eLearnAfrica
Behavioral Economics in Action
University of Toronto
  • Start Date: 04 Apr, 2016
  • Self-Paced
  • Study Content: Videos


Learn how to use behavioral economics to design experiments and develop tools to help people make better decisions.

Course Fee: Free
Certificate Cost: 49.00 USD
Enrol Now

Introduction

Introduction Video

Course Description

This course is made available through the eLearnAfrica and Edx partnership.

How can we get people to save more money, eat healthy foods, engage in healthy behaviors, and make better choices in general? There has been a lot written about the fact that human beings do not process information and make decisions in an optimal fashion. This course builds on much of the fascinating work in the area of behavioral economics and allows learners to develop a hands-on approach by understanding its methods and more importantly, how it can be harnessed by suitably designing contexts to “nudge” choice.


In three modules, learners will be able to a). explain and interpret the principles underlying decision-making and compare the nudging approach to other methods of behavior change, b). learn how to critique, design and interpret the results of experiments; and c). design nudges and decision-tools to help people make better decisions.


Understanding experimental design and interpretation is central to your ability to truly use behavioral economics and will set you apart from people who merely know about the behavioral research. After the first two weeks learning the basic principles, we will devote two weeks to studying experimental design and analysis, and the final two weeks to understanding processes for designing nudges and for helping people make better decisions.


You will also witness and participate in weekly topical debates on various topics like “does irrationality impact welfare?” or “what strategy is better for improving welfare – nudging or education?” If you’ve been fascinated with the buzz surrounding behavioral economics but are not sure how to actually use it, this course is for you.


Several leading scholars, policy makers, business people, authors and commentators will briefly join our debate and discussion sections. These guest lecturers include Professor Sendhil Mullainathan (Harvard University), Professor John Lynch (University of Colorado), Rory Sutherland (Ogilvy Group), Owain Service (Behavioural Insights Team, UK Cabinet Office), Shankar Vedantam (NPR Columnist and Author – The Hidden Brain), Professors Andrew Ching, Avi Goldfarb, Nina Mazar, and Claire Tsai, Min Zhao (University of Toronto) and many others!

Certificate cost may vary. You will be redirected to the host page for cost and payment options.

Getting Started

edX Basics

Certificates

MicroMasters

Account

The Courses

Financial Assistance

For more information, please visit the edX FAQ page.

University of Toronto

Established in 1827, the University of Toronto is a vibrant and diverse academic community. It includes 80,000 students, 12,000 colleagues holding faculty appointments, 200 librarians, and 6,000 staff members across three distinctive campuses and at many partner sites, including world-renowned hospitals. With over 800 undergraduate programs, 150 graduate programs, and 40 professional programs, U of T attracts students of the highest calibre, from across Canada and from 160 countries around the world. The University is one of the most respected and influential institutions of higher education and advanced research in the world. Its strengths extend across the full range of disciplines: the 2012-13 Times Higher Education ranking groups the University of Toronto with Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Columbia, Cambridge, Oxford, the University of Melbourne, and the University of Michigan as the only institutions in the top 27 in all 6 broad disciplinary areas. The University is also consistently rated one of Canada’s Top 100 employers, and ranks with Harvard and Yale for the top university library resources in North America.

This institution is available on eLearnAfrica through partnership with Edx.

You may be able to download course materials after enrolling in this course. If not, all of the necessary course materials provided by the course instructor will be available on the provider's course page.
COLLABORATION POLICY

By enrolling in a course on or through eLearnAfrica, you are joining a special worldwide community of learners. The aspiration of eLearnAfrica is to provide anyone with an internet connection access to courses from the best universities and institutions in the world and to provide our learners the best educational experience internet technology enables. You are a part of the community that will help eLearnAfrica achieve this goal. eLearnAfrica depends upon your motivation to learn the material and to do so with honesty and academic integrity. In order to participate in eLearnAfrica, you must agree to the Honor Code below and any additional terms specific to a class.

ELEARNAFRICA HONOR CODE PLEDGE

By enrolling in a course, program, or degree hosted on the eLearnAfrica App or Site, I agree that I will:

  • Complete all tests and assignments on my own, unless collaboration on an assignment is explicitly permitted.

  • Maintain only one user account and not let anyone else use my username and/or password.

  • Not engage in any activity that would dishonestly improve my results, or improve or hurt the results of others.

  • Not post answers to problems that are being used to assess student performance.

  • Abide by any and all requirements of the eLearnAfrica Participants as may regard the expectations of civil or academic behavior or of community standards.

VIOLATIONS

If you are found in violation of the Terms and Conditions or Honor Code, you may be subject to one or more of the following actions:

  • Receiving a zero or no credit for an assignment;

  • Having any certificate earned in the course withheld or revoked;

  • Being unenrolled from a course, learning program or degree program; or

  • Termination of your use of the App and/or Site.

  • Additional actions may be taken at the sole discretion of eLearnAfrica and eLearnAfrica course providers. 

No refunds will be issued in the case of any corrective action for such violations.

Honor code violations will be determined at the sole discretion of eLearnAfrica, the Partners, or Members. You will be notified if a determination has been made that you have violated this honor code and you will be informed of the corresponding action to be taken as a result of the violation.

CHANGING THE HONOR CODE

Please note that we review and may make changes to this Honor Code from time to time. Any changes to this Honor Code will be effective immediately upon posting on this page, with an updated effective date. By accessing the App and/or Site after any changes have been made, you signify your agreement on a prospective basis to the modified Honor Code and any changes contained therein. Be sure to return to this page periodically to ensure familiarity with the most current version of this Honor Code.

Effective Date: September 22, 2016