Syllabus
Principles of Economics II (Economics 120 – Macro)
ONLINE - Summer 2008
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Welcome to Econ 120! I am looking forward to having you in virtual class! You are about to embark on one of the most exciting learning journeys you will experience in life – economics is one of the most important and interesting classes you will ever have the opportunity of taking!
Does that surprise you? Consider the following:
· Economics is a behavioral science – the study of human behavior. What can be more interesting than figuring out more about how your species behaves?
· The behavioral science of economics assumes people are rational in every decision! Do you believe a drug addict is behaving rationally? You’re about to find out…
In this class you can expect to work hard, have lots of fun, engage in lively discussions, and practice a new and useful way of evaluating the behaviors of people all over the world!
Instructor: Becca Arnold
E-Mail: Email me at with questions about assignments, etc. However, if you have grade questions, please talk to me in person or by telephone. Note: emails must hve propar speling, puncation, & cApitaliZing 4 me too re spond. i wont respnd if urs loolks like this. or if i do ill just say u need to send it again. Don’t forget that “I” is always capitalized!
Email is checked M,T,W,T,F in the afternoon or evenings. It is usually not checked on weekends.
Course Title: Principles of Economics I I (Microeconomics)
Course Number: ECON 120
Office Number: I will not be in my office during the summer
Office Hours: Please contact me for an online or telephone chat
Textbook:
1. Irvin B. Tucker
Macro Economics for Today, 5th Edition, with Aplia passcode
ISBN #: 0-324-54981-4. If you buy a new textbook from the bookstore or KB books, you will have the passcode; if you buy a used textbook, you can buy a passcode separately at the bookstore BUT IT’S MORE EXPENSIVE THAT WAY. The easiest way is to go to www.aplia.com to purchase either just the passcode (which comes with an e-Book), or both the passcode and a hard-copy book.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you don’t want a hard copy book, just sign up for APLIA, as it comes with an e-Book. You save about half the cost.
ANOTHER NOTE: APLIA does not require payment right away if you just sign up for the passcode (and e-book). Therefore, even if you are waiting on financial aide or a paycheck, sign up for APLIA immediately. Then you have access to both the e-book and the homework assignments and can proceed in the course from the beginning.
WebCT: (www.sdccdonline.net)
Any discussions and assignments are on WebCT. Additionally, all course documents and grades are available on WebCT. Students are automatically registered in my class, with a user name that is your student ID and a password that is your birthdate in MMDDYYYY.
APLIA:
A different set of quizzes are taken on APLIA. The instructions for logging into APLIA are on a separate icon on the homepage.
THE COURSE IN A NUTSHELL:
How you will be graded:
APLIA Quizzes / 140 pointsDiscussion and Assignments / 40 points
TOTAL / 180 points
What you need to do before the SATURDAY, 11:45 pm DEADLINE each week:
Check the learning module to see what is dueRead the chapter
Complete the APLIA practice questions in preparation for the quiz or quizzes
Complete the APLIA quiz or quizzes (some chapters have one 10-pt quiz and some have two quizzes that add up to 10 points – you may open and close these as many times as you like before the deadline)
Complete the Discussion or Assignment.
THE COURSE NOT IN A NUTSHELL:
APLIA PRACTICE QUESTIONS –
These questions are provided for your convenience. They will help you prepare for the quizzes. In the first chapter, there are many practice tutorials to help you figure out how to use APLIA.
APLIA QUIZZES – 140 points
Each chapter has either one or two quizzes, with a chapter total of 10 points. These can be opened and closed as many times as you wish before the deadline, to update your answers. The deadline will be at 11:45 Saturday evening. We complete 16 chapters in this course; and your two lowest quizzes will be dropped. THE REASON FOR DROPPING QUIZZES IS FOR TECHNICAL GLITCHES OR STUDENT GLITCHES. DO NOT CONTACT ME TO LET YOU TAKE A QUIZ FOR ANY REASON. THE DROPPED QUIZZES ARE IN PLACE OF RETAKING QUIZZES.
DISCUSSION and ASSIGNMENTS – 40 points
Each week a discussion or assignment is due. Please read the section below about proper discussion posts. Each discussion or assignment is worth 10 points, and one will be dropped for technical or other glitches. DO NOT CONTACT ME TO LET YOU MAKE UP ONE OF THESE ASSIGNMENTS. IT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED FOR ANY REASON. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BEGIN THE ASSIGNMENT EARLY ENOUGH THAT IF THERE ARE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS YOU HAVE TIME TO FIX THEM AND RESUBMIT.
EXTRA CREDIT:
We do not cover some of the Chapters in class. Students can do the APLIA quizzes for extra credit on Chapters 17 and 20. The quizzes show up under the last week, but can be taken at any time during the semester.
