academy.bsu.edu · Web viewin Economics Spring 2019 In diana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities NOTE: This master syllabus provides overall course information and general

Master SyllabusSenior Colloquium: Topics and Perspectives in Economics

Spring 2019 Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities

NOTE: This master syllabus provides overall course information and general policies. Students should also receive a syllabus from their Weekly Discussion instructor covering policies, practices, and expectations in those discussion sessions.

Faculty Co-coordinators and Extended Curriculum instructorsDr. Thomas Arnold and Mr. John Marsh

Weekly Discussion instructorsMs. Clara Chi, Dr. Hatley Clifford, Ms. Christine Ney, Mr. Josh Ruark, Dr. Maria Slocum, and Mr. Evan Ward

Contacting Faculty General questions, concerns or ideas about Senior Colloquium or any Extended Curriculum materials, assignments, and activities should be directed to either:Dr. Arnold [email protected]. Marsh [email protected]

Dr. Arnold’s office hours are Monday 9:00-10:00 am, 1:00-2:00 pm & 4:00-6:00 pm Tuesday 2:00-3:00 pm; Wednesday & Friday 9:00-10:00 am and 1:00-2:00 pm

Mr. Marsh’s office hours are Monday & Wednesday 1:00-3:45 & 5:00-5:45, Tuesday 10:30-12:30, Friday 2:45-3:45

Any questions about Weekly Discussion sessions should be directed to that instructor. Their contact information will be on their classroom syllabus.

Course DescriptionSenior Colloquium introduces students to important topics in economics from the perspectives of the citizen, the consumer, and the worker as well as that of the entrepreneur, the investor, and the state.

Topics will include markets and market-based economic principles, such as supply and demand, prices, and profits, but also exposure to cutting-edge research in behavioral economics and other emerging subfields.

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mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

This is a blended course experience combining weekly classroom discussion sessions with individual online exercises and group activities including guest lectures, simulation exercises, and more.

Besides exposure to important perspectives on economic topics, students will practice reading carefully, thinking critically, and expressing their ideas fluently and effectively.

Course Format Senior colloquium is a blended course experience, combining classroom discussion with individual, self-paced online exercises and group activities.

The course is in two parts, Weekly Discussion and Extended Curriculum. Each part counts for half of your final grade :

WEEKLY DISCUSSION: This is the classic Indiana Academy “colloq” experience with weekly small-group classroom discussion sessions based on a common reading.

EXTENDED CURRICULUM: This expands the “colloq” experience beyond the

traditional classroom. Some weeks of the semester – see the calendar at the end of this master syllabus – students will attend a group assembly, usually during Tuesday or Thursday “convo” time, to hear a presentation by a visiting professor, business person, or community leader. Twice during the semester these group assemblies will be for a simulation experience in which students use game mechanics and role playing to explore an economic topic. Many weeks of the semester, students will be required, on their own time and at their own pace, to view online video, such as a documentary. Weekly online material will include links to definitions and examples of selected economic terms and concepts, to help build overall vocabulary and knowledge.

BlackboardThe course Blackboard site is an essential guide and resource, and students are expected to check it regularly. All Weekly Discussion reading assignments will be posted there, as well as the instructions and links for the Extended Curriculum videos, quizzes, surveys, and other materials or activities. You will take all the Extended Curriculum online quizzes and surveys on Blackboard.

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GradingCourse midterm and final grades will be calculated as 50% Weekly Discussion and 50% Extended Curriculum, based on the following common grading scale:

A = 92-100% B = 82-87% C = 72-77%A- = 90-91% B- = 80-81% C- = 70-71%B+ = 88-89% C+ = 78-79% D* = <70%

So, for example, if a student earned, at the end of the semester, a 94% Weekly Discussion grade and an 88% Extended Curriculum grade, then that student’s final percentage grade would be (94+88)/2 = 91%. That’s an A-.

The Weekly Discussion grading system will be established by the individual Weekly Discussion instructor.

