Assessing the Welfare Impact of the 2001 Tax Reform on Dual-earner Families

The welfare impact of the 2001 income tax reform is assessed across dual-earner families with different characteristics. A household labor supply model is estimated to account for variable behavioral responses by family type. It was found that while higher education families received a larger share of the welfare gain generated from lower marginal tax rates, it was the lower education families that provided the bulk of the additional labor supply motivated by the tax reform. Differing welfare gains across families with different numbers of children were also found, highlighting the importance of allowing responses to vary across family characteristics when assessing the welfare impact of a policy change. Working Paper 07-3

Assessing the welfare impact of the 2001 tax reform on dual-earner families

We assess the 2001 income tax reform to determine its welfare impact across families with different characteristics. A household labor supply model is estimated to account for variable behavioral responses by family type. We find that while higher-education families received a larger share of the welfare gain generated from lower marginal tax rates, it was the lower-education families that provided the bulk of the additional labor supply motivated by the tax reform. We also find differing welfare gains across families with different numbers of children, highlighting the importance of allowing responses to vary across family characteristics when assessing the welfare impact of a policy change.

The impact of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games on employment and wages in Georgia

Using the standard differences-in-differences (DD) technique and a modified DD technique in the slopes, this paper determines that hosting the 1996 Summer Olympic Games boosted employment by 17% in the counties of Georgia affiliated with and close to Olympic activity, relative to employment increases in other counties in Georgia (the rate of growth increased by 0.002 percentage points per quarter). Estimation of a random-growth model confirms a positive impact of the Olympics on employment. In addition, the employment impact is shown not to be merely a "metropolitan statistical area (MSA) effect"; employment in the northern Olympic venue areas was found to increase 11% more post- versus pre-Olympics than it did in other, similar southern MSAs. The evidence of an Olympic impact on wages is weak

Interacting at a Distance: Creating Engagement in Online Learning Environments

Effective online instruction requires understanding not only interaction but also how to facilitate interaction through technology (Moore & Kearsley, 2012). Specifically, Moore and Kearsley (2012) categorize these types of interactions as learner with content, interaction with instruction [or] interaction with other learners (p. 132). This chapter examines each of these interaction types and suggests ways to incorporate them into online learning environments (OLEs). The chapter provides techniques and approaches that will be beneficial to both instructional design practitioners and online instructors. It seeks to assuage some of the concerns that faculty have about OLEs and provides ideas and activities that can be implemented by course designers or instructors in OLE projects

Education Technology Tools

Educational technology has the benefit of creating active learning environments in both online and face-to-face classrooms. With the globalization of education, numerous educational tools and resources have been developed to create authentic learning experiences in the classroom. These tools can vary from web-based collaboration tools, such as Google Docs and VoiceThread, to a video tool such as FlipGrid. Such technology can be used in both live (synchronous) or online (asynchronous) classroom settings. With so many options, understanding how to select tools and how they can be integrated into instruction is important and thus is the focus of this entry

The Role of Data Analytics in Education: Possibilities & Limitations

In the last decade, we have seen dramatic increases in the integration of technology within education. It has now become commonplace for K-5 educators to apply learning management systems (LMS) in ways that were previously only seen in higher education contexts. Similarly, on the higher education side, we are seeing a significant increase in online learning evidenced by the growing number of for-profit online colleges and universities (Picciano, 2012). This chapter utilizes Khan’s Learning Framework (Khan, 2001, 2005) to explore the role data analytics can play in education by looking at the possibilities and limitations of analytics

Welcome to Normalton: Leveraging Effective E-Learning Principles for Adult Learners

This design case details the critical design decisions used in the development of an e-learning module library for North Carolina local government officials focused on land use regulations. These modules cover topics from an introduction to land use regulations, to evidentiary hearing conduct guidelines, defining vested rights, and explaining how to adopt and amend an ordinance. This project was in response to the North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) members’ increased requests for training in this subject area. This organization requested the assistance of the two faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government (SOG) who specialize in this content area. Additionally, the professional organization wanted to mitigate risk from cases going to litigation for improper land use decisions. The Target Accomplishment Past Prototype Artifact (TAPPA) Process (Moore, 2016) was used for the module development. This five-step process emphasizes the rapid development of distance education content artifacts in close collaboration with subject matter experts. Between 2013 and 2018, the TAPPA iterative design process guided the development of sixteen modules moving from initial script to finished modules. This design case is relevant for instructional designers who need to develop comprehensive e-learning modules covering complex and often complicated tasks. Examples of design decisions, informed by Clark and Mayer (2016)’s principles of multimedia design, are dispersed through the design case

Working Together: The Public Records Webinar Series

Key Takeways: * Faculty and instructional designers working together can create more effective online courses that leverage technology efficiently to reach the target audience. * The instructional support team was part of the initial conversations planning the webinar series at the UNC School of Government, which led to the formulation of a webinar theme that reflected the content as opposed to imposing a design theme afterwards. * Advanced planning and coordination among faculty and staff, and the thematic marketing plan provided at the outset, enabled the production of a uniform package of information in a high-quality format