1 Ka-fu Wong University of Hong Kong Frequently Asked Questions on Bonus points

2 Must I present my analysis in class? To get the bonus point, you will have to make a presentation during lecture. The objective is to teach your peers what you find excited about. We learn a lot more by being a teacher.

3 What kind of topics can I present? It has to be an analysis of real world phenomenon using the theories learnt in the course. Ask interesting questions Provide plausible answers Observe things happening around us

4 Can I present an example I found in other Economics textbooks? A direct draw from examples in popular Economics text will not be acceptable. Similarly a topic on a well studied subject would not be acceptable for presentation. What would be acceptable should be based on your own observation of a phenomenon around us. It is better you did your original analysis based on whatever you have learnt in the course.

5 What kind of topic is acceptable? You will need to start from some observed phenomenon. To tell the audience that this phenomenon is observed, you will need to give us some evidence (picture, data, news clippings, etc.). It has to be a observed phenomenon. More children are born in the year of Dragon. A one hour parking at HKU is $30 per hour, but the meter parking in the neighborhood is $15 per hour. Then, you try to explain why it happens.

6 How to find interesting questions? I keep asking the question "why is this happening" when I read newspapers or when I am walking on the street, seeing different kind of interesting things. For examples, 1.I was walking on the street with my son and saw a beggar. I ask him, why is there a beggar at that street? Why do we still see beggars in Hong Kong, which is relatively rich? I also asked him to take a close look at the beggar. 2.when I was hiking, passing by a empty village, I ask why is this village empty. 3.when I see so many people from Fujian migrates to foreign countries, risking their lives on a ship, I ask why do they do that but Hong Kong people do not? Generally, I pay close attention to prices. Why are prices high or low? I also pay attention to regulations. Why are some activities allowed, some not?

7 Can I discuss with the professor in order to get a reasonable answer to my question? Note that the presentation is the work of students. Occasionally, the professor will ask a question to direct them to find a better answer. Usually, the professor will avoid providing an answer. When he does provide an answer (upon an agreement between the professor and the student), he will not allow the student to present the topic.

8 Who will grade my presentation? Your peers will vote whether they like it or not and whether the presentation is relevant to the course or not. There will be a maximum of 5% on each presentation. Say, if 80% of the class think that it is good, you will get 4%.

9 How many presentations can I do? Maximum one presentation.

10 How long is the presentation? Each presentation should last less than FIVE minutes. You have to pay attention what your classmates can digest in such a short time. Usually, a presentation will last longer than FIVE minutes if More than 7 slides will be shown. If takes 5 minutes to run the presentation in your own practice, the actual presentation will run more than 7 minutes.

11 When should I do a presentation? If you have something in mind to share with the class, you should send the instructor a clip of the material by at your earliest convenience. Duplication of topics not allowed. A presentation may be scheduled. Due to time limitation, we can allow a maximum of three presentations per week. On a first-come-first-serve basis.

12 I have a slight fear of public speaking. How can I overcome it? You are not alone. Most teachers (e.g., your instructor) are nervous in my first lecture of the semester (after they have not been teaching for a while). But, we get used to it over time. At some point in time, all of us will have to learn how to overcome this fear. Perhaps now is the best time. One way to reduce your fear is to get to know the topic very well and organize it in a PowerPoint, or something that you can refer to on stage.

13 I am planning to do a PowerPoint presentation. Do I need to bring a laptop? Please do not bring your own laptop for the presentation – in order to save time in switching from one laptop to the other. You can send the instructor a copy of the PPT file in the morning of your scheduled presentation. He will then load the file to the computer in the classroom for your presentation.

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