Lansing Community College

Social Science Department
Section Syllabus - ECON 202 for Spring 2009
ONLINE - CRN's 20997

Course and Section Information:

Course Code: ECON 202
Title: Principles of Economics - Macro
Semester: Spring 2009
Class Meetings: ONLINE - no face-to-face class meetings

Instructor & Contact Information:

Instructor: Jim Luke
Office: LCC Main Campus, A&S Building, Room 361E
Phone & Voice Mail: 313-550-8884   (cell + text)
517-483-5384  (office)
Email: lukej@lcc.edu (preferred for all email - If you do use Angel email, please provide a real email address, such as tuid@lcc.edu that I can reply to. Replying through Angel is cumbersome and time-consuming).
Office Hours: T & Th 12-2pm; 4-5pm; others by appointment

I. Course Code:  ECON 201

Credit Lecture
4 64

II. Prerequisite

Reading Level 5
Math Level 4

III. Course Description

This course addresses the theory of national income, employment and the price level, and government fiscal and monetary policies designed to influence aggregate economic activity. It also addresses exchange rates, international financial relationships, and economic growth.

IV. Instructional Materials

A. Required Textbooks:  

Principles of Economics, Version 2.0, by Timothy Taylor, www.textbookmedia.com.  This book is not available at bookstores. It is only available online from www.textbookmedia.com. You will need to go to this site, select your preferred type of media for the book, and order it.  Even if you are using one of the free options listed below, you must still register, log in, and add your selection to your "cart".  Your options for the book include:
  1. Free = Chapter PDF files- Supported by advertising. Download PDF version of each chapter to your computer. Takes 37 downloads for complete book. Each download session is preceded by advertising. Each chapter contains ads within the PDF file. Bookmarks and Study Guide not included. 
  2. Free = Sponsored Online Book - Free access to the online book. Includes Sponsored StudyBreaks (advertising placed in natural subject breaks). Study Guide not included.
  3. $9.95 = The PDF Download Suite with Integrated Study Guide - There are no ads in the book; the entire book is available in just two download files; each file is bookmarked for easy navigation of the entire textbook; the bookmarks allow for fast review of key topics; there’s a Study Guide that’s integrated into the end of each chapter; and the Study Guide is loaded with questions and answers. The PDF file is set for high resolution printing.
  4. $9.95 = Online Book - Online e-book minus the advertising. Study Guide not included
  5. $29.95 + postage = Paperback - A print version of the book (with no ads). This black & white paperback is shipped directly to you (allow 7 days). Until it arrives, use one of the free options to either download chapters or access the Sponsored Online e-Book.
You may choose more than one option.  I strongly suggest buying the paperback book (option 5) and downloading the files (option 1).  Previous students have suggested that the online e-book options (#'s 2 and 3 above) are cumbersome to use since they require an active Web connection whenever you attempt to read the book.

B.  Other Materials and Resources  

Use of ANGEL website for this course is required. (this is an online course!)
Links to other resources about economics, websites, copies of in-class slide presentations, and practice quizzes are available on the Web through the LCC Angel site for this course.

V.  Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the successful student will be able to:
  1. Calculate, explain, and evaluate measures of aggregate output, aggregate income, the price level, unemployment and the balance of payments.
  2. Describe the types of unemployment.
  3. Describe the components of aggregate demand, their relative size in the U.S. economy, and their historical volatility.
  4. Describe and explain the aggregate flows of an economy between households, firms, government, and rest-of-world sectors through product, resource, and financial markets.
  5. Describe and evaluate macroeconomic policy goals and trade-offs.
  6. Describe the federal budget process, surplus or deficit, and public debt, and their impact on the economy.
  7. Explain verbally and graphically and apply the aggregate demand and aggregate supply model.
  8. Explain and analyze the classical theory of macroeconomic equilibrium and the resulting implications for the role of government.
  9. Explain and analyze the Keynesian theory of macroeconomic equilibrium and expenditure multiplier effects and the resulting implications for the role of government.
  10. List and explain the tools of fiscal policy and describe and show graphically how those tools can be used to achieve macroeconomic goals.
  11. Define money, describe the banking system, and explain the process by which the banking system creates money.
  12. Describe and define the functions and policy tools of the Federal Reserve System and explain how actions of the Federal Reserve System affect money supply and interest rates.
  13. Describe and show graphically how actions by the Federal Reserve can be used to achieve macroeconomic goals.
  14. Explain and analyze the Monetarist view of policy, macroeconomic equilibrium and the resulting implications for the role of government.
  15. Explain and contrast the views of the effectiveness and desirability of using activist and discretionary policy to achieve macroeconomic goals.
  16. Describe the process by which exchange rates are determined and the macroeconomic impact of changes in exchange rates.

    VI. Methods of Instruction

    This is an online section utilizing substantial self-study, online work, online quizzes, and online discussion. Online participation is mandatory.  More detailed information on activities, scheduling, and methods is provided in Unit 1 of the course online.  The scheduling is somewhat flexible and up to the student.

