The Ohio State University
Department of Economics
Econ 2001
Principle of Microeconomics
Spring 2022
Instructor:
Dr. Ida A. Mirzaie, Department of Economics
Personal academic website: https://idamirzaie.academia.edu
Email:
mirzaie.1@osu.edu
Course Admin: Han Wang
Course Admin Email: wang.12716@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Course webpage: Carmen.osu.edu
Course Location:
Independence Hall 100
I will teach the course in-person in the lecture hall, Independence Hall 100, while using
Zoom to make the lecture available live online for those of you who may not be able to
attend in-person. Please note that attendance is still required in this course, but you have
the option to attend in-person or online with Zoom.
If you decide to attend online, before the beginning of the lecture please go
to zoom.osu.edu and login using your OSU dot number and password. Then use the
following link and password to connect:
https://osu.zoom.us/j/95166314926
Password: 2001
ONLINE OFFICE HOURS: Wednesdays: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
https://osu.zoom.us/j/97119219130
password: help
Phone and Online Support for Carmen and Zoom
The IT Service Desk offers 24-hour support, seven days a week.
Phone: 614-688-4357 (HELP)
Email: servicedesk@osu.edu
Self Service and chat support: go.osu.edu/it
RECITATIONS:
Graduate Teaching Associates will meet with you during recitations to clarify, reinforce, and
expand upon the key concepts covered in lectures and to help prepare you for course exams by
leading class discussions and working on study guides. Students are expected to participate
actively in recitation discussions.
Recitation’s leaders’ office hours and contact information will be posted on Carmen in the
beginning of the semester. Please note that all grade related issues should be addressed to
your recitation leader. When emailing recitation leaders, please email your own recitation
leader only. If there are any unresolved issues, when emailing your recitation leader, copy me to
that email, too.
NOTE: If you have questions about your grades and recitation coverage, you should email your
recitation leader. If you have any course related questions that they are not covered in this
syllabus, please post them on the discussion section. If there is any unresolved issue, please feel
free to email me while copying your recitation leader to the email.
We are not allowing any switches among recitations after the first week of the class. It means
you should attend the recitation that you are currently officially registered. If you need any
specific accommodation because of any emergencies, please contact your recitation leader for
help.
▪
If you have been exposed to Covid-19 and you cannot attend your recitation, you should
contact your recitation leader. Worksheets (questions and answers) used in recitations will be
available every Monday to all students on Carmen. After reviewing them, if you have
questions, you can either post your questions on Carmen’s discussion section or use your
recitation leader’s online office hours to get help.
The information on all recitations will be posted here a week prior to start of the course.
DESCRIPTION OF COURSE
Introduction to economic theory: supply and demand for goods, services, factor inputs; market
structure; international trade, and the distribution of income
Economics 2001 addresses the theories and methods of social scientific inquiry by studying
optimal decision making by consumers and producers and the allocation of goods and services
through markets. The discussion of optimizing decisions includes discussions of cost-benefit
analysis, profit maximization by firms, marginal analysis. This course addresses trade-offs
reflected in individual decisions and societal policy making, looking at the impact of regulations
(including price regulations, such as minimum wage, trade regulations; and regulations of
monopolies) and how they impact various groups differently.
Economics 2001 satisfies the General Education Curriculum (GEC) Breadth requirement
in Social Science.
Social Science Goal
Students understand the systematic study of human behavior and cognition; the structure of
human societies, cultures, and institutions; and the processes by which individuals, groups, and
societies interact, communicate, and use human, natural, and economic resources.
Human, Natural, and Economic Resources Expected Learning Outcomes
1. Students understand the theories and methods of social scientific inquiry as they apply to the
study of the use and distribution of human, natural, and economic resources and decisions and
policies concerning such resources.
2. Students understand the political, economic, and social trade-offs reflected in individual
decisions and societal policy making and enforcement and their similarities and differences
across contexts.
3. Students comprehend and assess the physical, social, economic, and political sustainability of
individual and societal decisions with respect to resource use.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
We have covered all questions regarding the course in this syllabus. If you have any additional
questions, for course related questions you should use “Discussion” section of Carmen to post
your questions. We will answer your questions either during the following lecture or on Carmen
by Monday following the post. When posting on the discussion board, always choose a title for
the post that clearly states the main point of the question. This way other students do not repeat
the same questions. If your question is related to a topic already posted, please use the thread
connected to that topic. We would like to keep the discussion board as organized as possible and
we need your help on this.
