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Richard J. Light
Professor of Education and Public Policy
Courses Taught
Professor Light teaches two courses at the Kennedy School of Government:
- Empirical Analysis and Program Evaluation (API-205)
- Three Education Controversies: Examining the Evidence (HLE-342)
Course 1 (alphabetical order)
API-205 - Empirical Analysis and Program Evaluation
Description:
Provides a broad overview of ways to gather, analyze and interpret data to
improve management. Combines statistics and basic program evaluation. Topics
include standard statistical methods, such as probability distributions, distributions of
sample proportions and sample means, confidence intervals; hypothesis testing, regression
and correlation analysis; and chi-square analyses for data in tables. Issues of
research design are also considered, including random and stratified sampling, and
randomization versus observational studies. Classes will emphasize three themes for
managers: choosing an effective design to gather data, analyzing imperfect or messy
data; and interpreting findings from several studies to make a decision. There are
no pre-requisites. No calculus is used. The course has three, in-class exams.
Also offered by the School of Education as GSE H-013.
PROSPECTUS:
API-205 Prospectus l999
SYLLABUS
API-205 Syllbus 1999
Course 2
HLE-342 Three Education Controversies: Examining the Evidence
Description
Educational leaders who want to implement good practive in schools can
benefit from close examination of empirical findings. When do students learn best,
and how are schools most effectively organized to enhance such learning? This
seminar explores three such questions in depth: ability grouping of students, the impact
of different class sizes on learning, and how the diverse backgrounds students bring to
schools can affect how they are taught and how they learn. Each student will
examine difficult controversies surrounding these topics. The emphasis throughout is
on separating hunches from concrete evidence now available to guide policy in schools.
The statistical topic of meta-analysis will be introduced. Student
obligations are three short papers, and one final paper. Prerequisite: One
semester of research methods or statistics. Enrollment limited. Also offered
by the Graduate School of Education as H-037.
PROSPECTUS
HLE-342 Prospectus l999
SYLLABUS
HLE-342 Syllabus 1999
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