    VII. Methods of Evaluating Student Acheivement and Progress:

    A. The following methods are used in this class:

    Type of Graded Assignment    
    		 Points Available% of Final
    Course Grade
    Quizzes (online)140 points35%
    Worksheets (online)90 points22.5%
    Midterm Tests (online) 50 points12.5%
    Req'd. Forum Posts (2)20 points5%
    Final Exam 100 points25%
    Total for Course 400 points100%
    Quizzes -  140 points

    Quizzes are multiple-choice and true-false question tests with only one best answer for each question. Some graphs and minor calculations may be involved. After completing each of the 14 units, students will complete a short quiz of approximately 10-20 questions.  Quizzes are administered online through Angel. Students will be shown their score (# correct) immediately and which questions they missed. Students will not be provided correct answers after completing the quiz or later in the course. This is necessary since students will be taking the quizzes at different times and will also have the opportunity to re-take quizzes. Quizzes do not have time limits. Any quiz may be re-taken, but each quiz may only be taken a maximum of two times. The highest of the two quiz submissions will be counted.
    Worksheets - 90 points

    There will be 9 worksheet assignments. These worksheets are assigned in various different Units, but not all units will have a worksheet assignment.  A worksheet consists of a table of data and/or graph about an economic situation or problem. Some initial data is provided and students are expected to calculate the remaining data. After completing the blank parts of the worksheet, you will answer a short series of questions online. The data you calculate will be needed to answer the questions. Worksheet answers may submitted as many times as the student chooses.  In addition, students are encouraged to collaborate and discuss the worksheet problems on the discussion forums. Students who "go the extra mile" in helping other students in the online forums may receive bonus points
    Midterm Tests - 50 points

    A short test of 25 questions is taken at the conclusion of each of Part I and Part III.  These tests may only be attempted once. There is a time limit of 50 minutes for completing the test.  Once a test is opened, it must be completed - it cannot be saved, closed, and re-opened later. When you open a test, be sure you have time to complete it. Some graphs and calculations may be involved - you may want to have a simple calculator and/or scratch paper available when you take the test. Although the test is delivered online and not proctored, students should treat these mid-terms as closed-book tests to help prepare them for the final exam.
    Required Forum Postings - 20 points

    There are numerous forums available for online discussion and help.  Most forums are optional and exist for students to help each other with problems, issues, or to clarify course problems.  Three forums are required, though.   Students must participate and post to each of the three Required Forums. The two Required Forums are labeled as such and are located in Unit 1. The other Required Forum is in Unit 14, at the end of the course.  In most cases, students will recieve the maximum allowed points for their post.  The instructor reserves the right to lower the points though, if a post is trivial or uncivil.
    Final Examination - 100 points
    The final exam will be comprehensive and will have two parts. Each question counts for 2 points.  The departmental part will consist of 25 multiple choice questions and will count as 50 points. The instructor part will be 25 questions that will count as the other 50 points of the final exam grade.
    Extra Credit
    A limited number of extra credit points MAY be awarded for students who make significant contributions toward helping their fellow students on the discussion forums.  This is the only activity for which extra credit points may be available.  Extra credit points may only be granted to students who complete all assignments.  The maximum amount of extra credit points is 5.  Any such points will be awarded at the end of the course and it is unwise to "plan" on getting extra credit points.

    B. Grading Scale:

    The College Standard grading scale will be used:
    Course Grade% of PossibleMinimum Points Earned 
    4.0Excellent91-100%364
    3.586-90%344
    3.0Good81-85%324
    2.576-80%304
    2.0Satisfactory71-75%284
    1.566-70%264
    1.0Poor60-65%240
    0.0No Credit0-59%0

    VIII. Course Practices and Policies

    College-wide policies are stated in the College Catalog and include those on attendance, withdrawals, and incomplete grades.  The College Catalog is available on the Internet at http://www.lcc.edu/catalog/.  Lansing Community College provides services to students with documented disabilities.  If you need accomomdations, contact the Office of Disability Services at 517-483-1207 in room 2300 of Gannon Building to coordinate reasonable accomodations for your needs.

    Additional course policies and practices for this course are:

    Attendance Policy
    Students are expected to be active online every week, however there not fixed due dates for assignments other than Unit 1.  Students who go more than two weeks without logging in online into Angel and without explanation or notification to the professor are subject to Administrative Withdrawal for non-attendance.
    Scheduling and Due Dates: Flexible Schedule
    The online parts of this course are designed to provide a significant amount of flexibility to students in scheduling their own work.  There are only three firm "deadlines", as listed below. For online components of the course, there are no specific deadlines other than the end of the course. The requirement that students plan and schedule their own work is an integral part of learning economics. In particular it helps the student to experience concepts of scarcity, opportunity costs, production possibilities, and other economic principles. More information about scheduling and deadlines in Unit 1 of the course, and by checking the Schedule tab of the course Angel website. Plan your own pace and schedule accordingly. 