For questions related to your individual circumstances, you may email me or your recitation
leader, and we will respond to your email within 3 working days. If you are emailing me, In
order to receive an answer, when emailing, on the subject line write Econ2001-your recitation
number. Just you know we do not ignore any emails, and if you do not receive any response by
the end of that week, please kindly resend that email as some emails may get lost among many
other emails we receive daily.
▪
Again, because of the size of the class, we answer your questions on the discussion section of
Carmen instead of using emails. if you have any questions that are not already answered
either in the syllabus or on the discussion section, please post them on the discussion section
of Carmen.
ECONOMICS LEARNING CENTER
The Economics Learning Center will be offering services both in-person and online.
Their website: https://economics.osu.edu/economics-learning-center will be updated to be a
great resource to provide all information students should need in order to receive their services.
REQUIRED TEXT
The textbook and courseware for this course is being provided via CarmenBooks. Through
CarmenBooks, students obtain publisher materials electronically through CarmenCanvas, saving
them up to 80% per title. The fee for this material is included as part of tuition and is listed as
CarmenBooks fee on your Statement of Account. In addition to cost-savings, materials provided
through CarmenBooks are available immediately on or before the first day of class. There is no
need to wait for financial aid or scholarship money to purchase your textbook.
Unless you choose to opt-out of the program, you do NOT need to purchase any materials for
this course at the bookstore. For more information on the program or information on how to opt
out, please visit the CarmenBooks website:
https://affordablelearning.osu.edu/carmenbooks/students
Please note that reading the text book and working on Publisher’s site are required in this course,
and it is the most cost effective to get them via Carmenbooks.
Microeconomics by Dean Karlan and Jonathan Morduch, McGraw Hill, 3rd edition, 2020
Please use the instruction on this video to activate your access to Publisher’s resources.
Connect/Canvas Student Registration Instructions (IA)
The eBook is available to you on the publisher’s site in addition to the smart book.
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
▪
▪
▪
Top Hat, in order to actively participate in lectures, you need access to a computer or a cell
phone capable of text messaging.
▪ Please make sure that you use your OSU email while registering your account with
Tophat. You should login to Tophat at least once before class starts to make sure it is
working. Join Code for Lecture: 085234
▪ Attendance during lectures and recitations are required in this course. We will ask Top
Hat questions and assign active participation grade accordingly. You will receive ½ point
for participation and ½ point for correctness. If you receive 80 percent of the average
grade, you will get full points for active participation. This way, we account for
possibility of missing questions or being absent because of emergencies.
Carmen (in general, Carmen Quiz, Carmen Discussion Board, as a repository from which to
download course notes and materials and/or watch recorded lectures). News will be posted
on the first page of Carmen. All grades will also be posted on Carmen’s grade book.
Zoom: Recorded lectures will be available via Carmen in case you happen to be absent, or
you would like to review the lecture when studying.
GRADING POLICY
Your total grade will be calculated based on earning points. Below, you find each item’s weight
in percentage points.
Exams (3 exams, each 15 percent)
45
Activities during the lecture
15
Recitation activities
10
McGraw-Hill Connect (Smart Book, Practices, Quizzes)
30
Total
100
Please note that whenever you are looking at your grades in Carmen always uncheck the
box that says "Calculate based only on graded assignments".
EXAM, GRADING PROCEDURE, AND MAKEUP POLICY:
Instead of a few large exams, we offer several types of assessments that help you to learn and
allow us to evaluate your learning throughout the semester. Please note that there will be no
extensions of any of the deadlines.
EXAMS (45 PERCENT OF YOUR GRADE)
In this course, we use exams to evaluate your learning. The multiple-choice questions we use are
created by your TAs and subsequently reviewed and edited by me, as well as our course
administrator
We will have 3 exams. The exams will be offered via quizzes section on Carmen. For exams you
have only one attempt. Each exam constitutes 15 percent of your grade. All exams will be given
during the lectures in the lecture hall.
Exams are not cumulative. The schedule of all exams is posted in this syllabus, and it is your
responsibility to plan ahead and take these exams in time. Please note that there will be no
reopening of the exams FOR ANY REASONS after the due date is passed as the questions and
answers will be visible to students for their reviews after the deadline.
We do not curve the grades for each exam, but as stated in this syllabus, we will curve the total
grades at the end of the semester before assigning your letter grade if necessary.
During the exam, you may use a calculator, and you can also use paper to do calculations or
draw graphs when answering the questions. You should take the exam yourself and rely on your
understanding of the material. If we find any evidence of cheating, the university rules on
academic misconduct will be applied. For example, Carmen keeps a log of your behavior when
taking the exam. It records how long it has taken for you to answer each question and if you have
moved away from the exam page and how many times. When taking the exam, you must NOT
open any other page on your computer or iPad and you should not move away from the exam
page. All applications except Carmen should be closed in your iPad or Computer during the
exams.
