Computer Science Education

The site includes material on the Windows operating system for both novices and more advanced PC users. There are interactive tutorials for beginners on very basic subjects and numerous articles at a variety of levels. Topics include system configuration and tweaks, file management, computer maintenance, security and fundamentals of using PCs. There is a separate section covering the Internet. There are also a number of PowerPoint™ presentations that are available for downloading. All material is copyrighted. Reproduction on another site is prohibited without permission of the author.

This separate site covers what the average PC user needs to know about the new operating system. System requirements, what's new, and tips for its use are among the topics.
The Windows Registry is not as mysterious as it's made out to be. This site explains what everyone should know about the Registry and how even home PC users can make changes in the Registry.
How secure are our computers? We are continually bombarded with warnings about new viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Every few days another security patch for Windows seems to be necessary. To add to our problems, various new ways of invading our privacy or ripping us off are constantly springing up. Spyware and adware are being planted on us, crackers are breaking into our machines, email is full of spam and phishing scams. We seem to be under constant assault.

Short of never going online, what can the average PC user do for protection? Dire as it sometimes seems, the situation is by no means hopeless. This site is dedicated to helping the average PC user make full and safe use of the Internet. Here is a collection of pages outlining defenses against the various threats and annoyances and the steps that can be taken to ensure that we continue to enjoy the Internet.

Economics education demand

The dominant model of the demand for education is based on human capital theory. The central idea is that undertaking education is investment in the acquisition of skills and knowledge which will increase earnings, or provide longterm benefits such as an appreciation of literature (sometimes referred to as cultural capital). Studies from 1958 attempted to calculate the returns from additional schooling. Later results attempted to allow for different returns across persons or by level of education.

Statistics have shown that countries with high enrollment/graduation rates have grown faster than countries without. The United States has been the world leader in educational advances, beginning with the high school movement (1910-1950).

An alternative model of the demand for education, commonly referred to as screening is based on the economic theory of signalling. The central idea is that the successful completion of education is a signal of ability

Finance and Expenditures in Education

To ensure macro-economic stability, as well as to promote equitable economic growth, countries need to maintain public spending at a level consistent with their long-run financing ability while, at the same time, establishing transparent budget mechanisms that allocate and manage public resources equitably and reduce poverty. However, in the real world, public resource allocation decisions do not always reflect sound economic policies.

The World Bank, with its lending programs in numerous client countries, must ensure that borrowed World Bank funds reach the intended beneficiaries. World Bank Education Economists collaborate with experts from Country units and Poverty Reduction and Economic Management units to undertake economic and sector work (such as economic memorandums, poverty assessments and public expenditure reviews) as well as reports on specific issues in education to help with informed policy making in the sector.

Education policy research pays considerable attention to the productivity and efficiency of the education sector, in particular of government expenditure in the sector. Determining how governments and families can best finance and allocate scarce resources to produce quality education and the skills that individuals need for success, is an integral task of the education economists. The Education Sector Strategy Update (ESSU) also calls for integrating education into a country-wide perspective focusing on how education ties into the macro-economic context. It particularly emphasizes the need for close attention to fiscal policies and decentralization policies affecting school management and finance.

In this regard the education sector specifically seeks to answer the following questions in a country's public expenditute analysis:

How much is spent on education and what is the share of the government's expenditure?
How do governments finance the education sector and what do they finance?
Is there equitable distribution of the public resources?
Is the public getting its money's worth?
Is the spending adequate and sustainable?

Economic Analysis of Education Interventions

The economic analysis of a project helps select and design projects that contribute to the welfare of a country. Various tools of economic analysis help determine the economic and fiscal impact of the project, including the impact on society and the major stakeholders involved, as well as the project’s risks and sustainability. A good economic analysis answers the following questions:

What is the objective of the project?
This helps identify tools for the analysis. A clearly defined objective also helps in identifying the possible alternatives to the project.

What will be the impact of the project?
This question concerns a counterfactual as the difference between the situation with or without the project is crucial for assessing the incremental costs and benefits of the project.

Are there any alternatives to the project? If so how would costs and benefits of the alternatives to achieve the same goal compare to the project in question?

Is there economic justification of each separable component of the project?

Who gains and who loses if the project is implemented?
The analysis has to make sure that the most benefit accrues to the poor.

What is the fiscal impact of the project?

Is the project financially sustainable and what are the risks involved?

Are there any other externalities? What is the environmental impact of the project?

Economics of Education

Education economists analyze both what determines or creates education and what impact education has on individuals and the societies and economies in which they live. Historically at the World Bank a great deal of emphasis has been placed on determining outcomes to educational investment and the creation of human capital. The primary mission of the economics of education group is to identify opportunities for improved efficiency, equity, and quality of education and promote effective education reform processes; to help improve, among both World Bank staff and clients, knowledge of what drives education outcomes and results; to better understanding how to strengthen the links of education systems with the labor market; and to build and support a network of education economists and build bridges to all those who are interested in their work.

The World Bank addresses key themes of Economics of Education through work in these five topic areas:

Finance and Banking Education

Those who are entering into various fields of business will be wise to seek good Finance and Banking education. Courses in the field can encompass a broad variety of topics relevant to the financial industry. You can get good training in finance and banking right at your local school!

In general, vocational schools will offer education leading to a certificate of completion, or a two-year Associate of Science (AS) degree. Vocational courses in finance and banking can include topics such as Accounting, Bank Operations, Banking Law, Basic Economics, Business, Business Math, Computer Technology, Communications, Human Relations, Management, and Sales.

Finance and Banking schools may also provide specialized classes in Bank Management, Investment Banking, Public Relations, Marketing, Business Finance, Commercial Lending, Consumer Law and Lending Practices, Home Mortgages, and Real Estate and Real Property. An AS degree would be a good first step, and would qualify the student to enroll in a Bachelor degree program, and then a Master degree program, if desired.

Those who possess Associate or Bachelor degrees in Finance and Banking may acquire gainful employment as account clerks, bank tellers, budget analysts, and customer service representatives. Other career opportunities would include financial managers, insurance sales agents and underwriters, loan and credit clerks, loan officers and counselors, and real estate brokers and/or sales agents. Earning potential for those with graduate degrees, including Master Degrees in Finance and Banking, can climb as high as $100k or more per year.

The Girls' and Women's Education Policy Research Activity (GWE-PRA)

The Girls' and Women's Education Policy Research Activity (GWE-PRA), implemented by World Education in cooperation with the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Education Development Center, was initiated to provide a better understanding of the constraints facing girls' and women's education and to identify creative approaches for addressing them. Longitudinal studies were carried out in Bolivia, Honduras, and Nepal to measure the developmental impact of integrated literacy and basic education programs that combine literacy with health and other areas. More specifically, these studies examined changes in knowledge, attitudes and practices of women on indicators of social and economic development related to economic participation, health, nutrition, community involvement and civic participation. Additionally, in Bolivia, World Education provided technical assistance to four local NGOs in developing, implementing and monitoring an integrated approach to adult education. In Peru, World Education and a local women's organization conducted a six-month study that examined factors affecting the school dropout rate of adolescent girls in rural areas, focusing specifically on the effects of menarche on girls' participation in school. The findings of these studies are providing decisionmakers with information to make more informed decisions about educational programs and policies and to increase educational opportunities for girls. (2001)