlong.com, through which course participants will aggregate information about various policy issues affecting workforce education and development.

WF ED 543, Evaluation of Investments in WF ED (Schedule Number 385867) is offered on two weekends during Spring Semester 2010 by David L. Passmore, professor of education.

March 26 (6-9pm), March 27 (8am-5pm), and March 28 (8am-5pm)
and April 9 (6-9pm), April 10 (8am-5pm), and April 11 (8am-5pm).

NOTE: The Registrar's web page, "Schedule of Classes WF ED - Spring 2010 - UP" (http://soc.our.psu.edu/soc/spring/Allup/p-z/wf_ed.cfm#) lists "I ED 540, WF ED 542, WF ED 550" as course prerequisites. These courses are not prerequisite to enrollment.

The value of information markets in decision-making is outlined at http://PSU-HRFutures.notlong.com.

Some sites that define and exemplify information markets:

http://www.chrisfmasse.com/ -- The single, best source of comprehensive links about information markets.
http://www.ideosphere.com/ -- One of the longest-running information markets.
http://www.biz.uiowa.edu/iem/ -- Iowa Electronic Markets are probably the best known information market. Only information market to receive a waiver by the SEC to trade in real dollars.

http://fluprediction.uiowa.edu/fluhome/index.html -- Influenza prediction market

Some YouTube videos dealing with information markets: http://YT-DecisionMarket-Vids.notlong.com