    You may proceed at your own pace. One lesson of economics is that all activities have opportunity costs and that everyone's opportunity costs are different. Therefore, the most rational or optimal scheduling can be determined by each student. You may proceed as fast or as slow as you wish. Please be advised that there is a definite advantage  in maintaining a consistent pace throughout the semester. Likewise, students who postpone much of the work to the last few weeks usually experience a significant additional cost in doing so: lower quiz scores, more anxiety, and more time to master the same material. Economics is much more difficult to learn in a compressed, short period of time.  Flexible scheduling DOES NOT MEAN PROCRASTINATING EVERYTHING TO THE LAST THREE WEEKS.  Students who are not making regular progress and are not regularly participating are subject to being dropped for non-attendance.
    Final Exam Time & Location
    The Final Exam must be taken between May 1 and Wednesday, May 6.  The FINAL EXAM must be completed by end of the day Wednesday,  May 6. The exam must be taken at the student assessment center in GVT on the main campus. For information on the assessment center’s hours, please see http://lcc.edu/assessment.  If a student cannot take the exam in the assessment center, arrangements must be made through the assessment center to have the exam proctored and administered elsewhere, including at branch campuses. These arrangments MUST be made by the 12th week (6th in summer) of the semester and are the student’s responsibility. Students who are having their final exam proctored off-site should also notify the instructor by email when they have completed the final exam.
    Drops and Withdrawals
    Students are advised to familiarize themselves with the LCC Withdrawal Policy. It is available on the Internet at http://www.lcc.edu/policy/policies_9.aspx#W_GRADE.  Under this policy, students may withdraw themselves from the course until the end of the eighth week. Between the 8th week and the end of the 14th week, students must be passing and have the permission of the instructor to withdraw. Such requests should be addressed to the instructor by email. There can be NO WITHDRAWALS after the 14th week.  All students remaining enrolled in the class after the 14th week must receive a final course grade. Students who have extended absences from class without discussing it with the instructor, or who miss two or more tests without notice, or who engage in uncivil activity are subject to Administrative Withdrawal by the Instructor before the 14th week.
    Drop for Non-Attendance:

    Students may be DROPPED for NON-ATTENDANCE, IF EITHER of the following occurs:
    1. the student fails to complete quiz #1 and make the first required posting to the Getting Started Forum by the deadline.
    2. they do not access the course online for two whole weeks without informing the instructor of their plans
    The instructor will review the participation and submissions of students several times throughout the semester.  Students who do not make regular submissions and do not notify the instructor of their plans will be dropped.
    Discussion & Collaboration:
    Students are encouraged to assist each other in learning and mastering the material, particularly when dealing with the problem worksheets. A discussion forum will be provided for this use. Collaboration, however, is only for students to help each other understand the material. Trading, sharing, or publishing of specific answers to specific quiz or exam questions is prohibited and will be considered a violation of academic integrity

    IX.  Detailed Outline of Course Content and Sequencing

    The course is divided into 14 Units.  Unit 1 and Unit 13 are an introduction to the course and a summary/conclusion of the course.  The other 11 units are organized into 4 Parts according to topics. The organization of the course roughly follows that of the textbook chapters, but not exactly and not in the same sequence. For more information and details see the Lessons tab of the course and the "Jim's Guide" for each unit on the Angel website.  Unit numbers in the course do NOT correspond directly to chapter numbers in the book.

    X.  Transfer Potential

    For transferability information, please consult the Transfer Equivalency List located on the Internet at http://www.lcc.edu/transfer. For additional transferability information contact the LCC Counseling Services Department, (517) 483-1255. The MACRAO Transfer Agreement simplifies the transfer of students from one Michigan institution to another and appears in the catalog.

    XI. Student Academic Integrity

    The very nature of higher education requires that students adhere to accepted standards of academic integrity.  Therefore, Lansing Community College has adopted a code of academic conduct and a statement of student academic integrity.  These may be found in the Lansing Community College Catalog where violations of adademic integrity are listed and defined.  Such violations include both cheating and plagiarism. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of behaviors that constitute academic dishonesty. Classroom and online behavior that interferes with the instructional and learning processes is not tolerated.  the consequences are addressed in the catalog under Administrative Withdrawal.  Classroom and online behavior that interferes with the instructional process is not tolerated. The consequences are addressed under Administrative Withdrawal.

    Additional Instructor's Policy

    I encourage discussion between students and the sharing of ideas and information.  One of the best methods for learning and truly grasping economic concepts is to explain them to others.  Students are welcome to assist each other in learning.  However, the direct exchange of answers to questions without discussion, argument, or reasoned explanation is viewed as academic dishonesty.  I reserve the right to reject the score of any assessment that I suspect may have been obtained dishonestly and not through student learning, even without proof of any dishonest actions by the student.