Eco 102-080, Macroeconomics telecourse
Prerequisite; None
Instructor: Tom
Porebski
Phone; 708-456-0300, extension 3509: Please feel
free to call me if you are having any difficulties in the course or have any
questions about the course. Messages can
be left on my school phone if I am not there at the time you call.
E-mail: tporebsk@triton.edu or
tporebski@aol.com
Office; D 105, in the Science building (formerly
S105)
Office hours; 1.Fall and spring semester, 9-12 on Monday and
Wednesday or by appt.
Please note, these times are subject to change depending on changes in
my classes.
If
these times are not convenient for you, please call to make an appointment.
Hot
line; 708-456-0300, extension 3416. Messages can be left with the telecourse hot line twenty-four hours a day.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In
recent years, I have been making revisions to the Eco 102-103 telecourses. These telecourses are now web-enhanced, and students will have to
sign on to WebCt to take some quizzes. Students will also have the option of taking
the exams either in the ETRC as most traditional telecourses
do OR taking the exams online (with the exception of the final exam, which must
be taken in the ETRC. This will be
explained later.) READ THE SYLLABUS VERY
THOROUGHLY TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE OPTIONS.
Your first assignment is to
send me an email as soon as you read this syllabus so that i
can email you information if needed. You
can email me at either tporebsk@triton.edu or
tporebski@aol.com. You
can also use the private mail inside webct once you
have logged into webct as explained in this syllabus.
Textbooks;
The
required books for this course are;
1. Economics
U$A, 7th edition, by Edwin Mansfield and Nariman
Behrevesh
2. Telecourse study guide for Economics U$A, 7th edition,
prepared by the
This
syllabus will explain grading procedure, exams, and hopefully answer most of
your questions concerning the course. If
you have any other questions, you can call me at the numbers above.
Welcome to Eco 102-080, a telecourse in macroeconomics which now can also be taken as an
internet course. This telecourse
uses the economics U$A television series.
The series consists of 28 half-hour television programs on both macro
and microeconomics, therefore this course will use
only a portion of the 28 lessons. The remainder are used in Eco 103-080, a telecourse
in microeconomics.
The above texts are required
for this course. They should be available
in the Triton bookstore.
Telecourse goals
The economics U$A series
attempts to reinforce several major themes;
•
The economy is part of our everyday lives.
Try
as you may, you cannot escape economics.
Each day you will make countless economic decisions; this alone is
reason enough to study the economy.
•
We are influenced significantly by our own and other's economic decisions.
Consider
for a moment such things as the prices you pay for goods and services, the
income you make during your life, the type of jobs your have, the taxes you
pay, etc. You should quickly realize the
enormous impact such variables have on our lives.
•
Economic principles help explain both day-to day occurrences, and significant
historical events.
If
you turn on the tv or open
the newspaper, chances are that some major economic story will appear. Major elections are often decided on the
basis of economic events. After studying
economics, students should have a better understanding of current events around
them and be able to analyze the abundance of economic data given out by the
media each day.
Options
for taking this class: Web enhanced telecourse or Internet course
As noted earlier, this class can be taken
either as a web enhanced telecourse or as an online
course. Here’s a brief summary of the
two options:
1. Web
Enhanced telecourse:
In this format,
you get the book, read the chapters for each exam as assigned, watch the videos
either here on campus OR online if you prefer, take a series of quizzes online
using Webct, and take the exams here on campus in the
Educational Technology Resource Center in M-142 (formerly the AT bldg). Exams are closed book. You can also take practice quizzes at the
textbook website for extra credit, explained later.
2. As
an Internet course: In this format, you get the book, read the
chapters for each exam as assigned, watch the videos either online or on
campus, take a series of quizzes online using Webct,
and take the exams online as scheduled in this syllabus. The final exam however, must be taken on
campus just as in a regular telecourse. Of course in this format, since you will be
taking most of the exams online, they become open book, but you will have less
time for the exams in this format than you would on campus. This is to
compensate for the fact that you can have your book and materials with you
during online exams. I urge you to be
ready for the exam however, and not rely on your book for looking up answers. The exams are timed and the time limit is strictly
enforced.
In either version of the course, you will
have access to the WebCt program we use in internet
courses. Even if you are taking the
course in the traditional telecourse format, you can
access the videos online.
Also there is a new Norton website (the
publisher of the text) that has practice quizzes for each chapter. In either version of the course you can take
these quizzes and email me the results for extra credit. This will be explained more later.
Also in WebCt are my own practice exams and review
sheets for the exams. These practice
exams do not count for
points, but they will help you get ready for the tests.
Logging
into WebCt:
In
order to log into Webct, go to the following web
address:
This will take you to the Webct log in screen.
Clicking on log in, and you will need to enter
your WebCt id and password. Your id is your first and last name, all
small letters, no spaces, exactly as you are registered here at Triton. Your password is the first letter of your
first name, the first 3 letters of your last name, and the last four digits of
your social security number, again with no spaces.