Extended Curriculum grades will be determined as a percentage of the 150 total points. There will be exactly 10 points available each week of the course, from Week 2 through Week 16 (10 points x 15 weeks = 150 points total). In any given week, these 10 points can be earned through a combination of three different marked or graded exercises:

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION in Extended Curriculum assemblies and other events, such as simulation exercises and guest lectures.

ONLINE QUIZZES will be on Blackboard over Extended Curriculum material, such as documentary video content, vocabulary terms or speaker notes. Here are the details and requirements of the online quizzes:

These are timed quizzes, meaning that students will have a certain amount of time within which to complete the questions. The time and point value will be clearly posted in the instructions before starting the quiz.

Each quiz can only be taken once. After starting the quiz, the clock is running. If a student has not submitted the quiz by the end of the time period, it will automatically submit.

Students may refer to their own notes while completing the quiz There will be ample time to take the quiz using notes, but there will

NOT be enough time to search for answers from scratch or consult the sources. Students must have completed the assignments and be prepared for the quiz.

Students CANNOT receive answers ahead of time, or advice during the quiz, from another student. That is considered

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academic dishonesty and will be dealt with according to Indiana Academy policy.

All quizzes will be posted on Blackboard by no later than noon on Friday and must be completed by midnight on Sunday. Students may take it any time they wish during that 2 ½ day window.

Blackboard will not start a quiz if there is not enough time left to complete it. So for example, if the quiz is programmed for 10 minutes, a student would have to start it by 11:49pm at the very latest. Don’t expect to start it at 11:58 in order to get in under the wire.

Students entitled to additional time on quizzes must contact Dr. Arnold or Mr. Marsh ahead of time so that their quiz can be programmed appropriately.

ONLINE SURVEY participation. Survey data is often used by economists. Data from class survey responses may be shared with the class as a whole, but individual, named survey responses will remain anonymous. Here are the details and requirements of the online surveys:

Like the quizzes, they will be taken on Blackboard They will be anonymous. Blackboard does not allow instructors to

see individual student responses. Blackboard does show instructors who has completed the survey.

Consequently, students will receive either full credit if they completed it, or no credit if they failed to complete it.

Like the quizzes, they will be posted on Blackboard by no later than noon on Friday and must be completed by midnight on Sunday. Students may take it any time they wish during that 2 ½ day window.

For example, in a given week, a student might earn 5 points for attending and actively participating in a simulation exercise, and a 5-point vocabulary quiz on terms and concepts from that week’s online material. In another week, there might be an 8-point quiz on the ideas and facts presented in an online video documentary, viewed by students in their own time, plus a 2-point survey.

With at least 2 ½ days to complete a quiz and/or survey, there will be very few excused reasons for failure to complete the 10 points worth of assignments by midnight on Sunday. And of course, “I got busy and forgot about it,” will not be acceptable. Students might want to set a reminder on their phone for Sunday afternoons, so they don’t forget.

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Videos are viewed on a student’s own time online during via Blackboard, usually through Kanopy. The links are included in the weekly assignment sections on Blackboard. Please report any technical problems to Dr. Arnold or Mr. Marsh.

Checking Current Course GradeDue to the blended nature of this class, students and parents who want to know how the student is currently doing will need to check both the Weekly Discussion grade and the Extended Curriculum grade. Those will each have their own gradebook. Since course grades will be half from each, simply average the two grades at any given time to determine the current overall course grade.

Course PoliciesAttendance is expected at Weekly Discussion sessions and any scheduled Extended Curriculum event, assembly, or other group activity. Students are expected to understand and follow Academy policy regarding attendance, including both excused and unexcused absences. If students have a time conflict between a Senior Colloquium session or event and another academic or school event or activity, such as a Burris or a Ball State class, they should get in touch with Dr. Arnold or Mr. Marsh in advance to reach a reasonable resolution of the situation.

Students are expected to be alert and attentive during all class sessions, and to remain respectful of their fellow students, Academy faculty, and any visiting guests at all times.

