Teaching
At UNC I teach large capacity sections of Introduction to Economics (ECON 101). I also teach the Economics of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ECON 111) within the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship, as well as electives in Labor Economics (ECON 480).
While at the University of Oregon, I taught courses in introductory microeconomics and labor economics. I received the 2022 Economics Department Graduate Employee Teaching Award.
I teach courses ranging from 20 to 400 students and managed teams of up to 30 undergraduate and graduate TAs.
Included below are graphical summaries of my teaching evaluations, followed by syllabi and course descriptions. Note that quantitative teaching evaluations are no longer used at the University of Oregon, and have been replaced with qualitative evaluations. For a report of all of my course evaluations, please click here.
Courses:
University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
ECON 101: Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics
Fall 2024 Syllabus
The goal of this course is to show students how to think like an economist. Through a study of micro and macro economics, students develop the tools of economic reasoning—the "apparatus of the mind'' described by Keynes. To build this ability, students consider classic subjects of economic analysis: consumers, firms, and their interactions. Student should leave this course with an understanding of economic fundamentals such as marginal thinking and supply and demand analysis, as well as a foundational understanding of the macroeconomic definitions and forces that drive whole economies. As this course can be used to satisfy the University's general education requirement for “Ways of Knowing”, I strive to leave students with an understanding of how economic thinking can help them personally and with enough economic literacy to understand national conversations about the economy for themselves.
ECON 111: The Economics of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Fall 2024 Syllabus
Entrepreneurs need a toolbox to succeed, and economic reasoning is a powerful tool for the motivated entrepreneur. In this course, we focus on fundamental economic subjects (E.g., cost-benefit analysis, the theory of the firm, strategic interaction, risk and uncertainty) in the context of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs also learn better by practicing their skills. To that end, this is a case-based course, focusing on entrepreneurs and businesses who did (or unfortunately did not) use economic principles to create transformational disruptions to existing businesses and markets. By studying choices made by Lyft, Netflix, Partners in Health, Adidas, Tesla, and AIG, students should learn to identify the economic principles that businesses can exploit to create success.
ECON 480: Labor Economics
Fall 2023 Syllabus
This course uses the skills that students have developed in their microeconomic theory courses to consider theories of the labor market in more detail. Students will learn models to explain wage determination in imperfect markets, the joint labor supply decisions of the household, and the signaling hypothesis in higher education, among others. Historical developments in the U.S. labor market and recent applied research in labor economics are also both discussed where appropriate.
University of Oregon
EC 201: Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics
Fall 2021 Syllabus
This course provides a foundation in economic thinking and analysis. Students consider classic subjects of economic analysis: consumers, firms, and their interactions. Student should leave this course with an understanding of economic fundamentals such as marginal thinking and supply and demand analysis. As this course can be used to satisfy the University's social science requirement for most students, I strive to leave students with an understanding of how economic thinking can help them personally.
EC 350: Labor Market Issues
Fall 2020 (digital); Spring 2022; Fall 2022
EC 350 introduces students to the economic theory surrounding labor markets and labor market issues. We first consider utility and profit maximization in depth, in order to derive models of labor supply, demand, and wage determination. Students then explore theories of human capital development, unemployment, and labor market discrimination, among others. These theories are presented alongside key historical developments in the U.S. labor market. Students taking EC 350 are beginning to develop a more comprehensive economic framework with which to analyze issues. I structure this course so that students have opportunity to both hone that analytic ability on more in-depth problems, and learn to communicate their thinking coherently.
Selected Student Comments
Note: like any selected sample, these comments should provoke the reader to consider the potential for— and likely sign of— bias. The potential for such bias is transparent here. Nevertheless, I have selected these comments because I believe that they clarify the reasons for the positive teaching reviews I have received from most of my students.
"He was a very engaging professor and his lectures were enthusiastic and exciting. The textbook readings and followup questions were very helpful. His policies of asking questions as we left "Ticket Out the Door" and being very easy to reach made it so easy to ask questions and get help." (ECON 101- Spring 2024)
"Professor McDonough made a sometimes confusing subject matter incredibly approachable and engaging. Always willing to answer any questions and conceded when he did not have an answer. He is someone who is passionate about teaching and the subject matter he is teaching." (ECON 101- Spring 2024)
"He was very engaging, getting students to participate in several interactive activities. It helped me remember a lot of the concepts and kept me paying attention in class." (ECON 101- Spring 2024)
"Professor McDonough was a great professor that exposed the class to many important parts of microeconomics that applied to entrpreneurship. I was consistently engaged in his class and he did a great job of teaching the course in an organzied manner. Learning about economics through real case studies of businesses was very interesting and helpful for understanding economic concepts. McDonough was also always willing to answer questions no matter what point in the lecture we were at." (ECON 111- Spring 2024)
"Robert was always happy to help me with any questions I had about course material. He was accommodating and structured the course in a way that made me understand econ more than I ever have at UNC! I cannot express how grateful I am to have had Robert this past semester, he was such a great teacher/professor." (ECON 480- Fall 2023)
"The material was challenging enough to keep me interested, but not overwhelmingly hard. I also like how the material matched what I discussed in other classes and was applicable to my daily life. He truly wants everyone to understand and do well which is amazing!" (EC 201- Fall 2021)
"I loved this class and that is all due to Professor McDonough. I was actually engaged the whole time and wanted to learn because he is so great at making lectures engaging and exciting." (EC 350- Fall 2020 online)
"Robert is the best instructor I have had at UO, even more so than my professors. Extremely engaging, animated, knowledgeable." (EC 350- Spring 2022)
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