ECON 1BB3: Introductory Economics
ECON 1BB3: Introductory Economics
Winter 2024
Instructor: Bridget O’Shaughnessy Email: oshaubr@mcmaster.ca Office : KTH 403 Office Hours: Tu, 1:30 – 2:30
Instructional Assistant: Aleksandra Gajic Email: econia@mcmaster.ca Office: KTH 707 Office Hours: Tu-Th, 9:00-11:00
CONTENTS
Course Description …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Prerequisites ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Course Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Class Format …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Course Materials and Texts …………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Avenue to Learn …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Course Evaluation – Overview ……………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Course Evaluation – Details …………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
MyLab Online Homework (5%) – Required, due weekly on Mondays ………………………………. 3
Term Test #1 (15%, January 27) and Term Test #2 (30%, March 9) – Required ……………….. 4
Class participation (7%) – Optional, due weekly in class: ………………………………………………. 4
Final Exam (50%) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Course Policies ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Grades ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Grade Adjustment Techniques ………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Submission of Assignments ……………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Absences, Missed Work, Illness (MSAF) …………………………………………………………………….. 5
Where to Get Help ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Calculators …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Turnitin.com …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
Generative AI …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
University Policies ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
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AUTHENTICITY / PLAGIARISM DETECTION …………………………………………………………….. 7
COURSES WITH AN ON-LINE ELEMENT …………………………………………………………………. 8
CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS ……………………………………………………………………………………. 8
REQUESTS FOR RELIEF FOR MISSED ACADEMIC TERM WORK ……………………………… 8
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ………………………….. 8
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATION FOR RELIGIOUS, INDIGENOUS AND SPIRITUAL OBSERVANCES (RISO) ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
COPYRIGHT AND RECORDING ………………………………………………………………………………. 9
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES E-MAIL COMMUNICATION POLICY ………………………… 9
COURSE MODIFICATION ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
Weekly Course Schedule (and important dates) ……………………………………………………………..10
COURSE DESCRIPTION
An introduction to the method and theory of macroeconomics, and their application to the analysis of contemporary economic problems.
PREREQUISITES
N/A
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course you will know:
• why key economic variables are important and how they are measured.
• how models work in economics (especially diagrams) and how they are used to analyze “shocks”.
• economics is about people.
CLASS FORMAT
This course is offered in a fully online, asynchronous format. All content is accessed throughout the Avenue course shell. Course content will be delivered by watching online videos and reading the textbook. Each week you will use a “weekly schedule” to keep you on task as you read the textbook, watch instructor videos, participate in online discussions (optional) and complete online homework. A (*) next to a video title in the weekly schedule means that the content in the video is not in the textbook. Any content in the textbook that you will not be tested on is noted in the weekly schedules.
COURSE MATERIALS AND TEXTS
• Macroeconomics, 4th Canadian Ed. – Hubbard, et al – required.
• MyLab – Online homework website – required.
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The textbook will be automatically billed to your McMaster account. There will be an opt-out option available for students who do not wish to purchase the book this way, or for students who wish to purchase the book directly from the publisher. More information will be available on Avenue once classes begin.
AVENUE TO LEARN
Lecture videos are available through Avenue to Learn. Access to the MyLab online homework is also through Avenue to Learn.
Students should be aware that, when they access the electronic components of this course, private information such as first and last names, user names for the McMaster e-mail accounts, and program affiliation may become apparent to all other students in the same course. The available information is dependent on the technology used. Continuation in this course will be deemed consent to this disclosure. If you have any questions or concerns about such disclosure please discuss this with the course instructor.
COURSE EVALUATION – OVERVIEW
MyLab Homework – 5%; Required; due weekly
Term Test #1 (chapters 1-3) – 15%; Required; Saturday January 27, 9:00 am
Term Test #2 (chapters 4-8) – 30%; Required; Saturday, March 9, 9:00 am
Final Exam (chapters 4-12) – 50%; Required; during regular exam period.
Online Participation in discussions – 7%; Optional; reduces weight of the exam by 7%.
COURSE EVALUATION – DETAILS
MyLab Online Homework (5%) – Required, due weekly on Mondays
• Online homework will be submitted using the publisher’s website. Access to this website is available with the purchase of the text book.
• The first assignment, “MyLab Math Review” is due on Monday, January 15 at 11:00 pm. This assignment will not be graded, but I strongly recommend that you complete it, especially if your math background is weak.
• MyLab offers a two-week grace period for payment from the date you register for it. This will allow you to complete the early chapter homework assignments without paying, in case you drop the course.
