University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Bryan School of Business and Economics
Department of Economics
ECO300
Instructor: Michael J. Hall
Office: BRYN #447
Office Hours: Anytime I am in my office you may drop in to ask a brief question or two. My
office hours are scheduled for MW 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. I try to be in my office during this
time but occasionally will have another obligation. Please make an appointment in advance if
you positively need to meet with me.
Email: mjhall@uncg.edu
Course Description: Examines the history structure and institutional foundations of the
international trading system. Analyzes the impact of trade on economic growth, employment
and living standards with a focus on contemporary issues.
Prerequisites: All students in this class are required to have completed ECO101 or 201, and
ECO202, or their equivalent.
General Education Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this
course, student will have met the Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) for a Global
Perspectives (GL) marker for the General Education Program:
•
•
•
GL Marker SLO 1: Find, interpret, and evaluate information on diverse cultures. (This
SLO links with the General Education Program’s Learning Goal 1)
GL Marker SLO 2: Describe interconnections among regions of the world. (Must
include substantial focus on at least one culture, nation, or sub-nationality beyond
Great Britain and North America). (This SLO links with the General Education
Program’s Learning Goal 3.)
GL Marker SLO 3: Use diverse cultural frames of reference and alternative
perspectives to analyze issues. (This SLO links with the General Education Program’s
Learning Goal 5.)
Course Learning Outcomes: To achieve these GL SLOs within the context of this course,
students who successfully complete this course will be able to critically analyze international
economic issues through achievement of the following course specific SLOs:
•
•
•
•
•
ECO 300 SLO 1: Identify important positive international economic issues present in
the global economy. (Links to GL Marker SLO 1)
ECO 300 SLO 2: Identify important public policy and other normative international
economic issues present in the global economy. (Links to GL Marker SLO 3)
ECO 300 SLO 3: Choose appropriate models and other frames of reference for
addressing global economics issues. (Links to GL Marker SLO 3)
ECO 300 SLO 4: Gather information appropriate to addressing global economic
issues. (Links to GL Marker SLO 2)
ECO 300 SLO 5: Use appropriate information, models, and other frames of reference
to analyze global economic issues. (Links to GL Marker SLO 1 and GL Marker SLO 2)
Required Text, Media, and Software
• ECO300 The International Economy: Custom Pearson Book by Jeff Sarbaum (2013),
ISBN 9781269260404.
• Mobius SLIP: Software used to complete the writing assignments. You do NOT need to
do anything in advance. You will receive an email a week or two after the class begins
directing you to the website. The email will contain instructions on how to create an
account, etc.
Recommended Text
• The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism, 3rd by Russell Roberts (2006),
ISBN 9780131433540
Web Resources
You will visit websites and UNCG e-reserves for additional reading and multimedia content as
you work through the course units and complete your assignments. Links to these materials are
provided within each unit.
General Description of Course Activities
The course has eight (8) Units. Each Unit has a number of assignments, which may include:
readings, videos, discussion forums, writing assignments, homework, quizzes, exams, etc.
Details of the assignments are included within each unit. To begin your course work, click on the
Unit 1 navigation bar within the Learning Area.
Communication
The best way to communicate with me is via the "Questions for the Professor" button in
Blackboard. Please try to refrain from using email unless the question you have is personal in
nature. All content related questions and other basic questions should be submitted to the
"Questions for the Professor" forum.
Readings
For each Unit you are expected to read the Unit’s written text, read/browse/watch the web
and/or e-reserve materials, and read the required textbook materials.
Assignments
1) Unit Assessments – Every Unit has an assessment made up of a series of M/C
questions and an occasional essay question. There are a total of eight (8) Unit
Assessments. You can go in and out of an Assessment as many times as you want
before the Unit due date. Once you are satisfied with your answers you MUST hit
SUBMIT before the Unit due date.
2) Unit Writing Assignments – In addition to the eight Unit Assessments, there are six (6)
writing assignments for this course (one in each Unit, 2-7). You will be randomly
assigned to a group (made up of 4-6 students) for each assignment. You are responsible
for three deliverables which will be due over the course of a number of days for each
assignment. See the class due date for details.
a. First, you will submit your written assignment. (deliverable #1)
b. Second, you will receive a copy of the written assignment submitted by each
member in your group. You will rank the quality of each of these from best to
worst and provide each with written comments/feedback. (deliverable #2)
c. Third, you will receive a copy of the comments/feedback from each group
member about your work. You will rank the quality of the comments/feedback
you receive from best to worst. (deliverable #3)
The peers in your group for each assignment will be anonymous and you will be
randomly sorted into a new group of peers for each assignment. In other words, you will
never know who is in your group and for each assignment there will be new students in
your group.
The software you will be using to make all of this happen seamlessly is called Mobius
SLIP. During the second week of class you will receive an email from Mobius SLIP that
will direct you to a website and instructions to create an account. The cost to create this
account is $20. Once your account is created, you will begin to receive regular emails
alerting you of the assignments, comments/feedback, due dates, etc. Your grade will
depend on the absolute and relative quality of your assignments as well as the absolute
and relative quality of the feedback you provide to your peers.
Grading
Unit Assessments (m/c and essay questions)
Unit Writing Assignments (using Mobius SLIP)
70%
30%
Each assignment and assessment will be worth a number of points. At the end of the semester
these points will be weighted and aggregated according to the above percentages.
Course grades will be based on the following total percentages:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
93% and above
90% to 93%
86% to 90%
83% to 86%
80% to 83%
76% to 80%
73% to 76%
70% to 73%
66% to 70%
63% to 66%
60% to 63%
below 60%
Grades are not rounded-up. An average of 89.999% is a B+. An average of 90.001% is an A-.
ECO300 and MGT301 Similarities
Certain topics and course content appear in both the ECO 300 and MGT 301 syllabi. This
replication of topics is meant to build your knowledge, understanding, and analysis of global
issues facing economic policy makers in ECO 300 and business managers in MGT 301.
Academic Integrity: Students are expected to know and abide by the UNCG Academic
Integrity Policies. http://sa.uncg.edu/dean/academic-integrity/
Faculty/ Student Guidelines (Undergraduate Program Compact):
http://www.uncg.edu/bae/faculty_student_guidelines.pdf