Course Syllabus – ECON 20   IRVINE VALLEY COLLEGE

COURSE & INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

Introductory Economics Ticket 62540

Fall 2021 (August 23 – December 21)

Tuesday/Thursday 12:30PM – 1:45 PM

This course is online and will hold live lectures on Zoom and tests on Canvas at the time listed above. Any communications of times and dates will be assumed to be in PT (Pacific Time) unless otherwise specified.

Instructor: Sierra Moussatche

email: smoussatche@ivc.edu (or use Canvas message)

Office Hours: As scheduled or requested, available by Zoom or phone.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND SLOs:

Description:

This course, designed for non-economics and non-business majors, provides a survey of both micro and macroeconomic principles and provides a foundation for ECON 1 and 2. Microeconomic areas of emphasis include scarcity, markets, supply and demand, industrial organization, and marginal analysis used for decision making by individuals and firms. Macroeconomic areas of emphasis include national income accounts, money and monetary policy, economic stabilization policies, economic growth, and international trade and finance. Credit may be earned in ECON 20 or 20H, but not both.

Student Learning Outcomes

SLO 1: Scarcity Define and explain the fundamental economic problem of scarcity and its consequences - choice, cost, and economizing.
SLO 2: Production Possibilities Frontier Use a production possibilities diagram to show and explain the concepts of limits, choice, cost, efficiency, and economic growth
SLO 3: Supply and Demand Construct a supply and demand model and use it to explain how prices are determined in markets.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define the economic problem of scarcity and explain how it relates to the concepts of choice and maximization. 
2. Read, interpret and analyze economic graphs. 
3. Use supply-and-demand model for price and quantity determination in a market system. 
4. Apply marginal analysis to the decision-making process of individuals and firms in both perfectly competitive and imperfectly competitive markets. 
5. Define, describe and evaluate the effects of fiscal policies on the economy using the aggregate demand/aggregate supply model. 
6. Examine the role of international trade based on the principle of comparative advantage on the domestic economy. 
7. Describe the process of money creation and the ways in which monetary policy affects the economy. 
8. Identify and measure the determinants of economic growth. 
9. Develop an awareness of economics as it relates to everyday life.

 

MATERIALS:

Textbook: 

OpenStax Principles of Economics 2e.
Available for free at: openstax.org/details/books/principles-economics-2e

Course Website:

Readings, assignments, grades and announcements will be accessed through Canvas. I recommend checking Canvas at least two times per week.

Free Supplementary Resources: 

Students can find optional additional readings, recordings, and practice questions from links to Lumen Learning and Marginal Revolution University included in our Canvas modules. There is no cost or account registration required to access these open educational resources.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:

Classwork: 

Short worksheets, activities and discussions will be completed during class meetings. To accommodate planned or unplanned absences, three classwork grades are automatically dropped from your course grade. Scores for these assignments will be posted within 7 days of submission.

Quizzes: 

Weekly quizzes with unlimited attempts will be assigned through Canvas. These quizzes allow you to check your understanding and practice for tests as we progress through the course. You are welcome to solicit assistance from classmates, tutors, etc. when completing quizzes but may not publicly post quiz material outside of Canvas. Multiple choice questions will be graded immediately, other question types will be scored within 5 days of submission.

Project: 

Students will select a topic, submit reference citations, and complete a short paper. Students will be graded on their ability to follow project directions and articulate course knowledge. Directions, due dates for project components, and rubrics will be confirmed on Canvas following the first test. The project will also have opportunities for extra credit. Please expect feedback and scores within 7 days of the due dates.

Tests: 

There will be three tests given during the semester. Topics in this course are cumulative by nature, but tests will focus on material from each section of the course. Tests will contain a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Students may use their notes, calculators, and textbook during tests, but are not permitted to solicit other forms of assistance. Please check that you can attend all test days before continuing in this course. Missed exams will result in a 0 score without professor notification and/or emergency documentation. Students can expect feedback and scores within 7 days of the test dates.

Late Work: 

Quizzes, classwork, and project assignments will be accepted late with a penalty to the assignment grade. For each day that the assignment is late, 4% of the points for the assignment will be deducted up to a maximum of 13 days.

Grading:

Students will earn the letter grade that corresponds to their grade percentage across the weighted categories below. At the conclusion of the semester, final grades will be posted on Canvas for a minimum of 24 hours before official grade submission. Grades will not be rounded.

15% Classwork
15% Quizzes
20% Project
50% Tests

A ( >89.5%)
B (89.4% -79.5%)
C (79.4% -69.5%)
D (69.4% -59.5%)
F (<59.4%)

GENERAL NOTES AND POLICIES:

Academic Dishonesty: 

Academic dishonesty in the form of cheating on a test or plagiarizing the written work of others is considered a very serious offense and will not be tolerated in this course. If a student is caught cheating on any test or assignment, they will receive a grade of zero on that test or assignment and an Academic Dishonesty Report will be filed with the Dean’s office to be retained on record. It is very important to avoid putting yourself in the position of even being suspected of cheating or plagiarism (i.e., using another’s words as your own written words), as very serious consequences may result.