• If you do not submit at least one answer on an assignment, you will not be able to access that assignment when you are studying for the tests/exam.
• There are 12 graded homework assignments, each associated with a chapter in the text book. Assignments are due on Monday nights at 11:00pm. Make sure that your computer is set to the correct time zone (Eastern Standard Time) so that the due dates show up as 11:00pm.
• You have two “free passes” for missed homework assignments. You may use your free passes if you are ill, forget a due date, or have computer problems. You do not need a doctor’s note or need to contact anyone to use a free pass. Since there are a total of 12
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assignments, this means that I will grade only your top 10 assignments (each assignment is worth 0.5% of your final grade). Given the large number of free passes for homework, MSAF forms will not be accepted for the MyLab homework assignments.
Term Test #1 (15%, January 27) and Term Test #2 (30%, March 9) – Required
There are two mandatory term tests, written in person. Term Test #1 is worth 15% of your final grade and covers chapters 1-3. It will be written on Saturday, January 27 from 9:00 to 10:00 am and will consist of 30 multiple choice questions. Term Test #2 is worth 30% of your final grade and covers chapters 4-8. It will be written on Saturday, March 9 from 9:00 to 10:20 am and will consist of 40 multiple choice questions. The only calculator allowed during tests is the McMaster Standard Calculator (the Casio FX-991 MS or Casio FX-991 MS Plus), which can be purchased at the Campus Store. You will be assigned a test room location during the week prior to the actual test dates, based on your student number. An alternate date is provided for students who obtain consent by submitting the official request form ten days prior to the test, Requests for the early write will be submitted via the “Quiz” tool on Avenue. First consideration will be given to students with a verified reason for requesting the early write (such as religious observation, employment, or participation on a university team). If you do have a verifiable reason for requesting to write early, please include contact information for someone who can verify your reason (e.g., an employer, religious leader, or coach). Notification of writing the tests early will be posted on Avenue. Due to room size limitations, it may not be possible to grant consent in all cases. If you are not approved to write early, you may not write on the alternate date: Your test will not be graded. The alternate dates for the Saturday tests are the previous Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm. If you have a legitimate reason and documentation indicating that you cannot write the test on either the alternate Thursday evening date OR the Saturday test, then the weight of the test will be transferred to your final exam (if you have a course conflict with the scheduled early write, submit a printout of your timetable).
Class participation (7%) – Optional, due weekly in class:
You can earn up to 7% by participating in online discussions. In order to participate, you will self-enroll into a discussion group under “Communications>Discussions”. Please enroll into a discussion group in consecutive order – each group will have eight members. If Group 1 only has seven members, you must enroll in Group 1 and not start a new group. The deadline for enrolling in a group is Friday, January 19 at 11:00 pm. Each discussion topic has two components – a “personal response” to a prompt and a “peer response” to another group member’s post. More details are available in a discussion assignment sheet. Personal responses are due on Tuesdays at 11:00 pm and peer responses are due on Thursdays at 11:00 pm. By joining a discussion group, you are committing to completing the posts. There will be five discussion topics throughout the semester. You can earn one point for completing each “response set” following all guidelines correctly. At the end of the semester, one response set will be chosen at random and graded for “quality”. Again, joining a discussion group commits
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you to completing all five discussion response sets. If you submit response sets for only topics 1 and 2, the highest grade you can achieve is 2/7.
Final Exam (50%)
The final exam covers chapters 4-12. It will be held during the April final exam period and will consist of 70 multiple choice questions.
COURSE POLICIES
Grades
Grades will be based on the McMaster University grading scale:
MARK
GRADE
90-100
A+
85-90
A
80-84
A-
77-79
B+
73-76
B
70-72
B-
67-69
C+
63-66
C
60-62
C-
57-59
D+
53-56
D
50-52
D-
0-49
F
Grade Adjustment Techniques
Standard rounding rules will be used. Any decimal ending in a 0.5 to 0.9 will be rounded up. Any decimal ending in a 0.0 to 0.4 will be rounded down. For example, 74.5 rounds to 75 and 74.4 rounds to 74.
Submission of Assignments
Tests and the final exam are written in person. Participation grades are earned by posting five “discussion response sets” throughout the term on Avenue.
Absences, Missed Work, Illness (MSAF)
Term Tests:
If you miss a term test you will receive a grade of zero unless you follow McMaster guidelines for “Requests for Relief for Missed Academic Term Work” in the Undergraduate Calendar.
