ECON-2301 Principles of Macroeconomics
Nicholas Jenkins
Credit Summer 2024
Section(s)
ECON-2301-045 (80040)
LEC DIL ONL DIL
Course Subjects
This course is meant to give students insight into the dynamics of our national economy. The knowledge gained in the course will make students better informed citizens and allow them to follow the debates over national economic policy reported in the news media. This course is also a foundation course that will prepare students to be successful in upper division finance, marketing, business administration, economics, government, and social work courses.
Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives
Course Objectives:
- Develop a wider understanding of the economic world in which we live, the forces operating on it, how they fit together, and how changes affect the economic environment in which you make decisions.
- Develop graphical skills in presenting information graphically and utilizing graphs in analytical thinking.
- Develop analytical and reasoning skills, including the ability to make missing connections, and come up with logical conclusions.
Course Outcomes:
- Critically evaluate GDP, unemployment, and inflation data.
- Explain the business cycle and its phases.
- Describe how a fractional reserve banking system works.
- Manipulate the basic Aggregate Supply, Aggregate Demand model of the macro economy.
- Explain fiscal policy tools and defend and criticize the usage of fiscal policy.
- Explain monetary policy tools and defend and criticize the usage of monetary policy.
Discipline Program Student Learning Outcomes:
- Model and explain under what circumstances markets are capable of creating socially optimal and socially suboptimal outcomes.
- Defend and criticize the role of economic policy in a mixed market economy.
- Critically evaluate economic data.
Readings
Textbook: Foundations of Macroeconomics 9e Bade/Parkin and MyLabEcon
Previous Editions: In order to complete the assigned work, you must use the e-textbook and MyLabEcon reources. There are assigned readings from this textbook (and the textbook can also serve as a reinforcement for content introduced in lecture). The assignments are done throug the Pearson website in MyLabEcon.
Supplementary Readings: Will be assigned on Blackboard.
Course Schedule
| Week | Date | MODULE | Assignment | Due |
| 1 | Jul 1 | 1: The Economic Problem | Module 1 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 1 Videos (Blackboard) |
|
| Discussion Post #1 | 7/7 Sun | |||
| Orientation Quiz (Blackboard) | 7/3 Wed | |||
| Getting Started (MyLabEcon) | 7/3 Wed | |||
| Homework 1 (MyLabEcon) | 7/7 Sun | |||
| 2: Demand & Supply | Week 2 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Week 2 Videos (Blackboard) |
|||
| Graphing Exercise 1 (Blackboard) | 7/7 Sun | |||
| Homework 2 (MyLabEcon) | 7/7 Sun | |||
| 2 | Jul 8 | 3: Gross Domestic Product | Module 3 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 3 Videos (Blackboard) |
|
| Homework 3 (MyLabEcon) | 7/14 Sun | |||
| 4: Jobs & Unemployment | Module 4 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 4 Videos (Blackboard) |
|||
| Homework 4 (MyLabEcon) | 7/14 Sun | |||
| 5: CPI & Inflation | Module 5 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 5 Videos (Blackboard) |
|||
| Homework 5 (MyLabEcon) | 7/14 Sun | |||
| Exam #2 (Blackboard w/ Lockdown Browser) | 7/14 Sun | |||
| 3 | Jul 15 | 6: Economic Growth | Module 6 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 6 Videos (Blackboard) |
|
| Homework 6 (MyLabEcon) | 7/21 Sun | |||
| 7: Finance, Savings and Investment | Module 7 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 7 Videos (Blackboard) |
|||
| Homework 7 (MyLabEcon) | 7/21 Sun | |||
| 8: The Money Economy | Module 8 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 8 Videos (Blackboard) |
|||
| Homework 8 (MyLabEcon) | 7/21 Sun | |||
| 4 | Jul 22 | 9: Macroeconomic Fluctuations | Module 9 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 9 Videos (Blackboard) |
|
| Graphing Assignment #2 (Blackboard) | 7/28 Sun | |||
| Homework 9 (MyLabEcon) | 7/28 Sun | |||
| 5 | Jul 29 | 10: Macroeconomic Policy | Module 10 Reading (Blackboard/Pearson) Module 10 Videos (Blackboard) |
|
| Discussion Post #2 | 8/4 Sun | |||
| Homework10 (MyLabEcon) | 8/2 Fri | |||
| Homework 11 (MyLabEcon) | 8/2 Fri | |||
| Exam #2 (Blackboard w/ Lockdown Browser) | 8/4 Sun | |||
How This Class Work
This course is asynchronous, which allows students the flexibility to work on the course on days/times that are convenient for them. Being successful in an asynchronous online course requires excellent time management and study skills. If you are new to distance learning, this may be helpful: https://www.austincc.edu/academic-and-career-programs/acconline/frequently-asked-questions/.
