Imagination Exercise

Author

Affiliation

Your Name Here

Old Dominion University

Before You Start

The Imagination Exercise (IE) is a design, not a set of results. Pitch a study that uses the method from this module, and commit to a plan that you will carry out yourself in next week’s Implementation. You do not need to download or analyze any data for the IE.

Be realistic. Your Implementation is due one week after this IE. Use Claude Code to check that your plan is doable given the time, the data access, and the scope.

How to use AI: You may (and should!) use AI tools to help you throughout, but what you submit is your responsibility, not the AI’s. Read what it gives you, check it against the course material, and change whatever you would not stand behind. Never submit something you don’t understand, and make sure that what you submit is written in your own voice.

What to submit: Submit the rendered .html file on Canvas, along with the video described at the end. Your submission will be graded with the course rubric.

Need a question? See Finding a Question.

This week’s tools

The notes for the method you are using: Module 2 (DiD), Module 3 (SCM), or Module 4 (IV or RDD, your choice of one). Be sure to consider tools from earlier modules, too.

Outline

Use these sections, in this order. Write in your own words and about your own setting.

1. Background and setting

Summarize the published paper that motivates your design, and explain how your study builds on it.
Describe the setting.

2. Question

State your research question.

3. Why this method

Explain why this method fits your setting.

4. Equation

Include a written-out equation, and define its terms.

5. Assumptions and threats

Discuss the assumptions your method needs and the threats to them in your setting.

6. Data

Describe your data and your plan for using it.

7. Feasibility

Discuss whether your plan is doable in one week.

8. Process Reflection

In your own words (Claude Code is not allowed to write this, and it knows that): how did you use Claude on this exercise, where did its first attempt fall short, and what did you change or reject, and why?

Video Presentation

Record one continuous screen recording, about ten to twelve minutes for the presentation (no shorter than five, no longer than twenty) plus the four questions below, and upload it to Canvas. Your recording must show your entire screen (including the time) and include your voice. Showing your face is optional.

Part 1: Presentation (20 points). Pitch your design as if you were asking a funder, boss, or client to back it. Keep your rendered report open while you talk so you can reference it, but do not read from it.

Part 2: Questions (20 points). Immediately after, open a new Claude Code session (have it open in the background so you don’t waste time opening it during the recording) and paste the prompt from https://alexcardazzi.github.io/econ708a/ie_check_prompt.txt, with your report’s file name filled in. Claude will ask you four questions about your design, as if it were a funder or audience member. If a question is unclear, you may ask Claude to reword or clarify it in your own words, once per question. Answer each one out loud, then type “next question” to move on.

--- title: "Imagination Exercise" author: "Your Name Here" institute: "Old Dominion University" format: html: theme: united code-tools: true code-fold: true code-summary: "Code" code-copy: hover link-external-newwindow: true tbl-cap-location: top fig-cap-location: bottom self-contained: true editor: source --- ```{r setup, include=FALSE} # INCLUDE THIS AT THE START OF EACH ASSIGNMENT # DO NOT EDIT THIS knitr::opts_chunk$set(fig.align = 'center') knitr::opts_chunk$set(out.width = '90%') knitr::opts_chunk$set(results = 'hold') knitr::opts_chunk$set(fig.show = 'hold') knitr::opts_chunk$set(dev='svg') knitr::opts_chunk$set(error = TRUE) par(mar = c(4.1, 4.1, 1.1, 4.1)) ``` ## Before You Start The Imagination Exercise (IE) is a **design**, not a set of results. Pitch a study that uses the method from this module, and commit to a plan that you will carry out yourself in next week's Implementation. You do not need to download or analyze any data for the IE. **Be realistic.** Your Implementation is due one week after this IE. Use Claude Code to check that your plan is doable given the time, the data access, and the scope. **How to use AI**: You may (and should!) use AI tools to help you throughout, but what you submit is your responsibility, not the AI's. Read what it gives you, check it against the course material, and change whatever you would not stand behind. Never submit something you don't understand, and make sure that what you submit is written in your own voice. **What to submit**: Submit the rendered `.html` file on Canvas, along with the video described at the end. Your submission will be graded with the [course rubric](https://alexcardazzi.github.io/econ708a/rubric.html). **Need a question?** See [Finding a Question](https://alexcardazzi.github.io/econ708a/finding_a_question.html). --- ### This week's tools The notes for the method you are using: Module 2 (DiD), Module 3 (SCM), or Module 4 (IV or RDD, your choice of one). Be sure to consider tools from earlier modules, too. ### Outline Use these sections, in this order. Write in your own words and about your own setting. #### 1. Background and setting - Summarize the published paper that motivates your design, and explain how your study builds on it. - Describe the setting. #### 2. Question - State your research question. #### 3. Why this method - Explain why this method fits your setting. #### 4. Equation - Include a written-out equation, and define its terms. #### 5. Assumptions and threats - Discuss the assumptions your method needs and the threats to them in your setting. #### 6. Data - Describe your data and your plan for using it. #### 7. Feasibility - Discuss whether your plan is doable in one week. #### 8. Process Reflection - In your own words (Claude Code is not allowed to write this, and it knows that): how did you use Claude on this exercise, where did its first attempt fall short, and what did you change or reject, and why? --- ## Video Presentation Record one continuous screen recording, about ten to twelve minutes for the presentation (no shorter than five, no longer than twenty) plus the four questions below, and upload it to Canvas. Your recording must show your entire screen (including the time) and include your voice. Showing your face is optional. **Part 1: Presentation (20 points).** Pitch your design as if you were asking a funder, boss, or client to back it. Keep your rendered report open while you talk so you can reference it, but do not read from it. **Part 2: Questions (20 points).** Immediately after, open a **new** Claude Code session (have it open in the background so you don't waste time opening it during the recording) and paste the prompt from [https://alexcardazzi.github.io/econ708a/ie_check_prompt.txt](https://alexcardazzi.github.io/econ708a/ie_check_prompt.txt), with your report's file name filled in. Claude will ask you four questions about your design, as if it were a funder or audience member. If a question is unclear, you may ask Claude to reword or clarify it in your own words, once per question. Answer each one out loud, then type "next question" to move on.