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You may use the online reporting tool, MSAF (self-report), for one absence per term due to medical/personal reasons, if the absence is three days or less, and for work worth less than 25% of your final grade. In terms of this course, you may use the self-report MSAF form *only* for Test #1. The MSAF “Self Report” and “Missed Work” forms are available in the Student Centre in Mosaic. If you miss Term Test #2, you must email your Faculty Office to ask for consideration for an “administrative report” MSAF. They may require documentation. Upon submitting the MSAF form, you will be instructed to email your professor – please do not email us, as we have too many such emails to respond to individually. If you missed the test and submitted an MSAF online form, you will see “100/30 (100/40)” for your test score. This lets you know that we DID receive the MSAF notification and that we will be transferring the weight of this test to your final exam. If you see “0/30 (0/40)” or “-/30 (-/40)” then we do not have a record of an MSAF being submitted and you should contact
econia@mcmaster.ca.
In the case of a missed test, the weight will be transferred to the final exam. Missing an early write test does not entitle you to write the test on the Saturday morning – if you signed up for the early write and you are ill, you should complete the online MSAF form (or see your Faculty office) and the weight will be transferred to your final exam. Make-up tests will not be given under any circumstances.
Participation in Online Discussion Posts
You can use MSAF for online discussion posts. The new due date for the missed post is the Monday of the following week at 11:00 pm.
Where to Get Help
To get help with the course material, you have two options:
• The instructor – Bridget O’Shaughnessy – I have office hours in my office (KTH 403) on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 or by appointment.
• The Instructional Assistant – Aleksandra Gajic – will hold office hours at KTH 707 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 am to 11:00pm.
• If you need help with other administrative matters relating to the course, please contact the Instructional Assistant at econia@mcmaster.ca. We will reply to all emails within two business days of receipt. We will not respond to emails for which the answer is available in this course outline or on A2L (e.g. “Where is your office and what are your office hours?”) Be sure to include the course you are inquiring about (Econ 1BB3) and your name and student number.
• Please check the “Announcements” section of Avenue regularly. Since this is a blended course, you are expected to check the course website *daily*.
• To receive an email or SMS when a new announcement is posted, click your name at the top right corner of the Avenue page and then click “Notifications”. Alternatively, use the Pulse app on your phone.
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Calculators
The only calculator allowed during tests is the McMaster Standard Calculator (the Casio FX-991 MS or Casio FX-991 MS Plus), which can be purchased at the Campus Store.
Turnitin.com
Turnitin.com will be used for the optional Carbon Footprint Project.
Generative AI
Students are not permitted to use generative AI in this course. In alignment with McMaster academic integrity policy, it “shall be an offence knowingly to … submit academic work for assessment that was purchased or acquired from another source”. This includes work created by generative AI tools. Also state in the policy is the following, “Contract Cheating is the act of “outsourcing of student work to third parties” (Lancaster & Clarke, 2016, p. 639) with or without payment.” Using Generative AI tools is a form of contract cheating. Charges of academic dishonesty will be brought forward to the Office of Academic Integrity.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behaviour in all aspects of the learning process. Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty.
Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage. This behaviour can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university. For information on the various types of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, located at https://secretariat.mcmaster.ca/university-policies-procedures- guidelines/
The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:
• plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been obtained.
• improper collaboration in group work.
• copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.
AUTHENTICITY / PLAGIARISM DETECTION
Some courses may use a web-based service (Turnitin.com) to reveal authenticity and ownership of student submitted work. For courses using such software, students will be expected to submit their work electronically either directly to Turnitin.com or via an online learning platform (e.g. A2L, etc.) using plagiarism detection (a service supported by Turnitin.com) so it can be checked for academic dishonesty.
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Students who do not wish their work to be submitted through the plagiarism detection software must inform the Instructor before the assignment is due. No penalty will be assigned to a student who does not submit work to the plagiarism detection software. All submitted work is subject to normal verification that standards of academic integrity have been upheld (e.g., on-line search, other software, etc.). For more details about McMaster’s use of Turnitin.com please go to www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity.
COURSES WITH AN ON-LINE ELEMENT
Some courses may use on-line elements (e.g. e-mail, Avenue to Learn (A2L), LearnLink, web pages, capa, Moodle, ThinkingCap, etc.). Students should be aware that, when they access the electronic components of a course using these elements, private information such as first and last names, user names for the McMaster e-mail accounts, and program affiliation may become apparent to all other students in the same course. The available information is dependent on the technology used. Continuation in a course that uses on-line elements will be deemed consent to this disclosure. If you have any questions or concerns about such disclosure please discuss this with the course instructor.
CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS
As a McMaster student, you have the right to experience, and the responsibility to demonstrate, respectful and dignified interactions within all of our living, learning and working communities. These expectations are described in the Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities (the “Code”). All students share the responsibility of maintaining a positive environment for the academic and personal growth of all McMaster community members, whether in person or online.
It is essential that students be mindful of their interactions online, as the Code remains in effect in virtual learning environments. The Code applies to any interactions that adversely affect, disrupt, or interfere with reasonable participation in University activities. Student disruptions or behaviours that interfere with university functions on online platforms (e.g. use of Avenue 2 Learn, WebEx or Zoom for delivery), will be taken very seriously and will be investigated. Outcomes may include restriction or removal of the involved students’ access to these platforms.
REQUESTS FOR RELIEF FOR MISSED ACADEMIC TERM WORK
McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF): In the event of an absence for medical or other reasons, students should review and follow the Academic Regulation in the Undergraduate Calendar “Requests for Relief for Missed Academic Term Work”.
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities who require academic accommodation must contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at 905-525-9140 ext. 28652 or sas@mcmaster.ca to make
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arrangements with a Program Coordinator. For further information, consult McMaster University’s
Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities policy.
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATION FOR RELIGIOUS, INDIGENOUS AND SPIRITUAL OBSERVANCES (RISO)
Students requiring academic accommodation based on religious, indigenous or spiritual observances should follow the procedures set out in the RISO policy. Students should submit their request to their Faculty Office normally within 10 working days of the beginning of term in which they anticipate a need for accommodation or to the Registrar’s Office prior to their examinations. Students should also contact their instructors as soon as possible to make alternative arrangements for classes, assignments, and tests.
COPYRIGHT AND RECORDING
Students are advised that lectures, demonstrations, performances, and any other course material provided by an instructor include copyright protected works. The Copyright Act and copyright law protect every original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including lectures by University instructors
The recording of lectures, tutorials, or other methods of instruction may occur during a course. Recording may be done by either the instructor for the purpose of authorized distribution, or by a student for the purpose of personal study. Students should be aware that their voice and/or image may be recorded by others during the class. Please speak with the instructor if this is a concern for you.
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES E-MAIL COMMUNICATION POLICY
Effective September 1, 2010, it is the policy of the Faculty of Social Sciences that all e-mail communication sent from students to instructors (including TAs), and from students to staff, must originate from the student’s own McMaster University e-mail account. This policy protects confidentiality and confirms the identity of the student. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that communication is sent to the university from a McMaster account. If an instructor becomes aware that a communication has come from an alternate address, the instructor may not reply at his or her discretion.
COURSE MODIFICATION
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check his/her McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.
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WEEKLY COURSE SCHEDULE (AND IMPORTANT DATES)
Please note: Prior to coming to class each week, I expect you to have completed all readings and watched all videos related to that content. Since class is held on Tuesday, you will likely have to complete much of this work during the previous week. MyLab homework is due on Monday evenings.
Week
Content Covered
Tests/Assignments
Jan. 8 – 14
Ch. 1
Nothing due until after drop/add
Jan. 15 – 21
Ch. 2
MyLab Math Review (optional)
MyLab Ch. 1, 2
Sign up for Optional online discussion group – Friday, January 19
Jan. 22 – 28
Ch. 3
MyLab Ch. 3
Discussion Response Set 1 (optional)
Term Test #1 – Saturday, January 27 – Ch. 1-3
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4
Ch. 4
MyLab Ch. 4
Feb. 5 – 11
Ch. 5
MyLab Ch. 5
Discussion Response Set 2 (optional)
Feb. 12 – 18
Ch. 6
MyLab Ch. 6
Feb. 26 – Mar. 3
Ch. 7
MyLab Ch. 7
Discussion Response Set 3 (optional)
Mar. 4 – 10
Ch. 8
MyLab Ch. 8
Term Test #2 – Saturday, March 9 – Ch. 4-8
Mar. 11 – 17
Ch. 9
MyLab Ch. 9
Discussion Response Set 4 (optional)
Mar. 18 – 24
Ch. 10
MyLab Ch. 10
Mar. 25 – 31
Ch. 11
MyLab Ch. 11
Discussion Response Set 5 (optional)
Apr. 1 – 7
Ch. 12
MyLab Ch. 12
