Economics 01AV: Online Principles of Microeconomics Spring 2024

Scope and Objectives

This class is designed to introduce you to key topics in microeconomics. Microeconomics is the study of individual decision-making, business decision-making, and the interactions of buyers and sellers in markets. This class is fully online including exams. However, while it is fully online it is not a completely self-paced course and you will have deadlines throughout the course to keep you on track.

Learning Outcomes

Assuming a student satisfactorily completes this course, they will be able to do the following.

1) Demonstrate ability to use quantitative tools of microeconomics at a principles level.

2) Analyze microeconomic concepts at a principles level.

3) Critique current events including government policy using microeconomic models at a principles level.

Required Reading

Greg Mankiw’s Principles of Microeconomics, 9th  edition, Cengage Publishing.

Any edition of this textbook is fine. If you can find a less expensive older edition (e.g 8th  edition) please feel free to do so. There are required articles for written assignments with links provided in Canvas

Course Materials

All course materials are posted in Canvashttp://canvas.ucdavis.edu. Assignment Due Dates are posted in Canvas. Students are responsible for being aware of all assignment due dates.

Technology

Some class assignments such as exams require students to use Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor. This technology requires you to download proprietary software to your computer and use their browser to take Canvas exams. This requires a functional webcam and microphone as well as sufficient computing power and internet access. You will check your computer and get used to this system early in the quarter. Using this technology is a requirement for the course. If you cannot do so or do not want to do so, you will need to enroll in an alternative course.

Office Hours

Office hours are scheduled are conducted using Zoom video conferencing software. You can find the

schedule for them in the Zoom link in Canvas. Feel free to turnoff your video and microphone if you

want when you join a Zoom session. You can still ask questions with the Chat feature inside Zoom.

IMPORTANT: If your video is on or audio it is possible that other students in the class may see you or hear you. That’s ok but just be aware that you are potentially being viewed by others. Again, feel free to turn that off if you want. Office hours are not recorded at all.

Grading Note: All Due dates are in Canvas.

Syllabus Quiz 2.5%

This quiz will be taken in Canvas using Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor. This quiz maybe repeated as many times are you want before the due date and the highest score will count in your grade. The purpose of this quiz is to familiarize you with course structure and the use of the lockdown browser as well as check your computer system’s compatibility. It has a 10-minute time limit per attempt.

Survey Assignment 2.5%

This is a short survey assignment with 2 multiple choice questions and 3 questions that require a couple   sentence answers each. The assignment is 60-minutes timed. If you complete the assignment on time and provide serious answers you will receive credit.

Video Lecture Quizzes 15%

Lectures for this course consist of a series of short (approximately 10-minute) pre-recorded videos.

In those lecture videos usually near the middle and/or the end, there will be popup multiple choice

questions. These are not timed but you must answer the question and cannot skip questions. Each video has 1 or 2 questions. Please allow the video to play all the way until it stops on its own. That will allow your score on the quiz questions to be automatically pushed into Canvas. 5 lowest scores are dropped.

Homework 20%

There is one assignment for each module (8 total). These assignments are a mix of multiple choice

questions and questions that have multiple parts where you choose your answers from dropdown menus. You may use your notes and the book. You may also work with other students in the course to complete the assignments. Using outside resources (e.g. Chegg, Coursehero, people not in the course, etc.) is

prohibited. Potential misconduct will be reported to the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs. Answers will be provided after the due date. Please ask the professor or TAs clarification questions or questions about the answers after they are released. 2 lowest scores are dropped.

Practice Exams 5%

There are 2 additional practice assignments. Each is 40 multiple choice questions and provides extra

practice questions similar to the homework questions. You may work with other students in the course and use any course material. Using outside resources (e.g. Chegg, Coursehero, people not in the course,

etc.) is prohibited. You can repeat the assignments as many times as you want up until the due date. One practice exam covers Modules 1-4 and the other one covers Modules 5-8.

Exams 50%

There are 2 exams to be completed in Canvas. Each is 25% of the course grade. Exams are timed with a 60-minute time limit. Exams are 40 multiple-choice questions each. Exams are open notes and course material. You may use a handheld calculator. You may not use your cellphone as a calculator and you

will not be able to access course materials online during exams so you will want notes and other material in hard copy form. You may not use any internet enabled device beyond the computer you are taking the exam on. Students must work alone and may not consult each other or outside resources (e.g. Chegg,

Coursehero, ChatGPT, people not in the course, etc.). Exams must be completed within the window of

time given in Canvas. Exams require Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor. Also, we do not provide answers or access to the exams after the fact. The exams are for assessment purposes only.Exams are not offered at alternative days/times. Exam #1 covers Modules 1-4 and Exam #2 covers Modules 5-8.

Final Reflection Assignment 5%

This is a short survey assignment with 2 multiple choice questions and 3 questions that require a couple   sentence answers each. The assignment is 60-minutes timed. If you complete the assignment on time and provide serious answers you will receive credit.

Important Policies

1)   Students have a responsibility for reading this syllabus, course announcements in Canvas, due

dates of assignments in Canvas, and any announcements made in recorded lectures. These are all part of the course policies.

