Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
This is a graduate-level course on the economics of innovation. The ultimate learning objective of this course is to improve students’ analytical skills and critical thinking in topics that relate to key determinants of innovative activities in modern economies and the implications of innovation for growth.
This course includes 8 modules. Students are first introduced to some of the key concepts in the economics of innovation (Modules 1). They also learn about the measurement of innovative activities (Module 2). After learning about basic concepts and measurements, students study the innovative firms and the innovative entrepreneur in Modules 3 and 4. In the second part of the course, students first learn about the exogenous growth model followed by a survey of the endogenous growth model in Modules 5 and 6. They further learn about the relationship between trade and innovation (Module 7). The course is, then, concluded with a survey of how foreign direct investments affect innovation (Module 8).
Along with these surveys, students also read a recent book on innovation--we refer to this as book club reading. They also engage in analytical problem solving as part of an array of assignments and exams.
Course Prerequisites
Graduate standing and departmental permission.
Course Materials
Textbooks
Primary textbook: Selected chapters will be assigned from Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Economic Growth by Christine Greenhalgh and Mark Rogers. Students will be provided with the required readings in advance. There is, therefore, no need for students to purchase the book.
Other course readings: Several other course readings will be assigned throughout this course. All of them will be shared with students in advance.
The book club reading: Students will be reading AI 2041: Ten Vision for Our Future by Chen Qiufan and Kai-Fu Lee. Since different groups read different chapters, students will be provided with their assigned chapter in advance. There is, therefore, no need for students to purchase the book.
Software
MS Excel, MS Word, and MS PowerPoint (Office 365)
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Weight |
|---|---|---|
|
Exams |
Your midterm and final exams include analytical questions. They are take-home and open-resource. They will be posted on Canvas, and they will also be submitted on Canvas. |
50% |
|
Assignments |
You will be asked to submit a few assignments. To assess your performance, the average of your grades for all the assignments will be taken into account. The assignments will be posted on Canvas, and they will also be submitted on Canvas. |
25% |
|
In-class Activities |
Based on the lectures, course readings, and book club readings, students engage in a number of in-class activities. Like exams and assignments, these activities will also be posted and submitted on Canvas. As their name suggests, they will mostly be done in class, during live sessions. Yet, students have a week to revise and resubmit their work should they desire. |
25% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
The sum of your exams, assignments, and in-class quiz grades will determine your final letter grade on a scale where 90 or above is an A and less than 60 is an F. Tests won’t be curved, needs-based appeals won’t be entertained, and grades will be determined in strict accordance with the above policy. Even if you end up with, say, 89.99999, you earn a grade of B.
Course Components
Required Readings
The primary textbook and other course readings introduce:
- The underlying concepts of interest
- An array of analytical, historical, and numerical examples
- Useful graphs, illustrating the underlying intuition behind key models
Selected readings will be assigned from the primary textbook and other readings. They should all be done during a given module.
The book club reading introduces some important concepts behind innovation, its determinants, and its outlook. Beyond learning about those concepts, the book club reading provides an opportunity for students to learn from each other in an interactive environment. It should be noted that 10 points will be taken off of the Final Exam grade for those who fail to perform their class duties regarding the book club readings.
Live Sessions
We meet once a week online. During that meeting, the most important concepts within each module will be discussed using, typically, a number of examples. Students also partake in in-class activities as part of the live sessions. Thought those activities begin during the live session, students have a week to revise and resubmit their answer should they desire. At the end, the recorded live session will also be shared with students.
In-class Activities
These activities are designed as in-class learning tools. They are based on required course readings and/or book club readings as well as the concepts that are discussed in class. They include mostly analytical questions. And they are usually discussed in class.
Assignments
In the assignments, students put what they learn in their readings and lectures into practice. The assignments include analytical questions. Assignments should be typed and organized using MS Word. They must be submitted in PDF format, however.
Exams
The midterm and final exams include analytical questions. In terms of their structure, they are quite similar to assignments and in-class activities.
Course Policies
Communication
To communicate with me outside of class, students may use my email (tabrizy@ou.edu) using their OU email address. I will get back to them in less than 36 hours.
Late Policy
No assignments, in-class activities, or exams could be submitted later than their due dates unless there are well-documented justifications (e.g., health reasons).
Tentative Schedule (Subject the minor changes)
| Module | Topic | Activities |
| 1 | What is "economics", what is "innovation", and what is the economics of innovation about? | Students must attend to their required readings. They must also begin their work with the first assignment. And they must form their groups for book club readings and start with their readings. |
| 2 | The measurement of innovative activities | Students must attend to their required readings. They must participate in their in-class activities. And they must finish their work on the first assignment and submit it on Canvas. Those in charge of the first chapter of the book club reading must also present their work. |
| 3 | The innovative firm | Students must attend to their required readings. They must participate in their in-class activities. And they must also begin their work with the second assignment. Those in charge of the second chapter of the book club reading must also present their work. |
| 4 | The innovative entrepreneur | Students must attend to their required readings. They must participate in their in-class activities. And they must finish their work on the second assignment and submit it on Canvas. Those in charge of the third chapter of the book club reading must also present their work. |
| Midterm Exam | The midterm exam will be posted on Canvas. Students will submit their answers directly on Canvas. Your exam is an open resource and you have multiple attempts. | |
| 5 | Exogenous growth | Students must attend to their required readings. They must participate in their in-class activities. And they must also begin their work with the third assignment. Those in charge of the fourth chapter of the book club reading must also present their work. |
| 6 | Endogenous growth | Students must attend to their required readings. They must participate in their in-class activities. And they must finish their work on the third assignment and submit it on Canvas. Those in charge of the fifth chapter of the book club reading must also present their work. |
| 7 | Innovation and globalization | Students must attend to their required readings. They must participate in their in-class activities. And they must also begin their work with the last assignment. Those in charge of the sixth chapter of the book club reading must also present their work. |
| 8 | FDI and innovation | Students must attend to their required readings. They must participate in their in-class activities. And they must finish their work on the last assignment and submit it on Canvas. Those in charge of the seventh chapter of the book club reading must also present their work. |
| Final Exam | The final exam will be posted on Canvas. Students will submit their answers directly on Canvas. Your exam is an open resource and you have multiple attempts. |
University Academic Policies and Student Support
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Student Handbook
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Academic Misconduct
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Registration and Withdrawal
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Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|