Instructor: H. Ike Van de Wetering

281 Heady Hall

(515) 294-5888

hvdw@iastate.edu

Office Hours: MWF 1-2 p.m.

Home page: www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ101/vandewetering

Quiz, test, homework, and class attendance grades posted regularly outside class (Curtiss 127) and the instructor=s office (Heady 281).

Makeup exams: advance permission required, no more than 1 makeup per student per semester.

 (1) identify yourself

Homework Help Session: Section 4+5 combined.

When sending e-mail concerning your grades be sure to identify yourself and your section (4 or 5).

Required Text: Michael Parkin, Microeconomics, Fourth Edition, Addison-Wesley, 1998.

Recommended: Study Guide, Microeconomics, Fourth Edition by Mark Rush, Addison-Wesley, 1998.

Recommended: Lecture Slides: deposited in advance on a chapter by chapter basis, Economics Reading Room, Heady Hall 368.

Recommended: CDROM, Economics in Action, 3.0.

Lecture Schedule:

Chapter 1 What is Economics?

Chapter 2 Making and Using Graphs

Chapter 3 The Economic Problem

Chapter 4 Demand and Supply

Chapter 5 Elasticity

Chapter 6 Efficiency, Test No. 1; (MC, in class)

Chapter 7 Markets in Action

Chapter 8 Utility and Demand

Chapter 9 Possibilities, Preferences, and Choices

Chapter 11 Output and Costs, Test No. 2; (MC, in class)

Chapter 12 Competition

Chapter 13 Monopoly

Chapter 15 Demand and Supply in Resource Markets

Chapter 17 Inequality, Redistribution, and Health Care

Chapter 20 Externalities, the Environment, and Knowledge

Chapter 22 Trading with the World, Final Exam; (MC, arranged classroom)

Use the mandatory homework cover sheets (a package of 10 cover sheets is attached to this syllabus, it is also available outside Heady 281).

Due dates are announced in class. Homeworks are graded as A, B, C, D, or F. Homeworks will be collected in class (Curtiss 127) or outside Heady 281. Homeworks will be returned in class (Curtiss 127). Homeworks that are not picked up will be available for subsequent pick up in the Econ Help Room, Curtiss 301. See Mr. Geng (Section 4) or Mr. Yap (Section 5) for assistance.

Mr. William Chin taught Econ 101 this summer . He will conduct (almost) weekly homework help sessions on Tuesdays 3-4 p.m. in LeBaron 1010. We will combine sections 4 and 5. We have room for 210 students. Students will benefit from attending these sessions. If you cannot attend, and if you need assistance, contact the Econ Help Room in Curtiss 301.

• one set per chapter
• due dates announced in class

 Computerized Tests

There will be 1 computerized test per chapter covered in class. The total number of potential test questions per chapter equals 165. A student, when taking a test will automatically draw a random sequence of 30 multiple choice questions out of a total of 165 multiple choice questions. Therefore no two tests, taken in sequence by the same student, or simultaneously by two or more students, will be exactly the same. Nevertheless different tests for the same chapter will be similar, because the questions will focus on the topics covered, for that chapter, in the text and the lectures.

The computerized tests are Internet accessible at the following address:

http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ101/vandewetering/tests

To access above address use an internet browser such as Netscape or Microsoft Internet. Netscape is installed on all 38 computers in Heady Hall 68. It is also installed on many other university, or privately-owned personal computers. In principle, therefore, a scheduled test can be taken at any location on campus or off-campus, at any hour of the day, at any day of the week.

Not all scheduled tests will be available simultaneously. The schedule of availability is based on a 2-week window for each test. There are two crucial dates in that time interval.

1. The announced due date of the quiz. This date corresponds typically to the last lecture on the chapter for which the quiz is due.
2. The closing date of the quiz is two lectures after its initial due date.

The computerized tests are electronically graded. Nevertheless, you should print a quiz report for your own files. See the sample quiz report below.

1. Your name

2. Your social security number

3. Date

4. Hour

5. Chapter

6. Total number of questions

7. Number of questions answered

8. Number of correct questions

9. Percentage correct

To score an A on a given test you must at least have 24 correct answers out of 30. It will take the average student at least 60 minutes to reach that score. You may take, for a given chapter, as many tests as you like. You should consult your notes, text, friends, or instructors while taking the test. Only the highest score counts towards your ultimate grade (A, B, C, D, F) on each chapter quiz.

Access to the computerized tests is password protected. To have access you must meet two requirements:

$ be on the class list

$ have an individual password

The password consists of two parts:

$ your name as it appears on the class list. To find the exact way your name appears on the class list go to the list on the class home page.

$ Your social security number (keyed in as nine consecutive digits). 

The registrar provides us with an initial class list which in the first month of the semester is updated every two weeks. There is therefore a substantial delay between registration and the instructor receiving notification that the student has registered. In this case use the late registration form attached to the syllabus. The latest date for registering for or switching to this section is Wednesday, September 16.

The computerized tests are provided by a dedicated Pentium 90, 96 MB RAM server in Heady 64. The Server Administrator is Brent Moore (bcmoore@iastate.edu). Due to heavy traffic the server may go down, (1) and reboot itself automatically (a three-minute process), (2) may have to be rebooted manually. Neither (1) nor (2) is a problem during working hours (weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Manual rebooting obviously is a problem outside regular working hours (after 5 p.m.) and on weekends. You are therefore advised to take the computerized tests during working hours.

Students are expected to attend class regularly. The section class list will be passed about once weekly throughout the semester. Excused absences must be verifiable through a student=s supervisor, doctor or advisor.

Students will be graded on (a) 2 in-class tests and a final examination, (b) 10 computerized on-line multiple choice tests, (c) 10 homeworks, (d) class attendance (10 roll calls). The student should carefully work through the following example. Note that there are 33 items that go into your course grade calculation. It is relatively easy to get a passing grade. It is much more difficult to get an A grade. For that purpose a semester long cumulative and persistent effort on your part is important.

 Grading Scale

A = 3.50+

B = 2.50 - 3.49

C = 1.50 - 2.49

D = .50 - 1.49

F = < .50

Note: regular class attendance and successfully completing computer quizzes and homework assignments are a virtual necessity to obtain a B or A course grade in this class.

Principles of Microeconomics

Economics 101

Fall 1998

H. Ike Van de Wetering

hivdw@iastate.edu

This course: This section: 

Last name:  

First name:

Middle name:

Soc. Sec. No.:

Date submitted to instructor: