Education is one of the key resources in the fight against poverty. While substantial progress has been made in terms of school enrollment, evidence suggests that educational quality is still alarmingly low in many developing countries. Various explanations have been suggested, but one very...

This study provides novel evidence on the relative effectiveness of computer-assisted learning (CAL) software and traditional teaching. Based on a randomized controlled trial in Salvadoran primary schools, we evaluate three interventions that aim to improve learning outcomes in mathematics: (i)...

This paper analyses the role of economists in advising political agents. Based on the experience in the recent financial crisis, it starts with the important role of expectations management. Economists should make clear that precise forecasts are not possible but that application of economic...

Für Aymo Brunetti, Universität Bern, deutet die längerfristige, strukturelle Entwicklung in Zukunft eher auf ein inflationäres als deflationäres Umfeld hin. Zurzeit gebe es nicht nur einen, sondern eine ganze Reihe preissteigernder Schocks, und eine längerfristige Betrachtung lege nahe,...

Good teachers are the backbone of a successful education system. Yet, in developing countries, teachers' content knowledge is often inadequate. This study documents that primary school math teachers in the department of Moraz'an in El Salvador only master 47 percent of the curriculum they teach....

Participatory teaching methods have been shown to be more successful than traditional rote learning in high-income countries. It is, however, less clear if they can help address the learning crisis in low- and middle-income countries, where classes tend to be large and teachers have fewer...

Die aussergewöhnliche Geldpolitik des vergangenen Jahrzehnts hat der Schweizerischen Nationalbank (SNB) ein grösseres politisches Problem eingebrockt. Im Bemühen, den Schweizer Franken vor schädlichen Aufwertungsschüben zu bewahren, hat sie ihre Devisenbestände in kürzester Zeit mehr als...