Economics Video Handbooks

Economics faculty at UC San Diego have developed video handbooks in three fields: Intermediate Microeconomics, Econometrics, and Game Theory. Each video handbook is a comprehensive set of lectures and other materials that can be used by instructors and students in core undergraduate courses and in numerous electives. The video handbooks incorporate a variety of engaging presentation formats, most prominently the Learning Glass technology.

[ IMVH Description Video ] — IMVH Promo Video

[ IMVH Introduction Video ] — IMVH Introduction Video

Students can work through sections of each handbook by viewing lectures in sequence, accessed via an elegant website that clearly shows where topics fit in the overall progression of ideas and concepts. Additionally, students can locate specific topics of interest using a drop-down index with direct links to the videos.

Instructors have used the video handbooks as a supplemental resource for their intermediate undergraduate courses, undergraduate electives, and even some graduate courses. Instructors have also used the video handbooks to “flip” their classroom, where students are required to watch videos before lectures and the instructor uses classroom time to solve problems.

The video handbooks can be used in conjunction with any textbook or in place of a textbook.

Each of the handbooks was created in conjunction with IT Services Educational Technology at UC San Diego. The IMVH and EVH were funded by an Innovative Learning Technology Initiative grant from the Office of the President of the University of California (Melissa Famulari and Joel Watson, Co-Principal Investigators).

Intermediate Microeconomics Video Handbook (IMVH)

The IMVH is a set of over 200 short video lectures, organized into an on-line book that provides a comprehensive treatment of intermediate microeconomics. Concepts are presented intuitively, graphically and algebraically. The video handbook includes separate calculus-based lectures for all relevant topics. The IMVH has been in use for several years at most campuses of the University of California.

The IMVH was designed and developed by the "IM6 faculty members" (Julie Cullen, Melissa Famulari, Simone Galperti, Mark Machina, Paul Niehaus, and Joel Watson) with a grant from the UC Office of the President's Innovative Learning Technology Initiative.

Access:

UCSD Students: There are three ways to access the video handbooks: 1) If the IMVH has not already been added to your class Canvas page, please ask your instructor to add the IMVH or e-mail econ-handbooks@ucsd.edu. Please include the name of the instructor and course number in your request. 2) Access all the video handbooks from the UCSD Canvas public course index (see instructions) or 3) "Purchase" access to the video handbooks (for free) from econvideos.ucsd.edu. Be sure to register with your UCSD email address.
Students at all other UCs: "Purchase" access to the video handbooks (for free) from econvideos.ucsd.edu. Be sure to register with your UC email address.
Individual purchase: We plan to offer the ability to purchase a subscription to the video handbooks at econvideos.ucsd.edu. If you would like to be notified when individual subscription purchase is available, please enter your email address on this form.
College/University purchase: The IMVH is available for universities to purchase for all students and courses for $1000 per year. Please e-mail econ-handbooks@ucsd.edu for more information.

Econometrics Video Handbook (EVH)

The EVH includes over 170 video lectures organized into an on-line book that provides a comprehensive treatment of econometric methods for both prediction analysis and causal inference as well as basic concepts in probability and statistics. A modern approach is taken to clearly distinguish prediction analysis from causal inference. While traditional econometric topics such as ordinary least squares are covered in great detail, the EVH is oriented more towards recovering causal links among economic variables using experiments and quasi-experiments, control functions, instrumental variables, difference-in-differences, and regression discontinuity.

The EVH was developed and is maintained by the “Metrics8 faculty members” (Brendan Beare, Eli Berman, Graham Elliot, Gordon Dahl, Yixiao Sun, Kaspar Wuthrich, Joel Watson, and Melissa Famulari) with a grant from the UC Office of the President's Innovative Learning Technology Initiative.

Access:

UCSD Students: There are three ways to access the video handbooks: 1) If the EVH has not already been added to your class Canvas page, please ask your instructor to add the EVH or e-mail econ-handbooks@ucsd.edu. Please include the name of the instructor and course number in your request. 2) Access all the video handbooks from the UCSD Canvas public course index (see instructions) or 3) "Purchase" access to the video handbooks (for free) from econvideos.ucsd.edu. Be sure to register with your UCSD email address.
Students at all other UCs: "Purchase" access to the video handbooks (for free) from econvideos.ucsd.edu. Be sure to register with your UC email address.
Individual purchase: We plan to offer the ability to purchase a subscription to the video handbooks at econvideos.ucsd.edu. If you would like to be notified when individual subscription purchase is available, please enter your email address on this form.
College/University purchase: The EVH is available for universities to purchase for all students and courses for $1000 per year. Please e-mail econ-handbooks@ucsd.edu for more information.

Game Theory Video Handbook (GTVH)

The GTVH provides a rigorous introduction to noncooperative game theory, whereby strategic situations are modeled in a precise mathematical formulation that focuses on the choices of individuals (called “players”) who interact. The handbook presents the basic concepts, intuition, analytical steps, and applications of game theory at a technical level that is appropriate for upper-division undergraduate students. The content here is roughly what is covered in solid undergraduate elective courses on game theory. The GTVH also provides a good foundation for first-year graduate students.

Although game theory is a mathematical subject, the main ideas and definitions do not require calculus, so all of the concepts are presented without calculus. Calculus is utilized for some examples; lectures with such examples have “(Calculus)” in their titles, so students can easily identify which videos are appropriate for their level of mathematical training.

The notation used in this handbook is conventional. The GTVH can serve as a useful complement to any well-written textbook on game theory. A particularly good match is Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory (third edition), by Joel Watson and published by W.W. Norton and Company (New York).

The GTVH was designed and developed by Professor Joel Watson. The GTVH includes more than 50 video lectures and will soon be expanded.

Access:

UCSD Students: There are three ways to access the video handbooks: 1) If the GTVH has not already been added to your class Canvas page, please ask your instructor to add the EVH or e-mail econ-handbooks@ucsd.edu. Please include the name of the instructor and course number in your request. 2) Access all the video handbooks from the UCSD Canvas public course index (see instructions) or 3) "Purchase" access to the video handbooks (for free) from econvideos.ucsd.edu. Be sure to register with your UCSD email address.
Students at all other UCs: "Purchase" access to the video handbooks (for free) from econvideos.ucsd.edu. Be sure to register with your UC email address.
Individual purchase: We plan to offer the ability to purchase a subscription to the video handbooks at econvideos.ucsd.edu. If you would like to be notified when individual subscription purchase is available, please enter your email address on this form.
College/University purchase: The GTVH is available for universities to purchase for all students and courses for $1000 per year. Please e-mail econ-handbooks@ucsd.edu for more information.