Principles of Microeconomics, Econ 201-002, CRN60949, MyEconLab Course ID to be announced (ONLINE) Spring, 2014 Course Syllabus and Schedule (2/8/14) DRAFT although content addressing the book will not change Course Objective This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in microeconomics. Economics is the study of how the world manages and distributes its scarce resources. Microeconomics looks at the behavior and interaction of consumers/households and firms within the market and how government intervention (or non-intervention) might impact outcomes. Topics include supply, demand, elasticity, market efficiency, production costs, market systems, game theory, externalities, public goods and asymmetric information. In this course, you will learn to use economic concepts and terminology as tools for analysis of individual, firm or public choices. You will also be able to better understand and critique microeconomic policies and current events. Required Resources The course begins in a hurry (the first assignments, consisting of homework and quizzes for Chapters 1, 2, and the Getting Started Homework, will be due Sunday, April 6) so you will need to secure the book and access to D2L and MyEconLab early in order to be ready for a fast start. The Book Principles of Microeconomics, 11 th edition, Case, Fair and Oster, Pearson. This is available in a number of formats and can be acquired through the Portland State Bookstore, among other sources. (The Softcover version is ISBN 978-0-13-296152-3). For those of you on campus, there are a number of copies in the Millar Library Reserve Desk that are available for periods ranging from 3 hours to 3 days.
D2L All course work will be based on the text s 11th edition, but I recognize that the 9 th and 10 th editions are available much less expensively from a number of sources I believe you can successfully complete the course with a 9 th or 10 th edition book. If you choose to use a 9 th or 10 th edition text it will be your responsibility to ensure that your mastery of materials is consistent with the 11 th edition s content. If you choose to secure a used book, you must arrange separately with the publisher for access rights to MyEconLab (see below). A limited number of the course s textbook are available for short-term load through the Reserve Desk at PSU s Millar Library. The course s D2L page will serve as the course s home page, and will also provide the environment we ll use in Discussion assignments. You should already have an ODIN Account and D2L access privileges as they are extended during the enrollment process. If you do not or are not aware that you do visit the OIT Help Desk at Room 18 Smith Student Center. It is located in SMC s basement. Their phone number is (503) 725-4357, and the phone not the office is staffed 24 hours per day. A link to PSU s very informative D2L Home Page is provided in the Course s D2L Home Page. The D2L Course Content page offers considerable resources that many have found helpful in the past. Among these are copies of the notes I use in lectures (you ll find that these are largely reading notes, often supplemented by margin notes that I have found helpful), copies of the publisher s Powerpoint slides, and videos (many from YouTube) addressing subject matter to be covered in readings. Many of these were developed by Khan Academy, and students before you have cited these lectures as being helpful in their mastery of topics that weren t clear when they d completed readings. In addition, there are sample examinations that you might find helpful as you prepare for the exams. The D2L Grades page will be the location where I maintain the course s grades, and ultimately the course s grade will be determined by the grades found there. Entry of grades into D2L is intensely manual, and I admit to fat fingers. I encourage you to review your grades regularly in D2L to ensure that I have not made a mistake in administering them. MyEconLab MyEconLab is a supplemental, online resource available through either the PSU Bookstore or Pearson publishers in conjunction with the text identified above. We will use MyEconLab for homework, quizzes and examination. In addition it offers an excellent Study Guide. Registration can be completed at www.myeconlab.com. Pearson provides a very good Student Interactive Guide - including initial registration and subsequent use at http://www.pageturnpro.com/pearson-education/41125- MyEconLab-Student-User-Guide/index.html#/1. In addition, a Pearson-provided document is provided in the course s D2L Course Content Page with guidance for the registration process. Gaining access to MyEconLab should be among the first tasks that you complete for this course to ensure timely completion of assignments. You will need to purchase access either in the bookstore, online bookstores or on Pearson s site. When
registering at the MyEconLab site per instructions you ll find there, the Course ID is MyEconLab Course ID to be announced. A word about MyEconLab. It does not operate consistently with all web browsers. Those that seem to have done best have been Firefox and Safari. Chrome and Internet Explorer (especially Internet Explorer 11) seem to operate less consistently. Communication The Q&A Forum. There are a lot of us in this community and e-mails are a time-intensive way to communicate. Rather than contact me directly with e-mail communication, please enter your question in the Q&A Discussion Forum first (see the Discussion Tab in the course s D2L page). I anticipate this will be used a lot, and I strongly encourage you to review it regularly. I also strongly encourage you to use the Q&A Forum as a vehicle for asking questions relative to anything concerning the course except your grades, which should be addressed in an e-mail to me (keast@pdx.edu). Putting a perspective on this, the last time we did this course there were well over 300 postings in the Q&A Forum, and quite a few more than 300 during the prior offering. As you review the Q&A Forum, if you find that you can answer the question, please do. I will visit regularly as well and we will address issues that remain outstanding. If that doesn t work timely for you or if your concern relates to your grade, use one of the methods noted below. When necessary I will use the Q&A Discussion Forum and occasionally e-mail to make announcements.. My office is in CH 287-L. If you are on the PSU campus, it is located on Cramer Hall s second floor near the Economics Department office at 241 Cramer Hall. The best ways of contacting me, in decreasing order of effectiveness: My Email: keast@pdx.edu My office hours are MWF, 1:00 2:00 PM in my office at Cramer Hall 287-L Phone: (503) 725-5934 (Leave me a voice mail message if I am not there I am responsive to voice mail and will call you back) D2L e-mail: I do not use D2L e-mail please write to me at keast@pdx.edu instead Tutoring Resources In addition to the book and video resources on the D2L Course Content page, there are at least three sources of assistance as you complete the course. 1. Economics Department Graduate Assistant Tutoring. Located in Cramer Hall 230, members of the Economics Department s Graduate Assistants are available during most business hours to provide tutoring assistance on a drop-in basis.