From there, you will go to a screen
called MyWebCt, which will list all courses you are
currently taking that are using the webct
program. (this
might be the only course on the list, or there could be others depending on
what you are taking.)
Click on the link for this course (Eco
102-080 Telecourse) and begin familiarizing yourself
with the web site.
Note that you can also access the WebCt log in screen from the Triton homepage. Go to the quick links area in the upper right
and find Webct on the pull down menus, and follow the
directions from there.
EXAMINATIONS
AND GRADING PROCEDURE
There
will be 4 examinations. The exams will
be multiple choice, with the questions being very
similar to the type used in your practice exams in the syllabus as well as the telecourse study guide. If you are taking the course as a
traditional telecourse, and thus take the exams on
campus, a Triton I.D. and a driver's license, as well as your printed student
schedule, will be required for identification when you take any examination.
Location. If you are taking the course as a traditional
telecourse: All exams will be given on Triton's main
campus at the service desk of the Educational Technology Resource Center (ETRC)
located in room M142A in the Advanced Technology building. If you are taking
the course using the online option, then the first 3 exams will be online, but
the final exam must be taken on campus , again in the
Advanced Technology bldg.
Hours;
The lab is open at the following times;
(note, these are the hours they will give out tests)
Fall and Spring semesters;
8 AM TO 8 PM on Monday through Thursday, Friday,
MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALLOW
ENOUGH TIME FOR COMPLETING THE EXAM. You
have 60 minutes for the first 3 exams and 90 minutes for the final exam for
those of you taking the tests in the ETRC.
SUGGESTED COMPLETION
DATES FOR FALL 2008 SEMESTER.
EXAMINATION SUGGESTED COMPLETION DATE TEXT CHAPTERS AND VIDEO PROGRAMS
EXAM 1 OCT.
15 1,2,3,4
EXAM
2 NOV.
10 5,6,7,8
EXAM 3 DEC. 1 9,
10,11,12
FINAL EXAM DEC. 18 COMPREHENSIVE, ON ALL CHAPTERS AND
UNITS, WITH EXTRA EMPHASIS ON 13,14,27
Note; For
the first 3 exams, the completion dates given are guidelines only. You can take exams past these dates (see
exception below) but I strongly encourage you not to fall behind. However all exams must be completed by
Dec. 18th.
IMPORTANT EXCEPTION!!! All students MUST take at least the first
exam by Nov. 10: if not you will be
dropped from the course prior to the drop deadline of Nov. 15. In other words, you cannot just begin taking
all the exams in December at the end of the course!
ONLINE STUDENTS: For
those of you taking the exams online, the same suggested dates apply: however again you can take the exams when you
like after they are made available. For
the online students, you will have 45 minutes for the first 3 exams (40
questions each). Once again, the final
exam must be taken on campus in the ETRC and will be a closed book
comprehensive final. All students will have
90 minutes for the final exam which has 80 questions on it.
Grading Procedure
There
will be 4 exams, 3 regular exams and a comprehensive final exam. The lowest of the first 3 exams will be
dropped. There will also be a series of
ONLINE short answer quizzes, worth 10 points each. I will use the highest 4 of these in your
grade calculation. (There will be at
least 5 of these quizzes so one or more will be dropped, that is only the top 4
scores count). THE ONLINE QUIZZES MUST
BE COMPLETED BY THE DATES ON THE QUIZ INSIDE WEBCT! I grade on a point system, with points
allocated as follow;
TOP 2 EXAMS 40 QUESTIONS x 2.5 POINTS EACH = 100
POINTS
40
QUESTIONS x 2.5 POINTS EACH = 100 POINTS
FINAL EXAM 80 QUESTIONS x 2 POINTS EACH = 160 POINTS
ONLINE QUIZZES TOP 4 X 10 PTS EACH = 40 POINTS
TOTAL 400 POINTS
GRADE DISTRIBUTION;
350 TO 400 = A (87.5% AND UP)
300 TO 349 = B (75% AND UNDER 87.5%)
250 TO 300 = C (62.5%
AND UNDER 75%)
200 TO 249 = D (50% AND UNDER 62.5%)
BELOW 200 = F
(UNDER 50%)
Extra Credit: Any
student can earn up to 15 points extra credit by taking practice quizzes at the
publishers web site and emailing me the results. Here’s how to do this:
Cheating on exams;
Any attempt to cheat on
any exam will result in a failing grade (F) for the course. If you are taking the course as a traditional
telecourse and thus take the exams in the ETRC, TAKE
ONLY A PENCIL AND A CALCULATOR INTO THE EXAMS.
You will be provided with scratch paper if needed.
