PROSPECTUS
Policies
- Marking
- Assignments
- Cheating
About This Course
This is an online version of the introductory economics principles course (ECO100Y) offered for credit by the Department of Economics at the University of Toronto in the 2000-01 Winter session.This is NOT a "distance-learning" offering: three required term tests, a three-hour final examination and six optional workshop/tutorial sessions will be held at physical locations on the St. George campus of the University at times and places to be specified in the course schedule. Students registering in this section MUST be able to write the tests and examination on campus.
The core content of the course is
the same as in the on-campus sections. The difference is mainly in the
way the content is delivered. Instead of attending weekly lectures on campus,
students in this online section will access the course content and, for
the most part, interact with the instructional staff and other students
online. The course has its own list-serve which students will be expected
to join and a dedicated discussion/news group.
Who Should Consider Taking This Version of the Course
In brief, students who are comfortable accessing material online, who have access to a reliable and reasonably fast connection to the Internet and who have sufficient motivation to work on their own rather than attending weekly on-campus mass lectures.The course is designed for delivery over dial-up connections using conventional browser software and audio-enabled PC's. Two readily available plug-ins are recommended, most importantly the RealPlayer to access the online lectures. The FREE basic RealPlayer is all you need, NOT the RealPlayer Plus, but you will have to dig deeply into their download site to find it! To view the animated graphics in the hypertext you will also need the (free to download) Flash version 4 or higher player. (If you already have a Shockwave Player installed you may not need the Flash Player.) You should also be running a Java Script compliant browser (and make sure that Java Script is enabled) so that the self-marking quizzes will work.
Students with specific timetabling or commuting problems may find this version of the course convenient. On the other hand, those who rely upon going to weekly lectures as motivation to keep up with the work, or who crave the companionship of classmates in the lecture hall should avoid this section of the course. Most first year students should probably register in a conventional on-campus section of the course.
Evaluation
Term work will consist of three 90 minute multiple choice or other short-answer term tests, written on campus at times shown in the course schedule. The tests are equally weighted and count for 50 per cent of the final grade. A three hour final exam will be written on campus during the Faculty of Arts and Science April/May examination period. There will also be six assignments during the year which will not be graded. A make-up test will be available at the end of the Spring term for students who missed one of the three regularly scheduled tests and who submitted acceptable medical or other proof of their inability to write at the scheduled time.TOP
Text
A customized online hypertext has been developed specifically for use in this course and has been incorporated into the online course content. Note that this material is copyright and is being made available free of charge to students registered in this section of the course. No textbook or other purchases are required.For students who would prefer to
consult a more standard text, the relevant sections of several currently
popular commercial products can be looked up here.
Students should note that certain topics are treated differently in different
texts, especially in the "macroeconomics" part of the course. Our practice
will be to follow the general approach of Parkin/Bade in such situations.
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Schedule
The online course will be presented in real time so as to conform to the academic dates set out in the Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar. Beginning in September, material will be posted on the Web site at the beginning of each week and students will be expected to keep up with the presentation of the course content as set out in the course schedule.TOP
How the Course Works
Each week students enrolled in this section of the course will be expected to access the "Announcements" link on the course Web site to check on the work scheduled for that week. (Reminders will be sent out by email to all who have signed up on the course list-serve.)Most weeks this will involve working through one of the 17 course content modules. Each of these consists of a link to a chapter of the (online) text to be studied, a multi-media (RealAudio) lecture on the topic, a self-marking quiz to provide a quick check of comprehension of key concepts which have been introduced, a short problem set to work through (solutions are provided), and a policy issue to think about and post a comment on to the course newsgroup.
Six weeks are given over to working out answers and solutions to six major assignments. These assignments are designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop and practice the kind of analytical skills needed for successful completion of this type of course. The assignments will not be graded. Six on-campus workshops will be conducted by teaching assistants who will take up the assignments and provide help to students who wish to review their answers after they have been submitted. Attendance at the workshops is not compulsory.
Three weeks are reserved for the
term tests. These are 90 minute short-answer quiz-type tests written on
campus at times and locations to be announced. Term marks will be available
online through the Department's mark checker service.
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Policies
Marking
Term tests in this as in other sections of the course are machine graded. Such errors as do arise are usually caused by careless completion of the Scantron forms by students. Issues relating to what the "correct" answer is can be taken up with the Teaching Assistants as part of the learning process, but note that the test instructions call for an indication of the "best" of the alternative responses, not necessarily a rare instance of ultimate truth.Assignments/Workshops
Six sets of exercises will be assigned. These assignments will not be graded. Students are invited to attend six on-campus workshops at which the Teaching Assistants will work through the exercises and take up any questions relating to them. The times and locations of these workshops will be announced. Their proximity to test dates is not coincidental.Cheating
It happens. Our policy is to enforce the Code of Academic Behaviour. Severe penalties, some of which could have significant career implications for students found guilty of academic misconduct, can be and often are imposed. Students who find themselves having trouble with the course content or in dealing with the pressure of time are urged to consult their course tutor or the instructor, or ask for advice from their college registrar's office instead of resorting to high-risk alternatives.Makeup Test
An "all purpose" makeup test will be scheduled at the end of the Spring Term for students who have missed one of the scheduled term tests for certified medical or other acceptable reasons. Medical certificates must be on the approved University of Toronto form and must be submitted within ONE WEEK of the missed test. Certificates or other documents submitted may be checked for authenticity. The makeup test covers the work of the whole year.