2. Millar Library Tutoring Services. Tutoring for Econ 201 (and Econ 202) is available through the Library. The schedule for this term is accessible through http://www.pdx.edu/tutoring/ 3. Live, VOLUNTARY Saturday Q&A sessions. From 10:00 11:30 AM on Saturdays, April 12, April 26, May 10, May 24 and June 7, I will be available on Portland State s campus in a room to be announced to discuss course materials and answer any questions that students bring. These will last as long as there are topics to discuss, or until 11:30. If no one has arrived for a session by 10:15 I will assume that no one is coming and adjourn. Assignments A general observation regarding timing. The course calendar at the end of this syllabus and the text that immediately follows provides very explicit guidelines about due dates and times. I intend to be inflexible with regard to these. In a prior course offering there have been occasions when both MyEconLab and D2L have gone out of service as deadlines approached. On other occasions students computers have failed or their local electrical service has failed (recall, any season in the Northwest can be chancy for weather). To offset the effects of such events we will be eliminating the two lowest scores for each of Homework and Quizzes from inclusion in the calculation of grades. Still, experience suggests that the best strategy for avoiding problems is to get assignments done well before the deadline. Thank you. Weekly Discussions: 20% of the course grade Discussions are an important part of an online course such as this one. The Discussion Forum will enable use of the course s concepts and terminology in addressing timely topics that I ll introduce weekly. We will not have a Weekly Discussion topic during the term s first week - weekly discussion questions will be posted early every Monday beginning October 7. All Discussion activity will be completed within D2L s Discussion page. I will post topics for the weekly Discussion Topics on Monday morning and they will be due no later than 11:59 PM the following Sunday (e.g. comments addressing the discussion topic posted on April 7 will be due no later than 11:59 PM on Sunday April 13.) Please frame your Comments in the range between 75 and 150 words. Once you have posted your comments, you will be able to see other students comments. Discussion Comments should employ microeconomic concepts and terminology. They should be long enough to fully communicate the student s point and, importantly, they should provide microeconomic logic/justification communicated with the economic terminology used in the text and MyEconLab resources. The discussion is an important forum for the course, is a substantial element in the course s grading, and should be undertaken carefully. I will not accept late submittals. Discussion submittals will be graded by the following standards.
