Spring 2009
Econ 212: Principles of Macroeconomics
Sections 1 & 2
Course Contract
Prerequisite
Instructor
Class Hours & Locations
Students must either
1) have a SAT-Math score of 400 or better,
2) or have an ACT-Math score of 19 or better,
3) or have a grade of C or better in Math 080.
If you don’t meet any of the above 3 conditions, drop this course and take Math
080 instead.
Dr. Jacqueline Khorassani
Section 1: 8-8:50, MWF, Thomas 209
Section 2: 9-9:50, MWF, Thomas 209
Office Hours & Location
MWF: 10:00-11:00
TTH: 13:00-14:00 (with the exception of January 27 and April 7)
and by appointment
Thomas 104
Voice
740-376-4621 (office)
E-mail
khorassj@marietta.edu Use this device only if WebCT is not available.
Web Page
http://www.marietta.edu/~khorassj Use this device to see the course contract and to
send me your anonymous feedback.
WebCT
http://webct.marietta.edu Use this device to
1. see the course contract
2. access the discussion board
3. see your grades
4. see the weekly study guides and class slides
5. see the course announcements
6. send me private emails
http://aplia.com Use this device to submit your out of class assignments.
Aplia
Course’s Main
Objectives
1. To give you an introduction into the way macroeconomic variables such
productivity, gross domestic product, unemployment rate, inflation rate are
measured.
2. To discuss the importance of the above variables in assessing the economic health
of a given nation.
3. To use economic models in order to understand the relationship among
macroeconomic variables and how they can be influenced in the short run and in
the long run.
Course’s Secondary
Objectives
1. Enhancing your communication skills: In this course you will be given numerous
opportunities to put your thoughts in writing as well as expressing them vocally.
My goal is to create an atmosphere in which we all feel comfortable to express our
opinions and respectfully discuss our disagreements and learn from each other. The
level of your engagement in class and outside class (on WebCT’s discussion
board), in part, determines your participation grade.
2. Encouraging collaborative learning: Economics is a subject that needs to be
discussed. Discussions help us to better comprehend economic concepts. In my
opinion, out-of-class discussions among students are as valuable as (and sometimes
more valuable than) in-class discussions. To encourage you to work together and
learn from each other,
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
Means of
Communication
At times, I will randomly select teams of 2-3 students to work on the in
class assignments together.
 You are required to participate in WebCT’s discussion board.
 The grading scale, which is pre-determined as follows, will not be altered
based on class performance. This means that it is possible for all of you to
receive As on an exam. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge with your
classmates and help them out.
Our main means of communication is the classroom. The students are expected to
attend classes on a regular basis. Your participation grade depends, in part, on your
attendance. In addition, I may also communicate new information to you via WebCT
or your college designated email account. Similarly, please feel free to visit me in my
office, call me, or e-mail me to discuss your concerns and questions. I have also made
it possible for you to send me your comments anonymously via my web page.
Textbook
The 8th edition of “Macroeconomics: A Contemporary Introduction” by William A.
McEachern bundled with Aplia. You may choose to
1. buy the on line version of the text & access code to Aplia from Aplia for $70.
2. choose option 1 above plus buy a hard copy of the textbook via Aplia for an
additional $50.
My Teaching Philosophy
I believe that straight lecturing is not the most effective way to teach economics. I also
believe that you are capable of studying and understanding most of the material
covered in the book on your own if you give it your best shot. Thus, I am not going
to stand here and repeat the chapters of your textbook everyday. In other words, I am
not going to be a transmitter of knowledge. Rather I view myself as a designer & a
coach. Further, I view students as knowledge constructors rather than sponges.
My task therefore, is
1. to design a map that will lead you toward the construction of your knowledge;
2. to help you figure out how to ask the right questions when you feel lost;
3. to ask you questions in an attempt to find out if you are on the right track;
4. and to give clear and meaningful answers to your questions.
I realize that you are different form each other. You have different backgrounds, skills
and learning styles. That is why I use a variety of strategies and media in this class. I
plan to give each of you as much support and guidance as possible.
Your task is
1. to study & follow the map (the study guide in the beginning of each week);
2. to see if you are there by answering the on line Aplia questions;
3. to ask questions when you feel lost (I always prefer an stupid question to no
question as the alternative is remaining stupid.);
4. and to respond to my questions. (Be prepared to be wrong sometime. Being
wrong is okay as making mistakes is an inevitable part of learning.)
Our joint task is to build a learning environment in which we feel free and
comfortable to express our thoughts; to respectfully disagree with each other at times;
and to learn from each other.
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Attendance Policy
Attendance in this class is mandatory. Missing a class affects your participation
grade. This holds unless you have an excused absence. Classes missed due to
participation in college-sponsored co-curricular events are considered excused
absences. In order for the absence to be excused, I must receive a written notification
before or immediately after you miss the class. Regardless of the nature of your
excuse, it is your responsibility to contact me immediately after you miss a class to find
out about the new assignments and everything else you have missed.