2)   I will determine grades at the end of the quarter.  Any curve, if there is one, is set at that time.

There are no grades on individual assignments. UC Davis Economics Department policy is that

the average grade in courses should normally be a B-. However, there is no set amount of any one grade (i.e. in theory everyone can earn an “A” just as everyone could in theory earn a “C”, though neither is likely to happen). Also, I would only curve up, never down.

3)   In general, there are no makeup exams.  Any excused absence is at my discretion.  The few

potentially acceptable reasons to miss an exam include illness or death of an immediate family  member.  Immediate family members are your parents, siblings, spouse/domestic partner, and   children. You must be able to provide verification (e.g., doctor’s note). If you miss an exam, to qualify for an excuse, I must be notified by e-mail either in advance or within 24 hours of the  exam time.

4)   Failing to take an exam for anunexcused reason will result in failing the course automatically. Exams are not offered at alternative times.

5)   Exam Regrade Policy. As this is a remote course where exams are graded by Canvas there will be no regrades at all.

6)   Assignment Policy. Late assignments are not accepted for any reason. There is no inherent reason to wait until the last minute before an assignment is due to complete it. Most assignments can be   completed well in advance of their due dates. Missed assignments for any reason (e.g. joining the  course late, illness, work) will be used as drops based on the drop policy. Any missed assignment beyond the allowed drops will be 0s.

7)   Use of online sites like Chegg, CourseHero, or ChatGPT is prohibited. Posting to these sites or reading these sites for help on course assignments is a violation of course policies.

8)   Course material such as slides, lecture videos, assignments including homework, answer keys,

exam questions, and other material are Professor Stimel and Professor Wilson’s intellectual

property. Posting them online (e.g. Chegg or CourseHero and similar sites) without permission is a violation of UC Davis’s student code of conduct and applicable copyright law.

9)   Technology problems are not the responsibility of the professor or the TA, they are solely the

responsibility of the student. Technology issues uploading or completing assignments in Canvas, using Respondus (e.g. failure to upload, wi-fi connections, etc.) are not considered for excuses.

10) Per UC Davis policy,there are no final grade changes allowed except in the case of adding or other calculation error.

11) Academic honesty is expected.  Any suspected cheating will be taken seriously and may result in failing the assignment or the course, as well as discipline by UC Davis itself. See the following

for the academic code of conduct.https://supportjudicialaffairs.sf.ucdavis.edu/code-academic- conduct

12) Waitlists. In the economics department professors cannot issue PTAs or sign any forms related to enrolling in the course. This includes open campus forms. All enrollment is based on the order of the waitlist and is controlled centrally by the Economics Undergraduate Advising Office. They also are the ones that review and decide courses petitions about prerequisites.

13) Treatyour fellow classmates, teaching assistants, and myself with respect at all times.

Course Outline

Topic 1: Introduction (Production possibility frontier and gains from trade) Read Chapters 2 & 3

Watch Introduction Videos #1-5, Do Video Lecture Quizzes by Thursday April 11,11:59 PM (PDT) Do Homework #1 by Thursday April 11,11:59 PM (PDT)

Do Survey Assignment (60-minutes timed) by Thursday April 11,11:59 PM (PDT)

Topic 2: Supply & Demand Read Chapter 4

Watch Supply & Demand Videos #1-8, Do Video Lecture Quizzes by Thursday April 11,11:59 PM (PDT)

Do Homework #2 by Thursday April 11,11:59 PM (PDT)

Do Syllabus Quiz using Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor by Thursday April 11,11:59 PM (PDT)

Topic 3: Elasticity Read Chapter 5

Watch Elasticity Videos #1-12, Do Video Lecture Quizzes by Thursday April 18,11:59 PM (PDT) Do Homework #3 by Thursday April 18,11:59 PM (PDT)

Topic 4: Efficiency vs Equity Read Chapter 7

Watch Efficiency vs Equity Videos #1-7, Do Video Lecture Quizzes by Thursday April 25,11:59 PM (PDT)

Do Homework #4 by Thursday April 25,11:59 PM (PDT)

Exam #1

Do Practice Exam #1 by Thursday May 2,11:59 PM (PDT)

Do Exam #1 using Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor by Thursday May 2,11:59 PM (PDT) [Exam unlocks at 8 AM (PDT) on Wednesday May 1 and is 60-minutes timed, open printed or

handwritten notes, calculator]

Topic 5: Government Policy Read Chapters 6 & 8

Watch Government Policy Videos #1-7, Do Video Lecture Quizzes by Thursday May 9, 11:59 PM (PDT) Do Homework #5 by Thursday May 9, 11:59 PM (PDT)

Topic 6: Costs of Production Read Chapters 13

Watch Costs of Production Videos #1-8, Do Video Lecture Quizzes by Thursday May 16, 11:59 PM (PDT)

Do Homework #6 by Thursday May 16, 11:59 PM (PDT)

Topic 7: Perfect Competition Read Chapters 14

Watch Perfect Competition #1-5 and Do Video Lecture Quizzes by Thursday May 23, 11:59 PM (PDT) Do Homework #7 by Thursday May 23, 11:59 PM (PDT)