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ECONOMICS 103 – MACROECONOMICS

FALL 2010

 

 

Welcome, New Student

 

This orientation provides answers to questions you may have as you begin your Internet macroeconomics learning experience.

 

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MACROECONOMICS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

Economics is the study of how people satisfy their unlimited wants in the face of limited resources. There are two main branches of economics: 1) microeconomics and 2) macroeconomics.  Microeconomics deals with the behavior of individual households and firms; whereas Macroeconomics is concerned with a nation's economy as a whole, and with the global economy, which is the subject of this course.

 

In Macroeconomics we study inflation, unemployment, and an important economic measure called gross domestic product (or GDP).  We look at how economists determine an economy's output and price levels, and how they analyze changes in an economy, using a model called aggregate demand and aggregate supply.  We also examine international trade and finance, and the role of monetary and fiscal policies in stabilizing an economy. Throughout the course, we focus on factors that affect economic growth.

 

 

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MACROECONOMICS

COURSE FEATURES

 

The course is taught using a series of modules.  The heart of the modules is a multimedia lesson presentation combining narrated graphics, video, animation, as well as text, in a series of screens.  You'll begin a module by downloading the course notes from the course web site, although you will not need to be connected to the Internet when you actually study the lesson.  The multimedia lessons are played using the Thinkwell ONLINE STREAMING AUDIO/VIDEOs and software you purchased at the WNC bookstore.

 

The course also offers a variety of features to enhance and reinforce your understanding.  Such features include downloadable course notes and a list of key terms and definitions for each module

 

If you have questions about the content of the course, you can contact me via e-mail.

 

If you have questions regarding the operation of the software or its interaction with your computer, call the Thinkwell Technical Support Center.  Live support is available 5 days a week at 1-888-416-8880 for the following hours (Central Time):

 

  Monday thru Friday      9 am - 5 pm    (Central Time)


You can email Thinkwell Technical Support anytime at techsupport@thinkwell.com.

 

 

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WHERE DO I START?

 

You are enrolled in a student-paced course where all Unit tutorial modules are always available for you to work through at your own pace.

 

  • SELECT A TUTORIAL MODULE   At the course web site home page, select the unit tutorial module that you want to study and proceed by viewing the online streaming audio/video.  Enjoy the tutorial's audio/video lesson presentation.  You should work through each tutorial module in the order they are presented on the list. 

 

  • COMPLETE A TUTORIAL EXERCISE   After viewing the online streaming audio/video multimedia tutorial presentation for a particular module, go to the course syllabus page that will provide the course outline.  To work through a tutorial module's exercise, go to the Module List where you will see all the available modules.   There download the tutorial's course notes.  Then FULLY complete the exercise. 

 

    • Select "one-at-a-time", rather than "all-at-once", for exercise question presentation because then you will receive assistance from the HINT feature.

 

Every tutorial module has its own: 1) online streaming audio/video multimedia presentation, 2) downloadable notes, 3) downloadable transcripts, and 4) an exercise.

 

You will be able to move backwards and see previous questions, but only before online submission, while taking any of the Thinkwell exercises

 

Each exercise may be submitted TWO TIMES which means that ALL exercises may be REPEATED ONCE for a possible improved score. The recorded official score for any exercise for final scoring will be the BEST SCORE that was successfully submitted online.

 

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MACROECONOMICS

GRADING POLICY

 

You must be currently enrolled for this section of the course titled 'Economics 103' at Western Nevada College.  Also, you must obtain the Thinkwell ONLINE STREAMING AUDIO/VIDEO materials at the WNC bookstore. Then, you may begin the course on/after the first day of the semester.

 

The Macroeconomics course consists of 9 chapters, with further sub-chapters, ultimately having approximately 127 tutorial modules each with its own exercise accessible on the web site. You must complete all 127 exercises to fully complete the course. Your grade is based upon the cumulative points earned for all 127 exercises as compared to the total possible points for the course, expressed as one final percentage score.

 

This is a cumulative point grading system.  There is one point for every question in each exercise of each web site unit tutorial in the course.

 

You will be able to move backwards and see previous questions, but only before online submission, while taking any of the Thinkwell exercises

 

Each exercise may be submitted TWO TIMES which means that ALL exercises may be REPEATED ONCE for a possible improved score. The recorded official score for any exercise for final scoring will be the BEST SCORE that was successfully submitted online.

 

ALL WORK MUST BE FINISHED AND SUBMITTED BY THE END OF THE DAY OF DECEMBER 18th, 2010, MIDNIGHT (CENTRAL TIME) TO RECEIVE CREDIT. The course web site will be closed to student access at that time.

 

THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS AVAILABLE.

 

No grade of “incomplete” will be given.

 

 

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CUMULATIVE POINT GRADING SCALE

 

A  =  93 to 100%

A- =  90 to 92%

B+ = 87 to 89%

B   = 83 to 86%

B-  = 80 to 82%

C+ = 77 to 79%

C   = 73 to 76%

C-  = 70 to 72%

D+ = 67 to 69%

D   = 63 to 68%

D-  = 60 to 62%

W  =   0 to 59%

 

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BIOGRAPHY OF PROFESSOR DAVE COOK

 

EDUCATION:

 

B.A. Political Science - Univ. Nevada, Las Vegas

B.S.B.A Accounting - Univ. Nevada, Las Vegas

M.B.A. Business Adm. - Univ. Nevada, Las Vegas

 

EXPERIENCE:

 

Tenured college professor of economics.

At WNC since 1989.

 

 

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Dave Cook