Intermed. Macro

I have taught 22 different sections of Intermediate Macroeconomics (Econ 381) at Brigham Young University since Fall 2008 with a total of 851 students. This class is one of the core courses in the BYU undergraduate economics major. My strategy in teaching the course is to use Mankiw's textbook, Macroeconomics, and augment it with calculus-based treatments of the material where possible. In addition, I finish the course by teaching the students a dynamic general equilibrium model using a two-period-lived agent overlapping generations model. This gives the students a better idea of how real macroeconomic modeling is carried out. It also gives them a basic framework from which they can see what theoretical modeling structures would need to be added in order to answer macroeconomic research questions.

Comparison of my average student evaluations in Econ 381

(max score is 8) since Winter 2012

Since 2012, my students have given my Econ 381 class an overall course rating averaging 7.0 out of 8.0. This compares to the average overall course rating of 6.7 for all sections of Econ 381, 6.5 for all Economics course sections, 6.6 for all courses in the college, and 6.7 for all BYU course sections over that same time period.

Also in my Econ 381 sections since 2012, my students have given me an overall instructor rating averaging 7.4 out of 8.0. This compares to the average instructor rating of 6.9 for all sections of Econ 381, 6.8 for all Economics course sections, 6.9 for all courses in the college, and 7.0 for all BYU course sections over that same time period.

Course Materials for Econ 381 from Winter 2015