When taking exams, you should use Chrome.
©All right reserved-no part of the exams may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any or
used in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, texting or other electronic
or mechanical methods without any written permission from Department/Instructor.
MAKEUP EXAM POLICY
If you miss an exam because of a documented emergency case, we will offer a cumulative
makeup exam during the final exam week on Monday, May 2nd, 8:00pm – 9:45 pm. This exam
is only offered to students who have missed one of the above exams because of a documented
emergency case. All documents should be emailed to your recitation leader and copied to me at
mirzaie.1@osu.edu and also copied to our admin TA at wang.12716@buckeyemail.osu.edu by
April 25 at noon in in order to be eligible to take this makeup exam. On the subject line, you
should state: “Econ2001_Missed Exam_ Emergency Reason with the supporting documents”
If in any special circumstances you miss more than one exam, a decision will be made case by
case. As a rule, a continuous and in time work are required to be successful in this course. If, for
any reason, you are not able to keep up with this course, you will better up to withdraw from the
course and retake it in future semesters.
SMART BOOK, QUIZZES AND PRACTICES ON MCGRAW-HILL: (30 percent of your
grade)
These are weekly assignments, and you should complete these assignments weekly before the
deadlines. Always before the lecture, read either eBook or Smart book for that chapter. Then,
begin answering questions on Smart Book for that chapter. This way, smart book helps you to
learn the material that you have difficulty with. The deadline for smart Book is set on
Wednesdays, between two lectures since I usually cover one chapter per week. After you have
done your smart book assignment and I have covered the chapter completely, work on practice
questions (the deadline is on Saturdays) and take the quiz for each chapter (the deadline is on
Sundays). For first chapter, the deadline is set longer for the practice and the quiz, allowing for
more adjustment time in the beginning of the semester. You should work on these assignments as
early as possible. This way, you can resolve any technical issues in advance since we will not reopen any of these assignments after the deadline is passed.
SMART BOOK ON MCGRAW-HILL CONNECT (10 percent of your grade)
Smart Book grade is based on the amount that you have completed not the number of questions
that you have attempted or the percentage that you got right. Smart book helps you to learn the
concepts and check your understanding. I recommend you study before answering the questions
since it will adjust the questions based on your knowledge. It might keep giving you easy
questions or similar questions if you do not answer previous questions correctly or you are not
confident in understanding the concepts. If you prefer to read the book without highlights, you
have access to eBook from the site. Smart Book is interactive and changes the color of highlights
as you improve in your understanding of the concepts. I strongly recommend you work on
smart book prior to the lecture. All deadlines for Smart Book chapters are set at 11:00 pm
every week on Wednesdays. Smart book does not allow for late submission for credit while you
can work on it anytime. In order to receive the credit, start working on it before the deadline is
passed.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS ON MCGRAW-HILL CONNECT (10 percent of your grade)
Unlimited attempts with no time limit– you may practice as much as you like up to the deadline,
the purpose is to give you a space to test your learning that is low stakes; you will receive
different questions, numbers, etc. in the quizzes. All deadlines for practices are set at 11:00 pm
on Saturdays.
After the first attempt: you will see which questions you missed, but not detailed explanations.
This is your chance to struggle a bit with the material and try to figure out what you did wrong.
Go back to those sections in the chapter and increase your understanding.
After the second attempt (or after the first if you score 100%): you will see which questions you
missed and receive details about the question and an explanation of how to do it that you can use
in your next attempt(s)
Help on the questions:
Check my work: you could click this once per question to see if you got it right (rather than
waiting until the end of the practice assignment to see the results)
Hint: you can ask for a hint and a pre-selected hint will be given to you (based on where students
struggled most). You will not have access to hints or other aids during quizzes/exams.
eBook: this will link you to the relevant page in the eBook for the question you are working. You
will not have access to hints or other aids during quizzes/exams.
QUIZZES ON MCGRAW-HILL CONNECT (10 percent of your grade)
We have weekly quizzes (one per chapter) and you are expected to take them before the
deadline. All deadlines for quizzes are set at 11:00 pm on Sundays. However, you should work
on each chapter during the week when that chapter is being covered and take the quiz at least
once before that weekend, and then study more and take your second attempt before the
deadline. Do not wait for last minute as you may encounter variety of issues and miss the
deadlines. If for any reason you miss the deadline, your grade will be penalized by 10 percent per
day for that quiz.