GRADING:
A: 90% or higher
B: 80 – 89%
C: 70-79%
D: 60-69%
F: Less than 60%.
Keep reading. We’re almost done! And it’s all super-important info!
Attendance:
Mesa attendance policy dictates that if you miss over 6% of the coursework with unexcused absences, you must be dropped from the class. I can tell if you have participated each week, and how much. You may only miss one week (unexcused). On the second week you may be dropped (but if you are certain you want to drop, then drop yourself in case I accidentally miss your name).
A missed week MUST be excused before the deadline date, except in the direst of circumstances, in which case you will likely be asked to present written proof of your inability to contact me before class.
Disabled Students:
If you have a disability that may cause you to need academic accommodations, please discuss this with me sometime during the first two weeks of class.
Online Learning Expectations (Is this course for me?):
This course is best suited for students who have the motivation and ability to learn independently. The course is not recommended for students who have a tendency to procrastinate.
Students are expected to communicate in a courteous, formal, and professional manner. Informal written communications via email or the discussion board are not acceptable. Students must, in all cases, communicate in English with a formal sentence structure, correct spelling, grammar, capitalization and punctuation. When referring to yourself, “I” must be capitalized. The course is not recommended for students who are not reasonably proficient in the use of computer software. You have the responsibility to correct technical problems before submission deadlines. To find out if you have the technical and student skills necessary to succeed with online learning, take the Online Learning Readiness Assessment.
It is your responsibility to check the homepage and the calendar frequently to be well informed of lecture topics, announcements, and especially the test schedule, which might be rescheduled as class goes on. There is no partial credit for late assignments under any circumstances (having not read the announcements on the homepage or waiting for the textbook can not be used as excuses for late assignments).
If you’ve read all of this and believe you can succeed … read further!
Appropriate Use of the Discussion Board
The discussion boards have a very specific purpose – to facilitate the learning of economics. Students who have frequently posted to blogs, engaged in chats, etc., sometimes expect that the board is used to express opinions. It is not.
Students are expected, in all discussion board postings, to be polite. Impolite postings will be removed, and disciplinary action may be taken.
Students are also expected to post legibly:
n Use correct grammar
n Use correct punctuation
n Use correct spelling
n Capitalize correctly. “I” is capitalized.
n Construct sentences thoughtfully, as you would if writing a paper, not as you would if text messaging.
Carelessly worded or punctuated postings will also be removed, and/or the student will be asked to re-submit.
Cheating/Plagiarism:
Neither cheating nor plagiarism are allowed (I bet you suspected they wouldn't be). Cheating or plagiarism on any assignment or quiz will result in an immediate F for the assignment and possible further disciplinary action by the College.
Plagiarism includes the following:
1. Verbatim copying without proper acknowledgment
2. Paraphrasing without proper acknowledgment
3. Putting together a "patchwork" paper from diverse sources without proper acknowledgment of the sources
4. Unacknowledged appropriation of information or of someone else's ideas
5. Turning in assignments that are the same as another student.
Course Description
Below is the official description of what you are going to learn. It’s long, but definitely worth reading:
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the nature and scope of economics.
2. Read, interpret, and develop economic graphs.
3. Define and explain the concepts of scarcity, necessity of specialization, and comparative advantage in reaching maximum output levels and evaluate the role of the U.S. in a global community.
4. Appraise and evaluate the impact of various global decisions on the domestic economy, such as international monetary and capital flows; and effect of trade on the quality and availability of goods and services.
5. Identify, utilize, and interpret various economic models such as production possibility curves, supply and demand, and aggregate expenditure model, and aggregate supply and demand.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of the concept of equilibrium level of national income and product by applying supply/demand concepts and evaluate the various policies that can be applied to achieve desirable equilibrium levels.
7. Measure national income and national product.
8. Compare and contrast the role of capitalism in the domestic economy and the growth of capitalism in the global community and compare the results of capitalism on an economy versus the effect of other economic systems.
9. Interrelate the roles of business, government, and the consumer and analyze their respective effect in the market place.
10. Apply fiscal and monetary policy options to achieve desirable domestic economic goals and analyze the effect of those decisions on the global community.
11. Define concepts of business fluctuations, inflation, and unemployment.
12. Compare and contrast the global consequences of various nations' policies to control business fluctuations, inflation, and unemployment.
13. Explain in general the economic health of different regions of the world in terms of economic factors such as debt and unemployment.
14. Explain the interrelatedness of various economic indicators in economies throughout the world.
Do you have questions on the syllabus? Post them to the discussion board if they are general questions, and email me if they are personal questions.
HAVE FUN, WORK HARD, AND LEARN A LOT!