Hi! My name is Stephanie Thomas, and I am your instructor for ILRLE 2400 – the Economics of Wages and Employment.

I wanted to take a few minutes and walk you through the Blackboard site for this course.

If you have any questions about the Blackboard site, please let me know. You can email me at srt82@cornell.edu or stop by my office – I’m in Ives 263.

If you’re watching this, you made it to the home page. This is the portal you will use to access course materials.

As we begin the course, you may be wondering what labor economics is all about, and how it relates to you, your future career, and what’s happening in the economy right now.

On the home page right next to this tutorial, you’ll find a YouTube clip of Professor Henry Farber talking about the relevance of labor economics.

Take a few minutes after this tutorial to watch the video of Professor Farber – it will give you some context for the course.

Let’s talk about the menu to the left side of the site. This is where you will find all of the information you need for the course.

The first section gives you some information about the course.

The Course Information section is exactly what it sounds like – information about the course, and the learning objectives.

The course syllabus is also located in this section – you should download a copy of the syllabus using the link at the top of the page.

The next section gives you some information about me, the instructor.

Here, you’ll find my contact information – email address, phone number, office location, and office hours. My office hours are Wednesdays from 9 to 11 AM, and other times by appointment.

The next section – titled “To Do Before Next Lecture” – is really important. It’s designed to help you stay on track with required readings, supplemental materials, and self-assessments.

The “To Do Before Next Lecture” page gives you the title of the next lecture, and shows the required readings to do before class.

There’s also a ‘recommended’ section. This shows what optional materials – chapter summaries, video and audio clips, and self-assessments – are recommended.

While the recommended material is not required, I strongly urge you to take advantage of these resources. They will help you understand the materials presented in class, gain perspective on key issues, and help you assess how well you comprehend the concepts.

The “To Do” page will update after each lecture, and will show you what you need to do to prepare for the next class. Check this page frequently so you can be prepared for lectures.

The “Readings” section is a comprehensive list of required readings.

All the readings for the entire semester are listed in chronological order.

Required readings are available either via the Course Reserves system or on the Blackboard site. Materials on the Blackboard site can be accessed using the hyperlinks provided.

You will also find a section for lecture handouts.

Lecture handouts are PDF files of the slides I use in class.

Handouts will be posted at the end of the day after each lecture.

The next section is the Chapter Summary section.

A summary of the key ideas from each chapter are provided in PDF format.

While not required reading, the chapter summaries are a good way to review the key concepts, supplement your class notes, and test your understanding of the materials.

We will also be talking about some Case Studies as we move through the course. These materials are found in the Case Studies section.

The Case Studies are available as PDF downloads. Take time to carefully read the case studies prior to class – they’re required reading, and we’ll be discussing them in class.

The next section is the Problem Sets section.

There are four problem sets that will be assigned throughout the course.

You can access the problem sets here and download them as PDF files.

Problem set solutions will also be posted in this section. The solutions will be posted the day after the problem set due date.

The next problem set will also be posted the day after the previous problem set due date.

This brings us to the Multimedia section of the course.

Here, you’ll find a variety of video and audio clips on various labor economics topics.

While not required, the multimedia clips are recommended. They’re intended to give you different perspectives on some of the key issues we’ll be discussing in class.

There are a variety of clips – they range from homemade YouTube videos to TEDtalks presentations. I hope you find them both useful and entertaining.

This brings us to the Self Assessment section of the Blackboard site.

The self assessments are links to online quizzes that you can use to test your learning and comprehension.

They are optional, and are not graded. I encourage you to use these self assessments to check your learning and comprehension.

There is also a Discussion Board.

We will be using the discussion boards throughout the class as a place for you to talk with other students about what you’re learning.

If you want to ask me a question about something we cover in class, please email me or stop by office hours. Do not post your questions for me on the discussion board.

It’s best if we talk in person about your question, so I can give you the support you need. If you don’t understand something, see me right away – don’t wait. Every lecture builds on the previous one, so it’s really important to clear up any questions right away.

I hope this tutorial helped you to become familiar with the Blackboard site, and that you have a better understanding of how to navigate the content.

Again, if you have any questions about the Blackboard site, please let me know. You can email me at srt82@cornell.edu or stop by my office – I’m in Ives 263.

Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in class!