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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

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The Data, Economics, and Development Policy master’s: Learning and connecting at MIT during Covid-19

We welcomed the second cohort of the Data, Economics, and Development Policy (DEDP) master’s program to campus in January. The students will earn their master’s degree in just eight months under a hybrid online and in-person model that allows the cohort to build community at MIT while accommodating...
Two people sitting at a desk, observing a lecturer.

Expanding access to higher education through the DEDP MicroMasters

Since its inception in 2017, MIT and J-PAL’s online MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Development Policy (DEDP) has engaged thousands of learners from over 210 countries. As the number of DEDP learners grows, J-PAL is engaging with universities to provide learners with more ways to benefit from...
Two women gather around a computer on which an online course is displayed.

Building personal connection in an online learning community

J-PAL Africa learned from focus groups in Ghana that lack of local connection and learning with peers is one of the biggest challenges experienced by students in the online MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Development Policy. As a response, J-PAL Africa developed a course representative system...
A group of DEDP master's students stand behind a table in an MIT classroom.

Celebrating our first graduates in the Data, Economics, and Development Policy master’s program

In January 2020, 22 students from across the world joined us on MIT’s campus as the first cohort in the master’s program in Data, Economics, and Development Policy (DEDP). Developed by MIT’s Department of Economics and J-PAL, the program represents a new approach to higher education by combining...
Two women gather around a computer on which an online course is displayed.

How to keep students engaged in online learning

Transitioning from a classroom to an online video conference is challenging for everyone involved—teachers must make extra effort to engage students effectively, and students in turn have to make an extra effort to stay engaged amid distractions at home. Research suggests that students typically do...
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How J-PAL's Evaluating Social Programs course catalyzed a new approach to impact evaluation in Virginia

By
  • Massey Whorley
In this guest post, Massey Whorley, Director of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives at the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), shares insights from attending J-PAL’s Evaluating Social Programs Course and how it informed efforts to design and implement randomized evaluations of VDSS...

My journey from Zimbabwe to MIT

By
  • Lovemore Mawere
I am a statistics and economics graduate from Zimbabwe. After spending a few years in the banking sector, I realized my real passion lies in development economics. To this end, I decided to venture into the development sector to gain hands-on experience and contribute towards alleviating societal...
map of blended master's learners

Welcoming our first class of blended master’s students

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Twenty-one new students are due to arrive on MIT’s campus in January 2020. They are the first cohort of the new Master’s in Data, Economics, and Development Policy, the first master’s degree to be offered by MIT’s Department of Economics.