Students are expected to bring materials for taking notes, and to actively take notes, during all Extended Curriculum events, as appropriate (note-taking is not expected during simulation exercises, for example). Students are expected to carefully review and take notes on all Extended Curriculum online assignments, including videos. Students are reminded that there will be weekly, timed quizzes and surveys over Extended Curriculum material. Reference to notes during these timed quizzes and surveys is encouraged.

Extended Curriculum attendance, participation, surveys, and quizzes will be graded or recorded (and those points posted to PowerSchool) as soon as possible, normally within one week of any event or due date.

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Academic dishonesty (cheating) will not be tolerated. Some examples of academic dishonesty in this course include, but are not limited to: receiving information or answers from a student who has already taken an online quiz, receiving help from another student while taking an online quiz, attempting to sign in another student for attendance credit, turning in written assignments with the same language as others, and copying from internet or print sources without proper citation. Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to the policies in the Student Handbook. If students have any questions on what constitutes academic dishonesty, they are strongly encouraged to consult the Student Handbook, or discuss it with one of the instructors.

Students are expected to regularly check the course Blackboard site to be aware of any events, activities, online assignments, quizzes, surveys, announcements, due dates, and other matters regarding the course.

Students are expected to regularly check their email for announcements, updates, and other information regarding the course.

Any student with a disability will be accorded appropriate accommodation, as arranged in advance.

There may be some limited opportunity for extra credit. Be alert for any announcement.

Be aware of the official Ball State University Diversity and Inclusion Policy: “Ball State University aspires to be a university that attracts and retains a diverse faculty, staff, and student body. We are committed to ensuring that all members of the community are welcome, through valuing the various experiences and worldviews represented at Ball State and among those we serve. We promote a culture of respect and civil discourse as expressed in our Beneficence Pledge and through university resources found at http://cms.bsu.edu/campuslife/multiculturalcenter

With reasonable notice, course readings, other materials, activities, meeting times and places, etc., may be changed. Be alert for any such changes.

This syllabus may be supplemented by additional information regarding policies and procedures. Be alert for such additional information.

With reasonable notice, this syllabus may be emended at any time. Be alert for any such changes.

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BooksThere are no hard-copy books or other materials to request from the Academy bookroom. Weekly Discussion readings will be available from the course Blackboard site, or in some cases may be distributed by the Weekly Discussion instructor.

Calendar of Assignments and Activities

Weekly Discussion Reading Extended Curriculum AssignmentsItems for points in bold

WEEK 1: Jan 7-11No reading, organizational meeting during weekly discussion section

Tuesday, January 8, at 1 pm, organizational assembly in Burris Auditorium

WEEK 2: Jan 14-18SUSTAINABILITYJared Diamond, “The Ancient Ones: The Anasazi and their Neighbors,” Chapter 4 from Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (2005), p 136-156

ECONOMICS BEFORE MARKETSBlackboard Video: Michael Grant and Richard Meech, “A Poor Man Shames Us All,” Episode 3 of Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World (1992), 57 minutes

Blackboard: Economic terms and concepts

Blackboard online quiz and/or survey WEEK 3: Jan 22-25


PEASANT LIFEJohn Berger, “The Value of Money” in Pig Earth (1979) p 74-101

URBAN FARMINGBlackboard Video: David McIlverride and Roger Williams, Growing Cities: Exploring the Role of Urban Farming in America (2013), 60 minutes


Blackboard online quiz and/or survey

WEEK 4: Jan 28-Feb1TOWN AND COUNTRYAesop, “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse” and other fablesAdam Smith, “How the Commerce of Towns

GUEST LECTURE Thursday, January 31, at 1 pm in Burris Auditorium, by Dr. Cecil Bohannon. Attendance required.

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Contributed to the Improvements of the Country,” Book 3, Chapter 4 of The Wealth of Nations (1776), 6 pages



WEEK 5: Feb 6-8Because of the extended weekend, no discussion sections meet this week

FACTORY PRODUCTIONBlackboard Video: Cherry Healey and others, “Bread” (2015) an episode of the BBC series Inside the Factory, 60 minutes



WEEK 6: Feb 11-15Weekly Discussion readings: “I, PENCIL”Leonard E. Read, “I, Pencil” (1958), 10 pages

Tom Phillips, “’A Slow-Motion Catastrophe:’ On the Road in Venezuela, 20 Years after Chavez’s Rise,” Guardian (December 6, 2018)

“I, ROSE”Blackboard Video via Marginal Revolution University: Alex Tabarrock, “I, Rose” (2017), 3 minutes.

