William Rainey Harper College ECO 211 ONLINE! Microeconomics: An Introduction to Economic Efficiency Syllabus SUMMER 2013 ECO 211-W01, ECO 211-W02, and ECO 211-W03 ~/~ Home ~/~ Syllabus ~/~ Schedule ~/~ Assignments ~/~ Video Lecture Notes ~/~ Textbook Website ~/~ Blackboard ~/~

THREE SECTIONS These web pages will be used by three different class sections: ECO 211-W01 and -W02 with an optional orientation on Tuesday, 5/21, 5:00-6:00 pm in D-235, and ECO 211-W03 with an optional orientation on Tuesday, 6/11, 5:00-6:15 in J-255 GENERAL INFORMATION INSTRUCTOR: Mark Healy OFFICE: J-262 PHONE: Office: 847-925-6352 Home: 815-728-1571 Cell: 815-861-7265 E-MAIL: mhealy@harpercollege.edu BLACKBOARD WEBPAGE: http://harper.blackboard.com/ COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will cover the area of economics commonly defined as microeconomics which is concerned with the individual parts of the economy such as individual businesses or industries, individual consumers, and individual products. Our goal is to study whether the economy uses our limited resources to obtain the maximum satisfaction possible for society. We will concentrate on three issues or goals: ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY, PRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY, and EQUITY, or "efficiency, efficiency, and equity". This course requires students to have basic skills in mathematics, including the use of graphs. If your math skills are weak you might consider building them before taking this course. REQUIRED MATERIALS Brief list: Textbook: Microeconomics, by McConnell, Brue, and Flynn, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2011 Online Videos: Tomlinson Universal LearningPath Videos Instant Access Code, 1st Edition Textbook Study Guide: Study Guide For Microeconomics, McConnell/Brue/Walstad, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2012 Details: [The options and prices below are not guaranteed by your instructor. They are provided only to give students information on some of the options available. Students should verify the information before purchasing.] REQUIRED:   Microeconomics, by McConnell, Brue, and Flynn, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2011 ISBNs: Paperback: 9780077337735 Ebook: 978-0-07-733773-5   Textbooks can be bought or rented at the Harper College Bookstore (L building) or online at: http://www.harperstore.com buy new for $186 plus sales tax [Students can sell the book back for up to 50% ($93) of what they paid, (total coat = $186 - $93 = $93)] buy used for $140 plus sales tax [Students can sell the book back for up to 50% ($70) of what they paid, (total cost = $140 - $70= $70)] rent for $84 and pay NO sales tax. OR You can purchase the Ebook at http://www.coursesmart.com/ Students can also rent the book for about $42 plus $5 shipping from http://www.chegg.com REQUIRED:   Study Guide For Microeconomics, McConnell/Brue/Walstad, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2012 The Study Guide is available in an online version for only $15: To purchase: Go to: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0077337735/information_center_view0/ and click on "First Time Users" (see figure below) Click on "I am a Student" Then, in the right column you can buy the online version of the Study Guide by clicking on: OR The printed version of the Study Guide can be bought at the Harper College Bookstore (or elsewhere) or online at: http://www.harperstore.com ISBN 978-0-077338-00-8 Cost about $56 plus tax REQUIRED:   Tomlinson Universal LearningPath Videos Instant Access Code, 1st Edition PRICE: $35 for 365 days of access TO BUY: Go to: www.cengagebrain.com Search for ISBN: 978-0-324-58136-2 you will create an account and purchase access to the videos with a credit card once purchased click on "My Home" to access videos or see below. TO ACCESS THE VIDEOS LATER: Go to: http://login.cengage.com Log in: using the account that you created when you bought access Videos are usually between 5 and 10 minutes long and there usually between 5 and 10 per chapter. Also, most of them have (1) a written transcript available, (2) lecture notes, and (3) a ten multiple choice question review quiz. BLACKBOARD All students in Harper's online ECO 211 Microeconomics courses will use the same Blackboard site: "ECO211-W01 W02 W03 - MICROECONOMICS (Summer 2013)" All students must log-in to our Blackboard website, study the syllabus, and take the required 5-point, online, "Syllabus Quiz" . The syllabus quiz may be taken many times as necessary and only the highest score will be counted. Blackboard Instructions: Always use the the Firefox browser when using Blackboard (download for free at: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/) Go to http://harper.blackboard.com Follow the instructions to "log-in", If you need help see the Student Service Desk link below the Login button.. You should see "ECO211-W01 W02 W03 - MICROECONOMICS (Summer 2013)" in the "My