Using Lasso-Type Penalties to Model Time-Varying Covariate Effects in Panel Data Regressions A Novel Approach Illustrated by the 'Death of Distance' In International Trade

When analyzing panel data using regression models, it is often reasonable to allow for time-varying covariate effects. We propose a novel approach to modelling timevarying coefficients in panel data regressions, which is based on penalized regression techniques. To illustrate the usefulness of this approach, we revisit the well-known empirical puzzle of the "death of distance" in international trade. We find significant differences between results obtained with the proposed estimator and those obtained with "traditional" methods. The proposed method can also be used for model selection, and to allow covariate effects to vary over other dimensions than time

Educational Tools for Second Life: a handbook for educators in virtual worlds.

As a result of two collective activities organised during the MUVEnation programme, we have produced a collection of educational tools for Second Life. This collection has been produced in two stages. First, back in September 2008, 33 partcipants in the introductory module worked together in groups for the identification of more than 100 tools used for teaching and learning in Second Life. Later, in March 2009, 55 education professionals (lecturers, researchers, learning technologists and teachers) have collected, tested and fully described more than 150 tools. The result of this collective work has been transformed into a book, published as an Open Educational Resource under CC licence by attribution unported, so anyone is free to distribute without restrictions: adapt, translate, re-mix and improve it