Syllabus for ECO-112
MICROECONOMICS
Economics is the study of how people manage their limited resources. There are two main branches of economics: macroeconomics and microeconomics. Macroeconomics is the study of phenomena that occur across the whole economy. Microeconomics deals with how individual households and firms make decisions and interact. The second branch is the subject of this course: Microeconomics.
The primary objective of this course is to teach you to understand the interaction of households and firms in specific markets. You will study market efficiency, the tax system, the behavior of firms in the marketplace, and labor markets.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
CO1 Compare the differences between private, common, and public goods and their significance to the economy.
CO2 Contrast different market structures and the effects of the various costs of production.
CO3 Relate marginal utility, total utility, and diminishing utility.
CO4 Critique the role of taxation and government intervention on the effects of supply, demand, and
economic growth.
CO5 Analyze the roles of opportunity cost in the decision-making process of individuals and firms.
You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.
Microeconomics is a three-credit online course, consisting of 11 modules. Modules include study materials and activities.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take online module quizzes and an online proctored midterm examination, and complete a final project. See below for more details.
Consult the Course Calendar for activity due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
In addition to an ungraded Introductions Forum, you are required to participate in 11 graded online discussions.
Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses.
All of these responses must be substantial. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your position.
You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation, including your use of relevant course information to support your point of view, and your awareness of and responses to the postings of your classmates. Remember, these are discussions: responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.
You are required to complete four written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. For specific details consult the individual course modules.
A grading rubric for the written assignments can be found within the assignment submission link.
Microeconomics requires you to complete an online quiz within each module based on the module's assigned reading. The module quizzes are open book and consist of multiple choice questions. To maximize your learning experience, we recommend that you take the quiz as a pretest before reading the assigned chapter(s) and then retake the quiz as a posttest after you have read the chapter(s). You may continue to take the quiz as often as you want until the due date. Just be aware that the grade of your most recent attempt will be the one entered into the gradebook. The launch link for the quiz is available within the course Web site.
Note: You will see some new questions each of the first several times you attempt the quiz, so multiple attempts should serve as a useful review method.
Microeconomics requires you to take a proctored midterm examination.
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam and covers material in Chapters 1 through 12 of the textbook. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions (similar in kind to those you have seen on the quizzes) along with short essay questions, similar in kind to the written assignments and discussion questions. The exam is 2 hours long.
Note: You are permitted to use a calculator (scientific, graphing, or financial) but may not use a calculator on a phone, PDA, or any similar device.
For the midterm, you are required to use the University's Online Proctor Service. Please refer to the Examinations and Proctors section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.
Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.
You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid and you will fail the course.
Microeconomics requires you to complete a final project. Review the Final Project overview for details on what is required. Consult the Course Calendar for the due date.
A grading rubric for the final project can be found in the final project submission link.
You will need to consult various resources in order to do the research for your final project. Academic databases such as EBSCOhost and ProQuest can be accessed through the myEdison portal in the My Resources block, under the Educational tab. You also have access to online journals through the New Jersey State Library but must first register for a free library card. Be sure to register well in advance of the final project due date to allow enough time for the card to be delivered to you.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exam, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.
For more, see:
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