Email: Tabarrok@gmu.edu
Office: Carow Hall, 10B
This is entirely an online course taught by Alex Tabarrok (and Tyler Cowen) based on their book Modern Principles of Economics: Microeconomics. This class has been years in the making and was designed to be online from day one. We think this is the best online course in principles of economics ever offered. The course is video based. Every video is followed by questions. Every chapter has questions and a test. Lecture time is less and active learning time is more. Active learning requires more from the student so be prepared—the class will move quickly. The class will move *very* quickly in the summer session.
Needed: This course is NOT ON BLACKBOARD. In order to take this course you must purchase access to the Sapling Plus homework system which gives access to the e-book, practice questions, homework and tests. You can get access for 6 months for $99.99. The Sapling Plus system has access to the e-book. I recommend purchasing a package of Sapling Plus and 4 month rental of the textbook, Modern Principles: Microeconomics (Cowen/Tabarrok) paperback because I think having a paperback to read is also useful but that is your call.
The
easiest
way to get access to Sapling is here:
https://store.macmillanlearning.com/us/storefront/201801293
Look
under the Rent tab for the
package and click the title so it opens. The package is $117.99,
only slightly more expensive than the Sapling Plus
system alone.
When you sign up at Sapling, use the same name as at GMU. If you drop the class make sure you drop at GMU.
I recommend that you sign up for Sapling before
the official start day of the class to give you time to deal
with any technical issues.
The class is divided in two sections, before and after the midterm. The first section runs from June 1 to June 30. You can work at your own pace but you must complete the first section by June 30. The midterm runs July 1-July 3 and must be completed by July 3. The second section begins June 29 and runs through Aug 5. You must complete all the work in the second section by Aug 5. Final exam which is cumulative is Aug 6-8.
Note you need to be completing
a little over 2 chapters a week.
Technical
Support
If
you have trouble accessing the Sapling Plus
system try the usual procedures of using a different browser,
updating your browser, clearing the cache etc. If that doesn’t work,
contact Sapling Support.
https://macmillan.force.com/macmillanlearning/s/contactsupport
My
experience is that support is very good. Note
that
I can’t help you with
technical support! I’d like to but I don’t control the Sapling
system. If support needs to contact me, they will.
Email
Every
GMU
student in this class should monitor their GMU email for periodic announcements.
Grading
At
the end of each video,
there are homework questions. On these questions, you get unlimited
attempts but you lose 5% for each incorrect attempt. For each
chapter there is also a Learning Curve. You can answer as many Learning
Curve questions as you want to get up to a set number of
points. Each section also has an assessment section that is a
combination of Ask Fred,
Work It Out and News
Analysis questions (not every chapter has all categories). You
also get multiple attempts at these questions with a 5% penalty for
each incorrect attempt. Each chapter concludes with a chapter Test.
Finally, there is a Midterm
and a Final. Grades will be calculated as follows:
|
Your
numerical
grade will be a good guide to your standing in the class but I
reserve the right to adjust (bell) the final grade.
Class
Structure and Due Dates
It
is very important that you submit your homework and tests BEFORE the
due date. All time are EST! If your computer breaks down or if you
lose internet access and cannot submit your work you get ZERO—there
is
no appeal.
You
will
have plenty of opportunity to get your work done on time. We will
work according to the schedule below and you
will
be able to work ahead within each section. Thus, you have
flexibility to get things done. But it is your job to get everything
done on time.
One
thing
to watch out for is that the opening screen gives you due dates but
it only shows the first 10 items or so—some weeks it will not show
you everything. You need to check Activities and Due Dates to be
sure you are covering everything.
Use
the
Sapling Plus homework system to check for due dates. Approximates
dates are as follows.
|
Week
of |
Last
day to complete |
Chapters |
|
June
1-June 30 |
Chapter
3: Supply and Demand |
|
|
Chapter
4: Equilibrium |
||
|
Chapter
5: Elasticity |
||
|
Chapter
6: Taxes and Subsidies |
||
|
Chapter
7: The Price System |
||
|
Chapter
8: Price Floors and Ceilings |
||
|
Chapter
2: Comparative Advantage, Chapter 9: International Trade |
||
|
June 30 |
Chapter
10: Externalities |
|
|
June
1-June 3 |
July
3 |
Midterm—must
be completed by July 3 |
|
June
29 |
Chapter
11: Costs and Profit Maximization, Chapter
12 Competition and the Invisible Hand |
|
|
Chapter
13: Monopoly |
||
|
Chapter
14: Price Discrimination |
||
|
Chapter
18: Labor Markets |
||
|
Chapter
19: Public Goods and Tragedy of the Commons |
||
| Aug 5 |
Chapter
24: Asymmetric Information Chapter
23: Stock Markets and Personal Finance |
|
|
Aug
6 |
Aug
8 |
Final Exam—must be completed by Aug 8. |
If
you are a student with a disability and you need academic
accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability
Resources at 703.993.2474. All academic accommodations must be
arranged through that office.
Students
are
responsible for verifying their enrollment in this class.
Schedule adjustments should be made by the deadlines published in the
Schedule of Classes. (Deadlines each semester are published in the
Schedule of Classes available from the Registrar's Website
registrar.gmu.edu.)