Quizzes on McGraw-Hill connect page will be graded based on your best attempt out of two
available attempts. 20 minutes for five questions, two attempts (including technology glitches, so
restart your computer and check battery power before beginning); no check my work, hints, or
eBook access. Questions are scrambled and will vary between attempts. Carmen will record your
highest grade out of two attempts. After you take the quiz, double check your grade on Carmen
also to make sure you have submitted your responses properly before the deadline.
Since Carmen is taking the highest grade out of your attempts, always check your finalized
grades on Carmen's grade book.
I recommend you study and work on practices before answering quiz questions. You should
always save your work on the Publisher's site and then SUBMIT your assignments to get points.
After submission, you should check your grade on Carmen to ensure your grade for the chapter
has been recorded. If you have any issues with your grades for smart book, practices, or quizzes,
you should contact them using this link:
https://mhedu.force.com/CXG/s/ContactUs
you might also call the publisher's technical support at 1-800-331-5094 and get help. If the issue
is NOT resolved, they will give you a case number. Then, email that case number to our admin
TA to follow up. We can resolve the issues if they are brought to our attention before the
deadline is passed. Plan to work on assignments early. Since we do not do any adjustments on
individual grades, we will drop one or two assignments from each category for all students at the
end of the semester to account for any technical issues or any possible emergencies during the
semester.
ATTENDANCE (25 percent of your grade)
Attendance during live lectures and recitations are required in this course.
Lecture activities: (15 percent of your grade)
We will have two 55 minutes lectures each week except the official holidays and the day
of the exams. See the end of this syllabus for those dates. Attendance in all lectures are
required. I will ask Top Hat questions and assign active participation grade accordingly.
You will receive ½ point for participation and ½ point for correctness. Your grade will be
an average of your points on attendance and active participations. If you receive 80
percent of the average grade, you will get full points (20 percent of your grade) for active
participation. This way, we account for possibility of missing questions or being absent
because of emergencies. If you miss classes more than permitted numbers, you will
receive partial points.
The questions on Top Hat are sometimes easy and sometimes difficult. I am not expecting that
everyone answers all questions correctly. Some questions try to challenge your understanding.
When the answer is not making sense, do not accept it right away. Go through the material and
post them on the discussion section of Carmen. This way you learn best.
In regard to grading, at the end, I will adjust the maximum needed for a full credit based on the
level of difficulties of questions if necessary. Rather than worrying about your grades, come to
class, try your best answering the questions. Most importantly, study along with class as chapters
are covered.
Again, the way we are going to set up the participation grades for lecture, we will take in account
the technical difficulties and emergency cases that may affect your ability to answer some of the
questions. While we will not do individual adjustment of grades, we will apply the adjustment to
everyone's grade.
Recitation activities: (10 percent of your grade)
Attendance in all recitations is required. We will post information about recitations,
information on recitation leaders, meeting locations, dates and times, in a separate
document on Carmen. It will be your responsibility to find the information on your
specific recitation in that document.
Your recitation leader will ask questions and offer activities during recitations. If you
actively participate in all recitations and are fully engaged in activities, your recitation
leader will assign a maximum of 100 points which accounts for 10 percentage point of
your total grade. Your recitation leader will provide more detailed information about this
during the first recitation.
Your participation grades for the first 7 weeks will be posted on Carmen. Mid semester
participation grades are just for your information. At the end of the semester, we will use your
average grades at the end of the semester to assign the semester participation grades. If you have
any questions about your grade for lectures, please email our admin TA. If you have questions
about your grade for recitations, you should email your recitation leader.
GRADING SCHEME:
When assigning the letter grades for the course, the OSU standard grading scheme will be your
minimum guaranteed grades. This means, if you earn 90 percent of the total, you are guaranteed
a minimum letter grade of A-. I will curve the grades at the end of the course, only, if necessary,
in order to make sure at least 20 percent of students receive A/A- and another 30 percent of
students receive B-/B/B+.
Each individual grade item to three or four decimal places will be rounded up to a maximum of
two decimal places. For example, 26.4357 will be rounded up to 26.44. The calculated total
grade will also display to a maximum of two decimals and no further rounding will take place
when assigning the letter grades. Read this syllabus carefully in order to learn how to boost
your grade.
Whenever you are looking at your grades in Carmen always uncheck the box that says
"Calculate based only on graded assignments".
