C. (Conor) O’Driscoll, Dr

Conor teaches in a range of BSc and MSc programmes, while also supervising individual and group research projects at these levels. The programmes Conor is involved in are detailed below:

Statistics 1 ( GESTAT1 ) - Statistics 1 (GESTAT1) provides students with the skills to correctly select, apply and interpret a variety of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The course covers levels of measurement, (spatial) sampling, tables and figures, (spatial) measures of centrality and dispersion, central limit theorem, z‐score, z‐test, various t‐tests and their non‐parametric alternatives. Also, the course covers the principles of research data management and reporting on statistical outputs. Use of a statistical software (R) is part of this course. This is a BSc programme.

Statistics 2 ( GESTAT2 ) - Statistics 2 (GESTAT2) provides students with the skills to correctly select, apply and interpret a variety of multivariate statistical techniques. The course covers analysis of variance, chi-square, measures of association, correlation, simple and multiple linear regression and logistic regression. Also, the course covers the principles of research data management. Use of a statistical software (tba)is part of this course. Content-wise, this course builds on Statistics 1 (GESTAT1). This is a BSc programme.

Methods For Academic Research ( GEMARHG ) - MAR provides students with the opportunities to practice their research skills by collecting data, analysing data, reporting results and discussing their implications in a professional academic manner. In small groups, students employ qualitative and quantitative research. They design and execute an interview guide (qualitative method) and a survey questionnaire (quantitative method) and combine the two under a joint, mini research project. Students are required to use online tools and computer software to assist with designing, obtaining and analysing data. This course serves as a stepping stone for the Bachelor’s project.

Economic Geography: Theory and Application ( GEMEGTT ) - This module has two main aims. First, the course explores the current frontiers of the academic debate in Economic Geography. Second, it explicitly translates the theoretical and empirical insights in Economic Geography to the daily practice of local and regional economic development as practiced by policy makers and private consultants alike. The course explicitly asks how empirical and theoretical insights translate to the practice of local and regional development. For this, we discuss pertinent policy options and tools, including city branding, business incentives and housing policies. Understanding the international practice of regional government is relevant in this as well. Throughout the course we pay attention to the practice of economic geography. This is made explicit in a two-day trip to Brussels to visit agencies involved in the regional policies of the European Union.