Blackboard Video via TEDx Vienna: Kyle MacDonald, “How I traded a red paperclip for a house” (2015), 13 minutes




WEEK 7: Feb 18-22INCENTIVESSteven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, “What do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common?” from Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (2005), p 19-51

SMALL BUSINESSBlackboard Video: Julie Cohen, “The Sturgeon Queens: Four Generations of a Jewish Family Business in New York” (2014), 55 minutes



WEEK 8: Feb 25-Mar 1GETTING BYBarbara Ehrenreich, “Nickel-and-Dimed: On (not) getting by in America,” Harpers (January 1999) p 37-52.

LIFE IN THE STATE OF POVERTYEvening 90-minute simulation, date and exact time TBA. Attendance required.


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WEEK 9: Mar 11-15THRIFTDavid Blankenhorn, “The Lost Virtue of Thrift” National Affairs (2016)

CREDITBlackboard Video: David Rummel, “Secret History of the Credit Card” (2004), a PBS Frontline documentary, 60 minutes



WEEK 10: Mar 18-22THE TIPPING POINTMalcolm Gladwell, “The Three Rules of Epidemics,” Chapter 1 of The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (2000) p 3-29

CREATIVE DESTRUCTIONBlackboard Video: Detlef Siebert, “The Man Who Discovered Capitalism: The Life and Ideas of Influential Economist Joseph Schumpeter” (2016) 52 minutes




WEEK 11: Mar 25-29TBAWeekly discussion reading to be distributed by discussion section instructor

GUEST LECTUREThursday, March 28, at 1 pm in Burris Auditorium, guest lecture by Dr. Nathan Snow. Attendance required.



WEEK 12: Apr 1-5THE MADNESS OF CROWDSCharles Mackay, “The Tulipomania” and “South Sea Bubble” from Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841), 15 pages

ENTREPRENEURSBlackboard Video: Nick Torrens, “The Men Who Would Conquer China” (2004) 79 minutes.

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WEEK 13: Apr 8-12MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSEMichael Lewis, “Liar’s Poker,” Chapter 1 of Liar’s Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage of Wall Street (1989), p 13-17.

Roger Lowenstein, Introduction and Chapter 1, “Meriwether,” from When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management (2000), p xvii - 22

TRADERSBlackboard Video: James Allen Smith, “Floored: The Trading Floors of Chicago” (2009), watch first 50 minutes of 80-minute documentary Blackboard: Economic terms and concepts


WEEK 14: Apr 15-18THE WISDOM OF CROWDSSurowicki “The Wisdom of Crowds,” Chapter 1 from The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many are Smarter than the Few… (2004), p 3-22

SILVER AND SPICETue, April 16, 1 pm, “Silver and Spice” simulation exercise, location TBA. Attendance required. Blackboard: Economic terms and concepts



WEEK 15: Apr 23-26THE COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCEAyn Rand, “The Story of the Twentieth-Century Motor Company,” from Atlas Shrugged (1957), 9 pages.

Jerry Bowyer, “Lessons From a Capitalist Thanksgiving,” Forbes (November 27, 2008)

THE COMMUNAL VISIONBlackboard Video: Toby Perl Freilich, “Inventing our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment” (2010), 81 minutes Blackboard: Economic terms and concepts


WEEK 16: Apr 29 - May3TBAWeekly discussion reading to be distributed by discussion section instructor

Tuesday, April 30, at 1 pm in Burris Auditorium, end of semester meeting. Attendance required.

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There will be no Senior Colloquium sessions or examination during Finals Week

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Documents

academy.bsu.edu · Web viewin Economics Spring 2019 In diana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities NOTE: This master syllabus provides overall course information and general