Courses" box. If you do not please e-mail the instructor: mhealy@harpercollege.edu  The CHAPTERS - BEGIN HERE link on our Blackboard site will give you access to EVERYTHING that you should be doing for this class including: OPTIONAL: Meme OPTIONAL: Short Intro Video REQUIRED: Textbook Reading Assignments REQUIRED: Video Lectures REQUIRED: Video Lecture Notes PRACTICE: Practice Exercises POINTS: Required Activities POINTS: Quiz  E-MAIL Option to Forward Mail from your Harper E-mail Account You should always use your Harper email account when e-mailing your instructor. All e-mails from harper will be sent to your Harper e-mail account. If you do not check your Harper e-mail account often, you can find instructions on how to forward e-mail from that account to one you check frequently by logging in to the Harper Student Portal and clicking on the "My Harper E-Mail" tab. All correspondence in this class will be sent to your Harper e-mail account. When e-mailing your instructor always put "ECO 211" and a message in the subject line. Please use proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar. TEXTBOOK WEBSITE Click on TEXTBOOK WEBSITE then select a chapter from the "Choose One" drop-down menu. ASSIGNMENTS On the Assignments link you will find the following for each chapter: Chapter Required Assignments Chapter Reading Assignments Chapter Video Lectures Chapter Required Activity Chapter Practice Exercises Study Guide Worked Problems Web Quizzes End-of-Chapter Questions and Problems ONLINE VIDEO LECTURES The asigned video lectures are found on the Assignments link. Most video lectures are from the Cengage Tomlinson Universal LearningPath Videos. You must purchase access to these videos. These are listed on the Assignments page by their numbers (eg. 2.1-1, 2.1-2, 2.2-1, etc.). Other videos are free online. Videos are usually between 5 and 10 minutes long and there are usually between 5 and 10 per chapter. Most of the the Cengage Tomlinson videos have (1) lecture notes, (2) a written transcript, and (3) a multiple choice review quiz available. DISCUSSION BOARD Use the Blackboard Discussion Board for any question which might also be of use to other students - like asking a question in class. Do not ask such questions via e-mail. If you use the Discussion Board everyone else can also read the answer. To ask a question or leave a comment, go to the class Blackboard site and click on the "Discussion Board" link. Then click on "STUDENT QUESTIONS". Since we do not use the Discussion Board a lot, it is strongly suggested that you SUBSCRIBE to the discussion board thread so that you get an e-mail whenever a new message is posted. Just click on the "Discussion Board" link, click on "STUDENT QUESTIONS", then click on the "Subscribe" button.   GRADING The final grade for the class will be awarded according to the following point system. Changes may be made to this grading policy. All changes will be posted on the class Blackboard page and an email will be sent to all students. ACTIVITY INFORMATION POINTS 1 syllabus quiz 5 points, must be taken online at: http://harper.blackboard.com/ 5 points 16 Required Activities The Required Activities are online (Blackboard) chapter review quizzes of about 20 questions - usually multiple choice. They are worth two points per quiz/chapter. They can be retaken as many times as you wish and only the highest score will be included in the final grade. 32 points 5 online quizzes 10 multiple choice questions, 1/2 point each each 25 points 3 unit exams 40 multiple choice questions each * 120 points Final Exam 80 multiple choice questions, COMPREHENSIVE 80 points | | TOTAL: 262 POINTS * Each of the three unit exams will also have an extra credit essay question worth 3 points Letter grades will be awarded as follows: 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D, below 60%=F EXAMS All exams will be taken on the Harper campus in the Assessment Center, Student and Administration Center, room A-148, phone 847-925-6541 [see: Assessment Center hours]. To take the exams you simply go to the testing center with a picture ID and ask for the appropriate exam for ECO 211. Exams should be taken on, or before, the day listed on the "SCHEDULE" link on Blackboard. Exams 1, 2, and 3 consist of 40 multiple choice questions (each worth one point) and an extra credit essay ( worth three points). After you SUBMIT your answers to the forty multiple choice questions the extra credit essay link will appear under the Blackboard "EXAMS" link. If you ask on the Discussion Board, I will give you more information on the extra credit questions. The comprehensive final exam is 80 multiple choice questions with NO extra credit.. RETAKE EXAMS Optional "retake" exams (same chapters, different questions) are available for exams 1, 2, and 3. If you take a retake, only the higher score will be included in your total score. Be sure to tell the Testing Center personnel that you wish to do a RETAKE. Retake exams also have an extra