o Not submitted or failing to meet the requirements of the assignment as described above = 0 o Submitted and meeting standards as described above= 5-10 (based on the submittal s quality) o Outstanding = 12 (I envision 5% of submittals earning a 12, based on my assessments of content quality)) Homework: 20% of the course grade Homework is presented and to be completed in MyEconLab. There is one problem set per chapter plus two more during the first week one addresses contents of this syllabus and the other is intended to be a primer on operating MyEconLab. Each will be available for students to work on early on Monday morning and each will be due no later than Sunday of each week (before 11:59 PM) as noted in the Course Calendar. Some homework is longer, some is shorter, but every problem set is weighed equally. Homework may be submitted as early as the Tuesday before the assigned Sunday. You may take as long as you like in completing Homework, and you can return to it as often as you like between the time when it is made available and when it is due. I will not accept late submittals, but you will be able to drop TWO of your lowest problem set grades. Homework will be graded with 90% - 100% = A, 80% - 89.99% = B, 70% 79.99% = C, 60% 69.99% = D, and less than 60% = F. Quizzes: 20% of the course grade There will be one quiz for each chapter in MyEconLab. As with Homework, each quiz will be available for students to work on early on Monday and each will be due no later than on Sunday at 11:59 PM. Quizzes differ from Homework in that the quizzes must be completed within 60 minutes, and at a single seating. Quizzes may be completed any time during the week but no later than the assigned Sunday. As with Homework assignments, I will not accept late submittals but you will be able to drop TWO of your lowest quiz scores. Quizzes will be graded with 90% - 100% = A, 80% - 89.99% = B, 70% 79.99% = C, 60% 69.99% = D, and less than 60% = F. Mid-Term Examination: 20% of the course grade The course s mid-term examination will be administered electronically through MyEconLab. Students will have two hours to complete the exam any time between the morning of Wednesday, May 7, 2014 and midnight of Sunday, May 15, 2014. I will circulate additional information as the time draws near. The examination will be graded on a curve. Scores less than 60% will be considered failing. Final Examination: 20% of the course grade
The course s final examination will also be administered electronically through MyEconLab. The Final Examination will be cumulative in that it will address all topics addressed during the term, but it will focus more heavily on those covered since the mid-term. As with the mid-term, students will have two hours to complete the final exam any time between the morning of Wednesday June 11, 2014 and 11:59 of Sunday, June 15, 2014. I will circulate additional information as the time draws near. The examination will be graded on a curve. Scores less than 60% will be considered failing. Matters of Course and Portland State University Policy Read and understand the syllabus. As a general rule, your lack of awareness of information provided in the Syllabus and Introductory Papers will not be acceptable later on as a defense in the unlikely event that such a need should arise. Portland State University supports equal opportunity for all, regardless of age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion or creed, sex or gender, sexual or gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis in law. Students with accommodations approved through the Disability Resource Center are responsible for contacting me prior to, or during, the first week of term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval should contact the DRC immediately. I am sympathetic to family emergencies but you must inform me as soon as possible. If your notice to me is verbal, please e-mail me with your understanding of agreement any agreements we develop during our communication. All such agreements must be in writing. I expect and require complete academic honesty of students enrolled in this course. Suspected academic dishonesty in this course will be handled according to the procedures set out in the Student Code of Conduct. An important element of academic honesty is the independence of student work, including homework, quizzes, discussion submittals and examinations. Course Calendar The Course Calendar identifies all deliverables due in the course by their due date. The course calendar is subject to change as the instructor deems appropriate and announces via D2L Discussion postings. Week Materials Activity 1 Chapter 1 Appendix Optional if you are uncomfortable with graphs you should review the Appendix carefully since graphs will be an important method of communication. Note that there are a YouTube videos in the D2L Course Content page that provides a short introduction to graphs. YouTube has others if you
are interested. Chapter 2 Key Dates: 3/31/14 4/6/14 Disregard the Discussion on Specialization, Exchange and Comparative Advantage. Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) (on 1/13/14 the first Discussion Topic will be posted on D2L s Discussion Tab Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due. Getting Started Homework due. 2 Materials: Chapter 3 Deemphasize the discussion of the Circular Flow Chapter 4 Key Dates: 4/7/14 Discussion Topic Posted (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) 4/13/14 Discussion Comments (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due 3 Materials: Chapter 5 Disregard the Appendix addressing Point Elasticity Key Dates: 4/14/14 Discussion Topic Posted (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) 4/20/14 Discussion Comments (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due 4 Materials: Chapter 6 Disregard the Appendix addressing Indifference Curves Chapter 7 Disregard the Appendix addressing Isoquants and Isocosts Key Dates: 4/21/14 Discussion Topic Posted (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) 5 Materials: Chapter 8 4/27/14 Discussion Comments (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due Chapter 9 Include the Appendix addressing External Economies and Diseconomies and the Long-Run Industry Supply Curve
Key Dates: 4/28/14 Discussion Topic Posted (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) 5/4/14 Discussion Comments (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due 6 Materials: No Assignments other than the Mid-Term Examination Key Dates: 5/7/14 5/11/14 Complete Online Mid-Term Examination at MyEconLab Assignments Tab covering Chapters 1-9 7 Materials: Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Include the Appendix addressing Calculating Present Value Chapter 12 Key Dates: 5/12/14 Discussion Topic Posted (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) 5/18/14 Discussion Comments (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due 8 Materials: Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Key Dates: 5/19/14 Discussion Topic Posted (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) 5/25/14 Discussion Comments (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due 9 Materials: Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Key Dates: 5/26/14 Discussion Topic Posted (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) 6/1/14 Discussion Comments (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due 10 Materials: Chapter 17
Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Key Dates: 6/2/14 Discussion Topic Posted (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework and Quizzes available (MyEconLab) 6/8/14 Discussion Comments (D2L Discussion Tab), Homework (MyEconLab) and Quizzes (MyEconLab) due Finals Week Materials: No Assignments other than the Final Examination Key Dates: 6/11/14 6/15/14 Complete Online Final Examination at MyEconLab Assignments Tab covering Chapters 1-19, with about 60% of questions taken from Chapters 10-19.