Musings On Markets
Looking back again, though, I am struck by both how little and how much technology has changed my classes over the last three decades. The accepted place where there has been minimal change is in the classroom, where, as a vintage designed lecturer, my requirements have continued to be constant: a podium (though I seldom stand behind one), an operating microphone and a ready/curious audience. I still plan classes, the way I did for my very first course exactly, running through the lecture in my mind and getting my narrative in place.
The slides I use may look slightly more polished than the hand written slides I used twenty five years ago and the projectors may be brighter & sleeker, however they stay props that I can live without. It really is true that I must compete for the attention of my stiudents against better distractions (as tablets, smartphones and computers stay propped open), but that is clearly a problem I relish (and sometimes lose). So, what has technology transformed?
First, it offers given me richer means of explaining the nuts and bolts of amount crunching to those who find themselves interested. Last semester, I put a series of webcasts on valuation/corporate and business fund practice (from creating trailing 12-month financials, converting leases to personal debt, computing implied equity risk premiums). Second, it has allowed me to roam the global world without leaving the confines of my office.
Today, I used Skype Premium to provide a two-hour live chat on teaching to several freshly minted doctoral students in Hyderbad, India, where they were able to see me (and my display) and interact. Third, they have allowed me to bundle the classroom offer and experience it to a much wider audience.
This semester, as within the last few, I am online putting my valuation class, with nothing held back. Entry requirements: None. There should be no password necessary to watch the webcasts or download material. Description: If you have a computer and a decent broadband connection, you can use the link above to gain access to all of the resources that my regular class has access to. The slides are published near the top of the web page (and are downloadable) and the periods will be posted sequentially as I instruct them.
- 10 years = $1,895
- News (8)
- Management by experts
- The number of schemes of the fund family
- In an economy closed to international trade, GNP must be consumed, spent, or purchased
- Web Development
1. Unless you want large video data files (125-200 MB) inhabiting your computer, you can stream them from the NYU server. 3. If you prefer just an audio file, you can download the lecture in only audio format and then use the slides that you have downloaded to complement the lectures.
Entry requirements: Once on the site, click on Join your course, and enter the code DMR44Z. It shall let you audit the class. Description: Lore can be an online education company that I’ve used for further than 2 yrs now which marshals what is on my website into more bite-sized and organized pieces. As with the website, you shall be able to watch the lectures through Lore and down load the slides.
One advantage that Lore has is that is has a discussion board where you can can post questions (or answer them) and articles/news for discussion. Entry requirements: An Ipad or iPhone with the iTunes U app (free) installed, An Android tablet/mobile phone with the Tunesviewer app (free). First, download the iTunes U app to your device. Then, click on the link above from your device. Alternative, click on Catalog, and then click on the ENROLL button at the bottom of the Catalog web page and enter J7R-DK5-BM3 when prompted. Description: This is actually the latest addition to my online choices and it gets the smoothest user interface.
The lectures start on your iPad and the lecture records and tests can be viewed on these devices as well. The best (and worst) feature of the iTunes U version is that it sends you a notification when something is added to the class; this can of course be irritating and it can be turned by you off.