Economics 313

Course Has Moved to Canvas

All materials for this course (after Summer 2016) can be found on Canvas.

Posted by Mark Thoma on 01/09/2017 at 11:01 PM in Fall 2016 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Syllabus for Fall 2016

ECONOMICS 313
Intermediate Macroeconomics
Fall 2016 Online Education

INSTRUCTOR: Mark Thoma
E-mail: mthoma@uoregon.edu , Phone: 541-346-4673
Office: 471 PLC, Office Hours Tuesday 4:00-5:00 pm or by appointment.

SOCIAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTION LAB AND CANVAS INFORMATION
Canvas: http://canvas.uoregon.edu
SSIL E-mail: de@ssil.uoregon.edu; SSIL Phone: 541-346-4642

INFORMATION ABOUT ON-LINE CLASSES

A. GENERAL INFORMATION
Online classes are offered for students who are unable to attend regular classes (because of job or other commitments, distance from Eugene, etc.). Also, some students take online classes because they prefer the flexibility that an online class adds to their schedule. The material in online economics classes is the same as that in lecture economics classes, and the exams, all multiple choice, are extremely similar in format and difficulty. However, online classes require more discipline by students than regular classes given the necessity of mastering the material primarily from the textbook and related sources (both offline and online).

Thus, contrary to what many anticipate, online classes are harder, not easier, than lecture classes. To succeed in an online class, you must be extremely motivated and well organized.

Unlike with regular classes, exams for online classes are taken at a day and time chosen by the student, but must be taken by the exam deadline. In addition, a reservation is required to take the exam. It is encouraged that students coordinate their online exams with exams for other classes in order to minimize conflicts and create "space" for exam preparation for each course. Because the exam dates are flexible (subject to the requirement that they meet the deadline), it is not possible for students to obtain a copy of an exam after completing it.

B. EXAMS FOR STUDENTS LIVING IN AND NEAR EUGENE
You will take all your tests at the Social Science Instructional Lab (SSIL) located in McKenzie Hall 445. All tests are given and scheduled by appointment only! When checking in for exams, students will scan their hand in the biometric hand scanner. SSIL will be using the Schlage HandKey 2 scanner. This is the same system used by the UO Student Recreation Center.

Before you can schedule an exam, you must complete the SSIL on-line introduction by going to: http://distanceeducation.uoregon.edu/ to activate your account. After you complete the introduction, you will activate your account and log in using your DuckID and corresponding password (if you have taken an online course in the past using SSIL, your account should already be activated).

From the SSIL Test Taker Home Page you can make appointments to take tests, cancel appointments, see your test scores, e-mail your professor, and more. You must go through the On-Line introduction before the deadline given at the end of the syllabus. Take the time to read the information under the link, On Campus. If you have further questions about testing, contact: de@ssil.uoregon.edu.

Important: You must complete the SSIL On-Line Introduction by the deadline.

C. EXAMS FOR STUDENTS WHO DO NOT LIVE NEAR EUGENE
Go to the web site: http://distanceeducation.uoregon.edu/ and click on the Off Campus link at the bottom of the page. Read all the information on the page. Before you can take a test, you must obtain a proctor and have the proctor approved by SSIL. You must do this before the deadline given at the end of the syllabus. The web page describes how to do this. There is a link to proctors used by students in the past under the Remote Proctor sites. These are only locations used in the past. They may no longer be active sites. It is the students responsibility to locate a proctor. Once you have found a proctor, fill out the remote site request form on the web page. SSIL will notify you if the proctor you have chosen is approved. If you have further questions, contact: de@ssil.uoregon.edu .

Important: you must obtain approval of the proctor by the deadline.

D. CANVAS
Canvas will be used for communication, quizzes, and review questions. Thus, you need to make sure that you can log on to canvas at http://canvas.uoregon.edu. Your username will be your "official" UO computing center email account address, but without the uoregon.edu at the end, and the corresponding password for that account. If you have problems logging on, make sure you can log on to your official UO email account, since you might have an old password. You can also check your official UO account on Duck Web. If you still have problems, contact the computing center for assistance in 151 McKenzie.

The Canvas address is http://canvas.uoregon.edu.

E. EMAIL AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Emails and announcements (in Canvas) will be used to provide information on scheduling of exams and the deadlines for the quizzes and review questions. It is essential that you read the class emails and announcements carefully.

Important: if you do not receive the emails/announcements, contact the instructor ASAP, as you are probably not using your computing center email account address!

F. EMAIL
When emailing me, please include EC 313 in the subject line. This helps ensure that I will not overlook your email by accident, and also lets me know what class you are taking.

ECONOMICS 313

A. COURSE OVERVIEW
This class is designed to provide the foundations needed to understand how the macroeconomy operates, the problems commonly confronted by developed market economies, and to analyze and understand various solutions to these problems. We will construct models illustrating the theory of the determination of aggregate output, unemployment, prices, interest rates, inflation, and economic growth, in the short-run, the medium-run, and long-run, with applications to the U.S. economy and monetary and fiscal policy issues.

B. GRADING (EXAMS AND QUIZZES)
There are two types of evaluations for determining grades in the class. First, there are two exams, a midterm and a final. There are 35 multiple choice questions on the midterm, and 50 on the final. The midterm is worth 30% of your grade, and the final is worth 40%. The exams will be taken at the Social Science Instructional Lab (unless you do not live near Eugene see above).