Estimated Weekly Class Time Commitment:
|
Activity |
Time (hours) |
|
Reading and learning concepts (e-textbook, YouTube, and instructor provided videos) |
8 |
|
Pearson MyLabEcon Assignments |
8 |
|
Bonus Practice exercises |
6 |
|
Review |
4 |
|
Minimum time commitment per week |
26 |
Course Requirements
Must meet ACC proficiency requirements in Reading, Writing and Math (see the course catalog or an advisor).
Grading Policy
|
Letter Grade |
Scoring |
|
A |
90% to 100% |
|
B |
80% to 89.9% |
|
C |
70% to 79.9% |
|
D |
60% to 69.9% |
|
F |
< 60% |
|
I |
Incomplete |
|
Activity |
Weight |
|
Discussion Board |
10% |
|
Graphing Exercises |
15% |
|
Homework |
25% |
|
Exam #1 |
25% |
|
Exam #2 |
25% |
|
Total |
100% |
Pre-Course Assignments (Total of 2)
There are 2 Pre-Course assignment that are required as part of your Homework grade:
- MyLabEcon Getting Started
- Blackboard Orientation Quiz based on information contained in this syllabus.
You are allowed unlimited attempts to complete these assignments and the highest grade achieved will be recorded. These assignments must be completed with a score of at least 80% by midnight on Friday May 31, 2024, in order to continue in the course. Otherwise, you will be marked as “absent” and will be withdrawn from the course.
Discussion Board (Total of 2)
For each discussion board, a prompt will be posted at the beginning of the week. In order to receive a 100% participation score for a discussion board, you must respond to the prompt by midnight Sunday of the same week. Submissions must have no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization and follow accepted discussion board etiquette. Minimum of 150 words per response.
Graphing Exercises (Total of 2)
In order to fully understand and articulate the concepts learning in class, being able to draw basic economic models is essential. Once during each half of the semester, you be asked to demonstrate this skill by creating an economic model from written information.
These exercises will require a written or electronically created submission. In other words, you can draw the models by hand, or you can create them using any software of your choosing. Your submission must be uploaded to Blackboard as a single pdf document. You will not receive credit for submitting multiple files and/or other document types (e.g. jpeg, Word, or Google Docs). No paper submissions will be accepted.
Homework Assignments (Total of 11)
Weekly homework assignments will be made available in MyLabEcon at the start of the class and due on the date published. Each homework consists of multiple-choice questions and problems. You will have an unlimited number of attempts to complete each assignment and the highest score will be retained. A penalty of 1% per day will be assessed for homework completed after the due date. No exceptions. At the end of the semester, the lowest homework grade will be dropped.
Exams (Total of 2)
The exams consist of 30 – 50 multiple choice and short answer questions covering the sections published. All exams will be completed using Respondus Lockdown Browse with Monitoring. A calculator will be included in the lock browser for any required computations. You are permitted to use handwritten or printed notes, scratch paper, and a writing utensil during the exam (ignore those directions from Respondus), however you may not use any electronic devices.
You must take the exam by the day/time listed in the schedule – there are no make-up exams.
Bonus Practice Exercises (Total of 11)
Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to earn extra points that can be applied to exam scores. A practice exercises will be made available in Blackboard that correspond with the learning objectives of each module. These questions provide an additional opportunity to practice in a format that is more closely aligned with what you will see on the exams.
Each Practice Exercise with a score of at least 80% earns you 2 bonus points that will be added to the exam in which that content is tested. Practice Exercises offered in weeks 1 through 5 only apply to Exam #1 and must be completed prior to Exam #1 to qualify. Practice Exercises offered in weeks 6 – 11 only apply to Exam #2 and must be completed prior to Exam #2 to qualify.
For example, if you complete Practice Exercise 1 successfully, you will earn 2 bonus points to be applied to Exam #1. If you received a score of 79% on Exam #1, the 2 bonus points increase your Exam #1 score to 81%.
Office Hours
M T W Th F 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Virtual
NOTE Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Virtual Email is the primary method to contact me to ask a question or arrange for a virtual meeting. I respond to emails within 24 hours, usually quicker on weekdays between 8am and 6pm. As needed, I can arrange for a virtual meeting.Published: 05/26/2024 20:38:22