The provided source materials describe a free online behavioural economics course and an accompanying open-access textbook, both focused on teaching the principles of human decision-making and their application in public policy. These resources are not related to consumer free samples, promotional offers, or product trials in the categories typically sought by UK consumers. The course is offered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The textbook, "A Practicum in Behavioral Economics," is designed as a practice-based learning tool. The information below is derived exclusively from the source documents.
Course Overview and Structure
The IDB's "Behavioral Economics for Better Public Policies" course is a free, self-paced, and interactive online curriculum. It was launched in 2020 and is designed for individuals new to the field, experienced practitioners, and instructors seeking materials for their students. The course consists of four modules that teach key concepts of behavioural economics, delving into the theory behind seemingly irrational actions and the biases that drive behaviour. It also introduces behavioural tools, such as the nudge, which can be used to develop interventions for behavioural change.
The course is not strictly theoretical; it incorporates several real-life cases that allow students to apply the concepts learned in previous sections. Additionally, it features a design game where students make decisions with hypothetical consequences. To date, the course has been offered in 12 editions in Spanish, three in English, and two in Portuguese. A total of 4,833 participants from 62 different countries, most of them in Latin America, have successfully completed the course.
Course Content and Learning Outcomes
The curriculum focuses on fundamental issues related to how people make decisions and how behaviour affects public policies. It teaches how this knowledge can be incorporated into the design of better policies. The modules cover the theory behind human behaviour, including biases, and introduce practical tools for creating behavioural interventions. The course includes real-life case studies and an interactive design game to provide hands-on experience.
The course has had a tangible impact, with the IDB Behavioral Economics Group noting that the Dominican Republic's Superintendency of Banks created a nudge unit as a result of the insights gained. The course is also recommended by teachers of other subjects, encouraging their students to apply behavioural tools to their work. The IDB has run behavioural interventions with a growing group of practitioners following the course.
Course Access and Deadlines
The course is available for free, and participants can sign up for specific editions. The source material provides deadlines for upcoming editions: * Spanish edition: Sign up before February 13. * English edition: Sign up before April 3. * Portuguese edition: Sign up before June 12.
Certificates are awarded upon successful completion of the course. The number of certificates corresponds to all editions in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Supplementary Materials and Further Resources
The IDB Behavioral Economics Group maintains a repository of the bank's work in behavioural economics on its website. Interested individuals can access a brochure of highlights released last month. Two specific publications are mentioned for those interested in learning more about the IDB's methodology and its use of behavioural economics for health, particularly in relation to COVID-19.
The "Practicum in Behavioral Economics" Textbook
"A Practicum in Behavioral Economics" is an open-access textbook designed to complement the learning experience. It is a practice-based textbook covering the broad field of behavioural economics. The book's primary goal is to help students experience the field firsthand by participating in the same experiments and games that form its foundation. Through this process, students create their own experiences and learn about their own decision-making under experimental conditions while learning about the field itself.
The textbook is structured into four main sections: * Section 1: The Irrational Quirks of Homo sapiens, covering miscalculations, cognitive illusions, and biases. * Section 2: Homo economicus Versus Homo sapiens, contrasting rational economic theory with human reality through laboratory experiments. * Section 3: Behavioral Game Theory, featuring classic games of iterated and simultaneous moves. * Section 4: Empirical Studies and Field Experiments.
The book also includes appendices with example response cards, student surveys, presentation slides, course outlines, and a linkages matrix. The author is Arthur J. Caplan of Utah State University. The textbook is available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence.
Conclusion
The provided source materials detail a specific educational initiative in behavioural economics, comprising a free online course from the IDB and an open-access practice-based textbook. These resources are focused on academic and professional development in the field of behavioural economics and public policy. They are not connected to consumer-oriented free samples, trials, or promotional offers. The information available is limited to the structure, content, access deadlines, and supplementary materials for the course and textbook as described in the official sources.