Second, there are also nine quizzes and ten review assignments. The quizzes consist of ten multiple-choice questions typical of the type you will see on exams. You will complete the quizzes and review assignments in Canvas. The lowest score (for each) will be dropped (if you miss a quiz or review assignment and receive a zero, this score will be the one that is dropped). You will be allowed to take each quiz twice (and retain the highest score of the two). The quizzes will be 15% of your grade. You can do the review questions as many times as you'd like before the deadline. These also count for 15%. Grades in the course will be curved.

The deadlines for the exams, quizzes, and review questions, and the deadline for completing the "On-Line Test Taker Introduction," are listed below.

C. FOUR IMPORTANT NOTES ON EXAMS, WHICH ARE TAKEN AT SSIL. First, there will be no exceptions to the exam deadlines, and there are no makeup exams. You must take an exam by the day of the deadline to receive credit for the exam. If a substantial emergency arises, you must contact the instructor well in advance of the deadline, and submit formal documentation with phone numbers. Second, exams may be taken before the exam deadline, and a reservation is required to take an exam (in summer, a reservation is still required, but the exam must be taken on a particular day). Do not wait until the last minute to schedule your exams, as testing slots will fill up fast. Third, SSIL's webpage allows you to make appointments for exams two weeks in advance of the deadline, but not before that (do not schedule exams for a time after the deadline even though SSIL's system allows this). Fourth, the exams are closed book and closed notes.

D. THREE IMPORTANT NOTES ON THE QUIZZES AND REVIEW ASSIGNMENTS
First, analogous to the exams, there will be no exceptions to the deadlines. You must complete each set of review questions and each quiz by the day of the deadline to receive credit, but of course you can complete it sooner if you wish. Second, these quizzes will be completed in Canvas, and the lowest score of the nine quizzes and the lowest score of the ten review assignments will be dropped. Third, since the purpose of the quizzes is to assist in mastering the course material, the quizzes are open book and open notes.

E. TEXT AND OTHER LEARNING SOURCES
In addition to the text, there are also video lectures for each chapter to make it as close as possible to a traditional course (scroll below the syllabus to find the videos).

1. Text: Olivier Blanchard and David Johnson, Macroeconomics, 6th edition. It should be available at the Bookstore. It is also available here: http://www.mypearsonstore.com/bookstore/macroeconomics-0133061639 (note that the digital and loose leaf versions are much cheaper, and that we are NOT using MyEconLab).

2. Video Lectures: Video lectures are available in three places. First, at http://economistsview.typepad.com/economics313/. Second, at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUTFo-QOO0FLt1QyQzQCtHDA6G_9Fp_CX. Third, in the "Pages" section of Canvas. If your connection is fast enough, it works best if you play the video full screen (writing on the whiteboard will be much easier to read). Lectures from a previous traditional course are also available here (click on Fall 2013 in the sidebar).

3. Practice Problems for Each Chapter: An extensive set of practice problems is provided for each chapter. The questions are intended to serve as a review -- they cover all of the important topics in each chapter -- and the quiz and exam questions are based upon these questions. (The review questions are in Canvas.)

F. WEEKLY READING LIST FOR TEXT, AND CHAPTER COVERAGE BY ASSIGNMENT AND EXAM
For each chapter, all regular pages are assigned except the appendices. If you schedule an exam prior to the deadline date, you will have to accelerate your study of the material relative to the pace outlined below.

Note: Deadline for SSIL On-Line Introduction is Saturday, October 1

Assignment 1:
Introduction Ch. 1
The Short-Run Ch. 2
The Goods Market: IS Curve Ch. 3
Deadline for Quiz 1 (Chapters 1, 2, and 3) and the Review Questions for Chapters 2 and 3: Wednesday, October 5

Assignment 2:
Financial Markets: The LM Curve Ch. 4
Deadline for Quiz 2 and the Review Questions for Chapter 4: Wednesday, October 12

Assignment 3:
The IS-LM Model Ch. 5
Deadline for Quiz 3 and the Review Questions for Chapter 5: Wednesday, October 19

Assignment 4:
The Labor Market Ch. 6
Deadline for Quiz 4 and the Review Questions for Chapter 6: Wednesday, October 26

Midterm
Chapters 1-6
Thursday, October 27 - Wednesday, November 2 (You can take it on any one of these days.)

Assignment 5:
The AS-AD Model Ch. 7
Deadline for Quiz 5 and the Review Questions for Chapter 7: Wednesday, November 9

Assignment 6:
The Phillips Curve Ch. 8
Deadline for Quiz 6 and the Review Questions for Chapter 8: Tuesday, November 15

Assignment 7:
The Facts of Growth Ch. 10
Deadline for Quiz 7 and the Review Questions for Chapter 10: Monday, November 21

Assignment 8:
Saving, Capital Accumulation, and Output Ch. 11
Deadline for Quiz 8 and the Review Questions for Chapter 11: Sunday, November 27

Assignment 9:
Technological Progress and Growth Ch. 12
Deadline for Quiz 9 and the Review Questions for Chapter 12: Sunday, December 4

Final
Comprehensive
Monday, December 5 - Friday, December 9

Posted by Mark Thoma on 09/18/2016 at 02:57 PM in Fall 2016, Syllabus | Permalink | Comments (0)