FOR
ANY OF THE WORK THAT IS DONE ONLINE, REMEMBER THAT GIVING OR RECEIVING AID OF
ANY KIND WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF F FOR THE COURSE AND IS CAUSE FOR EXPULSION
FROM TRITON COLLEGE. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOUR ANSWER TO ANY OF THE SHORT ANSWER QUIZZES HAS BEEN
COPIED FROM ANOTHER STUDENT, BOTH STUDENTS WILL FAIL THE COURSE.
REMEMBER THAT GIVING OR
RECEIVING AID OF ANY KIND WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF F FOR THE COURSE AND IS
CAUSE FOR EXPULSION FROM
Incomplete grades;
If, for very good
reason, you cannot complete the final exam, you may request an incomplete
grade. HOWEVER, YOU MUST FINISH THE FIRST 3 EXAMS AND BE PASSING THE COURSE IN
ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR AN INCOMPLETE GRADE.
YOU MUST CALL OR CONTACT ME IN ORDER TO REQUEST AN INCOMPLETE GRADE.
Withdrawing
from class: It is your responsibility as a student to withdraw by the
drop deadline if you feel the need to drop the class.
The drop deadline for Fall 2008 is Nov. 15th. You must fill out the required paper work,
otherwise you will receive an F for the course if you have not done the
work. If you cannot make it to campus to
withdraw, call me.
Borderline grades;
Many times, immediately
after taking the final exam, a student will call me and say "
I just finished the final exam and missed getting a "B" (or
some other grade) by only 5 points. Can
I do more extra
credit to get the points? " Please note that the only extra credit
is by doing the website quizzes as explained above. I do take a close look at borderline
grades, but please do not call me and ask for more extra credit.
ORGANIZATION OF THE
TEXT:
The
first 2 chapters of the Economics U$A book are mostly an introduction to basic
economics and I use them in both the Macro and Micro courses. Chapters 3-14 are the main core of Macro,
covered here in Eco 102. Chapters 15-26
are the main core of Micro and thus are covered in Eco 103. The last 2 chapters are on international
trade and exchange rates: Chapter 27 on
international is covered here in the Macro course and chapter 28 on exchange
rates is covered in the micro class.
Thus both courses will have 15 chapters of material.
Textbook
Chapters and Corresponding Videos for Eco 102, Macroeconomics
EXAM
1: Chapters 1-4 and videos 1-4
|
TEXTBOOK CHAPTER |
VIDEO PROGRAMS |
|
|
LESSON 1: SCARCE
RESOURCES: WHAT IS ECONOMICS ALL ABOUT |
|
|
LESSON 2: MARKETS AND
PRICES: DOES THE FREE MARKET RESPOND
TO PEOPLE’S NEEDS? |
|
|
LESSON 3: |
|
|
LESSON 4: BOOMS AND
BUSTS: WHAT CAUSES THE BUSINESS CYCLE? |
EXAM
2: Chapters 5-8 and videos 5-8
|
|
LESSON 5: JOHN MAYNARD
KEYNES: WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THE
GREAT DEPRESSION? |
|
|
LESSON 6: FISCAL POLICY:
CAN WE CONTROL THE ECONOMY? |
|
|
LESSON 7: INFLATION: HOW
DID THE SPIRAL BEGIN? |
|
|
LESSON 8: THE BANKING
SYSTEM: WHY MUST IT BE PROTECTED? |
EXAM
3: Chapters 9-12 and videos 9-12
TEXTBOOK CHAPTER VIDEO PROGRAM
|
|
LESSON 9: THE FEDERAL
RESERVE: DOES MONEY MATTER? |
|
|
LESSON 10: STAGFLATION:
WHY COULDN’T WE BEAT IT? |
|
|
LESSON 11: PRODUCTIVITY:
CAN WE GET MORE FOR LESS? |
|
|
LESSON 12: FEDERAL
DEFICITS: CAN WE LIVE WITH THEM? |
FINAL
EXAM: Comprehensive
|
|
LESSON 13: MONETARY
POLICY: HOW WELL DOES IT WORK? |
|
|
LESSON 14: STABILIZATION
POLICY: ARE WE STILL IN CONTROL? |
|
|
LESSON 27: INTERNATIONAL
TRADE: FOR WHOSE BENEFIT? |
|
|
LESSONS 1 THROUGH 12 |
NOTE: THE FINAL EXAM IS
COMPREHENSIVE, HOWEVER ABOUT HALF OF THE QUESTIONS ON THE FINAL WILL BE FROM
1.
ON CAMPUS: You can watch the tapes in the ETRC,
Room M-142 in the AT building. PLEASE
BRING YOUR Triton College ID WITH YOU!!!
http://www.learner.org/resources/series79.html
YOU MAY HAVE TO SIGN UP AND GET A PASSWORD, BUT
THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR SIGNING UP.
Off campus locations: The following public libraries also have the
video series:
1.
Eisenhower Library
2.
PLEASE PHONE AHEAD IF YOU
WISH TO RESERVE A VIEWING TIME AT THESE LIBRARIES.
ALSO THE