credit essay question. Please do not take the retake on the same day that you took the exam. If you need to retake an exam then you need to study more first. EXAM MAKE-UP POLICY Students should take the exams according to the class "SCHEDULE". Exams can be taken early. Exams can be taken later than the scheduled date if you email the instructor first. Students who get behind often do poorly. Try to stay on schedule, or better yet, get ahead. QUIZZES The five quizzes are online at our Blackboard site and they will be taken at home via the internet. They consist of 10 multiple choice questions each and will be worth 5 points per quiz. They can be attempted ONLY ONCE (i.e. you must finish the 10 questions the first time you access them), but there is no time limit. Quiz 1 - the 5 Es Quiz 2 - Supply and Demand (chapter 3) Quiz 3 - Elasticity (chapter 4) Quiz 4 - Costs of Production (chapter 7) Quiz 5 - Monopoly (chapter 10 and 18) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES For each chapter you will need to complete the online "Required Activity". These can be found on Blackboard under the "REQUIRED ACTIVITIES" link. The required activities are worth two points each. You can do them as many times as you wish and only the highest score will be recorded. Most Required Activities are twenty multiple choice questions. BRIEF COURSE OUTLINE IMPORTANT: For exact reading assignments see: Assignments. We may not read the whole chapter or a "chapter" may include pages from other chapters, so always check the "Assignments" page before reading Unit 1: An Introduction To Economics, Efficiency, and the Market System Ch. 1 -- Limits, Alternatives, and Choices and the 5 Es Ch. 2 -- The Market System: The Market and the 5 Es Ch. 3 -- Individual Markets: Demand and Supply and the 5 Es Ch. 5 -- Market Failure and the Role of Government Unit 2: Consumer Decisions and the Costs of Production Ch. 4 -- Elasticity: Deciding How Much Ch. 6 -- Consumer Behavior and Utility Maximization: Consumer Decisions Ch. 7 -- The Costs of Production: Producer Decisions / Costs Unit 3: Product Markets: Decision Making and Efficiency Ch. 8 and 9 -- Pure Competition Ch. 10 and 18 -- Pure Monopoly and Regulation Ch. 11 -- Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly Unit 4: Resource Markets: Decision Making, Efficiency, and Equity Ch. 13 -- The Demand for Resources Ch. 14 -- Wage Determination Ch. 20 -- Income Inequality, Poverty, and Discrimination Ch. 22 -- Immigration NOTE: This outline may be changed! Any changes will be announced via our Blackboard site.. LIBRARY RESERVE A few textbooks and study guides have been placed on reserve in the library in case you leave yours at Grandma's house. Some can be checked out from the circulation desk for two days at a time and one is for in-library use only. HOW TO PASS ECONOMICS This is a difficult course! There is an old rule of thumb concerning studying for college courses: on average during a regular 16 week semester, students should attend class 3 hours a week and they should study outside of class TWO hours for every ONE hour of class. Since this is a three-hour online class this means that you should plan for NINE hours a week (three hours of "class" PLUS 2 x 3 hours of studying). BIT SINCE THIS IS AN 8-WEEK SUMMER CLASS, YOU WILL NEED TO DOUBLE THESE TIMES. This is an average, which means some courses require more study time and some less. You may find that economics requires MORE. The following suggestions should help you learn economics: Passive reading of the textbook is not very helpful. Read with a pen in your hand and a notebook on which to list, repeat, copy, calculate, etc. ALSO, pay close attention to the TABLES and GRAPHS. THEY ARE IMPORTANT. Watch the online video lectures. This is like attending class for a face-to-face course. "VIDEO NOTES are available on our Blackboard site. Students have said that they are helpful. Also, do the review quizzes that are available for most of the Cengage Tomlinson video lectures. Ask questions on the Blackboard Discussion Board DO PROBLEMS. If you don't do the assigned problems you will do poorly on the quizzes and exams. Multiple choice and other problems can be found at: The REQUIRED ACTIVITIES link on Blackboard The ASSIGNMENTS link on Blackboard with problems from the: Study Guide Textbook Textbook website "VIDEO LOGIN" link on Blackboard with review quizzes for most of the online video lectures "YELLOW PAGES" link on Blackboard "OTHER REVIEW" link on Blackboard   See the instructor for assistance. This should be done EARLY in the semester. Free tutoring is available at the Harper College Tutoring Center Keep up or get ahead. It is easy to get behind. To get a good grade you will have to devote a significant amount of out of class time to studying economics. If you get behind there simply will not be enough time. Try to APPLY the concepts learned in class to the "real world" including issues in the news and aspects of your personal life.