OSU Standard Scheme A-E
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
Range:
100 %
< 93.0 %
< 90.0 %
< 87.0 %
< 83.0 %
< 80.0 %
< 77.0 %
< 73.0 %
< 70.0 %
< 67.0 %
to 93.0%
to 90.0%
to 87.0%
to 83.0%
to 80.0%
to 77.0%
to 73.0%
to 70.0%
to 67.0%
to 60.0%
OSU Standard Scheme A-E
E
Range:
< 60.0 %
to 0.0%
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY (ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT)
While we encourage studying in group, you should work on the assignments yourself. During the
exams, you are expected NOT to use any other resources. You may use a calculator, and you can
also use paper to do calculations or draw graphs when answering the questions. You should take
the exam yourself and rely on your understanding of the material. If we find any evidence of
cheating, the university rules on academic misconduct will be applied. For example, Carmen
keeps a log of your behavior when taking the exam. It records how long it has taken for you to
answer each question and if you have moved away from the exam page and how many times.
When taking the exam, you must NOT open any other page on your computer or iPad, and you
should not move away from the exam page.
It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish
procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term
“academic misconduct” includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed;
illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with
examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the
committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student
Conduct http://studentlife.osu.edu/csc/.
DISABILITY STATEMENT
The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as
possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your
disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical
conditions), to establish reasonable accommodations, please register
with Student Life Disability Services. After registration and approval by
SLDS, we will receive the needed accommodations specific to your case
from SLDS and we will implement them in a timely fashion. SLDS
contact information: slds@osu.edu; 614-292-3307; slds.osu.edu; 098
Baker Hall, 113 W. 12th Avenue.
MENTAL HEALTH
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as
strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty
concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may
lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student’s ability to participate in daily
activities. The Ohio State University offers services to assist you with addressing these and other
concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the
aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental
health services available on campus via the Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation
Service (CCS) by visiting ccs.osu.edu or calling 614-292-5766. CCS is located on the 4th Floor
of the Younkin Success Center and 10th Floor of Lincoln Tower. You can reach an on call
counselor when CCS is closed at 614-292-5766 and 24 hour emergency help is also available
through the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK or
at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT/RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights
offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to
offenses against other protected categories (e.g., race). If you or someone you know has been
sexually harassed or assaulted, you may find the appropriate resources
at http://titleix.osu.edu (Links to an external site.) or by contacting the Ohio State Title IX
Coordinator, Kellie Brennan, at titleix@osu.edu
DIVERSITY
The Ohio State University affirms the importance and value of diversity in the student body. Our
programs and curricula reflect our multicultural society and global economy and seek to provide
opportunities for students to learn more about persons who are different from them. We are
committed to maintaining a community that recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity
of every person; fosters sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among each member of
our community; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her own potential.
Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, color,
disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or
veteran status, is prohibited.
COPYRIGHT
The materials used in connection with this course may be subject to copyright protection
and are only for the use of students officially enrolled in the course for the educational
purposes associated with the course. Copyright law must be considered before copying,
retaining, or disseminating materials outside of the course.
CAUTION
This course requires more than the memorization of a few facts and definitions. More
importantly, it requires time and reflection. There is a very remote chance of pulling passing
grades by merely skimming reading assignments on nights before exams. It is therefore advisable
to keep up in this course.
Welcome to the class and remember that nothing is beyond the reach of determination and
hard work!
I wish you all the best!
APPROXIMATE DATE OF COVERAGE
Plan to work on smart book on the publisher’s site prior to the coverage of each chapter. While
actively listening and responding to questions via Top Hat during the lectures, take notes and ask
questions on chats or discussion section of Carmen if anything unclear.
Week One, January 11, 13
Introduction to the course
Chapter 1, Economics of Life
Week Two, January 18, 20
Chapter 2, Specialization and Exchange
Week Three, January 25, 27
Chapter 3, Markets
Week Four, February 1, 3
Chapter 4, Elasticity
Week Five, February 8, 10
EXAM 1, Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4, Tuesday, February 8, during the lecture in the lecture
hall
Chapter 5, Efficiency
Week Six, February 15, 17
Chapter 7, Consumer Behavior
Week Seven, February 22, 24
Chapter 11, Time, and Uncertainty
Week Eight, March 1, 3
Chapter 12, The Costs of Production
Week Nine, March 8, 10
Chapter 12, The Costs of Production, continued
Exam 2, Chapters 5, 7, 11, and 12, Thursday, March 10, during the lecture in the lecture
hall
Week Ten, Spring Break – March 14 – 18
Week Eleven, March 22, 24
Chapter 13, Pure Competition
Week Twelve, March 29, 31
Chapter 14, Pure Monopoly
Week Thirteen, April 5, 7
Chapter 15, Monopolistic Competition
Week Fourteen, April 12, 14
Chapter 16, The Factors of Production
Week Fifteen, April 19, 21
Chapter 16, The Factors of Production, continued
EXAM 3, Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, Thursday, April 21, during the lecture in the lecture hall