🌍 Week 3 Homework — Feedback
🌍 Week 3 Homework — Feedback
Student: Pablo Romanella
Files: week3_homework_starter (3).m, WB_RGDP_Selected_Panel.csv, rGDP.csv, week 3.zip
Assignment: World Bank Real GDP & Growth (CSV version)
⚠️ Overall Assessment
Result: ⚠️ Partially correct
The code structure and logic follow the assignment correctly, and the output files suggest the computations were implemented properly.
However, the script cannot run on another machine because the data loading line contains a hard-coded local path (e.g., something like
readtable('C:\Users\Pablo\Documents\MATLAB\rGDP.csv')).
This breaks reproducibility — the file must be loaded using a relative path instead.
The file is also very similar and produces the same results as the one of Michele Nascia. Try to differentiate the two next time!
🔍 Task-by-Task Check (Slides Tasks 1–8)
| Task | Description | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Import NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (real GDP) from CSV |
⚠️ | Fails on other machines due to hard-coded path; correct command structure otherwise. |
| 2 | Inspect & extract year/value pairs | ✅ | Data cleaned and correctly extracted once loaded. |
| 3 | Build tidy table (country/iso3, year, value) |
✅ | WB_RGDP_Selected_Panel.csv tidy and well-structured. |
| 4 | Compute logs & annual growth | ✅ | Correct log-difference computation per country. |
| 5 | Verify US growth vs Week 1 | ✅ | US GDP growth pattern consistent. |
| 6 | Plot Real GDP for selected countries + legend | ✅ | Figure produced; naming differs but acceptable. |
| 7 | Plot growth rates (subplots + average line) | ⚠️ | Plots all countries together, no mean line per country. |
| 8 | Export CSV panel with growth | ✅ | CSV created correctly (WB_RGDP_Selected_Panel.csv). |
🧠 Why the Script Fails to Run
- The import line points to a specific folder on your computer.
- Anyone running the script elsewhere will get an error:
Error using readtable The file ‘C:\Users...\rGDP.csv’ could not be found.
For the rest see solution files and feedback to Michele Nascia.