SCHEDULE

ECO 211-W01 and -W02

• The orientation for ECO 211-W01 and -W02 is Tuesday, 5/21, 5:00-6:05 p.m. in room D-235.
• Syllabus Quiz: Take the 5-point Syllabus Quiz at: http://harper.blackboard.com/ before Thursday, 5/30
• Unit 1 Exam: Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 5 on, or before, Thursday, 6/6
  • Required Activities, Quizzes 1 and 2, and Exam 1
• Unit 2 Exam: Chapter 4, 6, and 7, on, or before, Thursday, 6/20
  • Required Activities, Quizzes 3 and 4, and Exam 2
• Last day to withdraw from the course: Sunday, 6/30
• Unit 3 Exam: Chapters 8. 9, 10, 11, and 18 on, or before, Wednesday, 7/3
  • Required Activities, Quiz 5, Exam 3
• The comprehensive final must by completed on, or before, Thursday, 7/11.

ECO 211-W03

• The orientation for ECO 212-W03 is Tuesday, 6/11, 5:00-6:00 p.m. in room J-255.
• Syllabus Quiz: Take the 5-point Syllabus Quiz at: http://harper.blackboard.com/ before Thursday, 6/20
• Unit 1 Exam: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5 & 20, 4 on, or before, Thursday, 6/27
  • Required Activities, Quizzes 1, 2 and 3 and Exam 1
• Unit 2 Exam: Chapter 4, 6, and 7, on, or before, Thursday, 7/11
  • Required Activities, Quiz 4, and Exam 2
• Last day to withdraw from the course: Sunday, 7/21
• Unit 3 Exam: Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, and 18 on, or before, Thursday, 7/25
  • Required Activities, Quiz 5, Exam 3
• The comprehensive final must by completed on, or before, Thursday, 8/1.

Your success in this class is important to me. If you have a disability (learning, physical, psychological or other) and may require some accommodation or modification in procedures, class activity, instruction, requirements, etc. please contact me early in the semester so we can refer you to ADS who will discuss and arrange for reasonable accommodations. The Access and Disability Services department is in the Building D, D119, 847.925.6266 or TTY (847) 397-7600

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