Academic Assistance: 

You are encouraged to use the Student Success Center and the Writing Center.
The tutoring services from the SSC are free and available to all students enrolled in many of the courses offered at IVC. Once the student enrolls in TU301 (FREE), they will have access to drop-in or scheduled online tutoring through Canvas or 24/7 tutoring via Smarthinking. 

Enrolling in the Writing Conference (WR 385) gives you access to the virtual Writing Center on Canvas, with writing resources, and the opportunity to receive individualized feedback from IVC English instructors on brainstorming, drafts, and revision to help you strengthen your writing assignments. This is extremely valuable help, and not available to this extent at many colleges. Especially in online learning, students will benefit from the person-to-person connection and communication the Writing Center offers. If you are also enrolled in Writing 1 or Writing 2 this semester, make sure to enroll in WR 181 or WR 182 instead of WR 385.

 

Accommodations: 

Irvine Valley College makes reasonable accommodations for qualified students with documented disabilities. If you have a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), impacts your work for this class, and necessitates accommodations, you should contact Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) at 949-451-5630 or Student Services Center SC 171 for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders, among others. Students can contact DSPS if they are uncertain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies, or if they feel they may have a learning disability.

Class Tips

• Engage frequently and respectfully with fellow students
• Review classwork feedback
• Use additional resources for support
• Meet with your instructor for office hours
• Ask clarifying questions via email or discussion board
• Consider Student Learning Objectives when preparing for tests
• Spend upwards of 6 hours focusing on the course each week  

Communication:

All students, faculty and staff of Irvine Valley College are provided with an email address that can be accessed through MySite. Please note that this is the only email address the instructor is permitted to use to contact students and discuss student work and grades.  It is therefore important that students use this email (or the Canvas messaging system) to contact the professor as well as check this email on a regular basis.

• Emails will usually be returned within 24 hours during the work week. If there is no response within 36 hours, kindly resend the email.
• Don’t wait to communicate! The sooner you let me know about a problem, the better I will be able to assist you.

Conduct:

It can be difficult to convey tone and intent in an online setting. Do your best to be respectful and understanding in your communications and class interactions.

Unacceptable conduct includes but is not limited to:

• Intimidation, harassment, and/or disrespect in behavior or speech (including profane or obscene language)
• Refusal to comply with instructor’s direction

Respect for Diversity:

It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know your ideas to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. In addition, if any of our class requirements conflict with your religious events, please let me know so that we can make arrangements.

Important Dates:

Important Dates

Description of Event or Deadline	Weekday, Calendar Date
First Week of Class Begins:	Monday, 8/23/2021
First Class Meeting On:	Tuesday, 8/24/2021
Add without Instructor Permission by:	Monday, 8/23/2021
Last Day to Add with APC:	Sunday, 9/12/2021
Drop with Refund by:	Sunday, 9/5/2021
Elect Pass/No Pass by:	Friday, 12/3/2021
Drop without "W" Grade by:	Sunday, 9/12/2021
Drop with "W" Grade by:	Friday, 11/5/2021
Last Week of Class Ends:	Tuesday, 12/21/2021
Test 1:	Thursday, 9/30/2021
Test 2:	Tuesday, 11/2/2021
Test 3:	Thursday, 12/16/2021
Class will not meet:	Thursday, 11/11/2021
Class will not meet:	Thursday, 11/25/2021

 

Course Outline*

Week	Tuesday	Thursday	Topic (or Test)	OpenStax Chapter(s)
1	24-Aug	26-Aug	Welcome! What is Economics?	1
2	31-Aug	2-Sep	Scarcity	2
3	7-Sep	9-Sep	Supply and Demand	3
4	14-Sep	16-Sep	Supply and Demand; Labor and Financial Markets	3, 4
5	21-Sep	23-Sep	Elasticity	5
6	28-Sep	30-Sep	Review; Test 1	1 to 5
7	5-Oct	7-Oct	Marginal Utility; Marginal Productivity	6.1; 7.2
8	12-Oct	14-Oct	Production	7.0, 7.1, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5
9	19-Oct	21-Oct	Perfect Competition; Monopoly	8.1-8.4,9.1-9.2
10	26-Oct	28-Oct	Game theory, public goods, externalities; review	10.2, 13.3, 12.1, 13.1, 13.2
11	2-Nov	4-Nov	Test 2: Microeconomics; Macroeconomic Perspective	Test: selects from 6 to 13; Nov 4: 19.1, 19.2, 19.3
12	9-Nov	11-Nov	Economic Growth and GDP; No Classes Nov 11	20.1-20.3
13	16-Nov	18-Nov	International Trade; Aggregate Demand/Aggregate Supply Model;First Project Component Due	33.1,33.2, 24.1, 24.2,
14	23-Nov	25-Nov	AD/AS Model, No Classes Nov 25	24.3, 24.4
15	30-Nov	2-Dec	Fiscal Policy	30.1-30.7
16	7-Dec	9-Dec	Monetary Policy	27.3, 27.4, 28.1, 28.2,28.3, 28.4, 28.5
17	14-Dec	16-Dec	Review; Test 3	19 to 33
18	21-Dec		Discuss Test 3, Final Project Component Due

*Schedule is subject to change at instructor's discretion. (Changes made 10/1/21 to include detailed chapter sections)