Course Outline
Our tentative goal is to cover Chapters 5 through 10, 12 through 15 the textbook. I say
tentative because I want to have the flexibility of including just -in- time topics in our
course.
The following table shows the weight of different assignments in your final grade.
Grading
Best 3 Exams
(20 % each)
60%
Aplia
Assignments
20%
In Class
Assignments
15%
Participation
5%
The students will be evaluated as follows
Percent
97% and above
Grade
A+
Percent
77 to 79%
Grade
C+
93 to 96%
A
73 to 76%
C
90 to 92%
A-
70 to 72%
C-
87 to 89%
B+
67 to 69%
D+
83 to 86%
B
63 to 66%
D
80 to 82%
B-
60 to 62%
D-
59% and below
F
You may keep track of your grades on WebCT
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Examinations
You will be given four exams according to the following schedule.
Exam 1: Wednesday, February 4
Exam 2: Wednesday, March 4
Exam 3: Wednesday, April 8
Exam 4:
Section 1 (8-8:50 MWF): Wednesday April 29, 8:30-11:00
Section 2 (9-9:50 MWF): Thursday, April 30, 8:30-11:00
Exams 2, 3 and 4 are semi-comprehensive. That is, in addition to the new material,
they may also cover a specified section of the topics covered by the previous exams.
Exams may consist of multiple choice questions, analytical questions, and graphical or
numerical problems. When calculating your course grade, I only take your top 3
exams into consideration.
Here is some information on how I will grade your exams. You will receive 5 points
on each correct answer you choose on the multiple choice questions. There is also a
penalty of 1 point (-1 points) if you choose an incorrect answer. This grading method
is consistent with the simple fact that in life we are often rewarded for our correct
decisions and penalized for our incorrect decisions. In my opinion, it is better to admit
that you don’t know the answer to a question rather than pretending that you do. I
simply want to discourage you from relying on your luck when answering a multiple
choice question. Moreover, on all other questions, I will give you 1/5 of the grade if
you simply admit that you don’t know the answer. For example if you have no clue on
how to answer an essay question that carries 5 points, it is better to simply say so and
receive 1 point instead of giving a wrong answer and receive 0 points.
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Aplia Assignments
This semester, you will work on numerous assignments on the Aplia website. Each
assignment has either 20 points. Only the top 80 percent of your Aplia grades will
count toward your course grade. The overall weight of these assignments in your
course grade is 20%.
(Note: If you receive fewer than 15 points on Aplia Assignment 2, my advise to you is
to drop this course and take Math 080 instead.)
The Aplia site requires a separate registration process. Here are the steps:
If you have never used Aplia before...
1. Connect to http://www.aplia.com.
2. Click the New Student link and enter your Course Key:
CNNP-6E63-N7EE. Continue following the instructions to complete
your registration.
If you have used Aplia before...
1. Connect to http://www.aplia.com.
2. Sign in with your usual e-mail address and password and enter your
Course Key when prompted: CNNP-6E63-N7EE. If you are not
prompted for a new Course Key, click the Enter Course Key button to
enroll in a new Aplia course. Enter your Course Key when you are prompted.
Note: You will have different payment options after you register for your
course. If you choose to pay later, you can use Aplia without paying until
11:59 PM on 02/01/2009.
You will only need to register once. After the registration process is complete, you will
not need to enter the course key again. For technical problems or problems signing in,
please send Aplia an e-mail by clicking on the "Help" link in the upper-right corner of
any page or by e-mailing: support@aplia.com
Here is how most Aplia assignments work. Upon completion of a page of questions,
you have two options: you can save your work and continue on to the next page of
questions, or you can request immediate feedback by clicking “Grade It Now.” This
will display which questions on the page were answered correctly and incorrectly, with
detailed explanations for each question. If you are happy with your score, you can
continue on to the next page of questions in the problem set. If you think you can
improve your score after reading the feedback, you can make another attempt by
clicking the “Try Another Version” button. This allows you to attempt a new page of
questions covering the same concept, but using different examples and/or numbers.
You can attempt a given page of questions up to three times. The final score reported in
the grade book will be an average of the points received on each attempt.
In Class Assignments
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Aplia assignments have firm due dates. Do them early to avoid any emergencies
preventing your completion before their due dates.
During this semester I will frequently require you to take five to ten minutes to
complete a short individual or team assignment in class. I collect and grade some of
these assignments. Fifteen percent of your course grade depends on your graded in
class assignments.
Make-up Policy
If you miss an exam or an in class assignment and have an excused absence, I will
meet with you to discuss your options. If you miss an exam or an in class assignment
because of an unexcused absence, you will receive a grade of zero on that exam or
assignment. If you miss an Aplia assignment for any reason, you will receive a
grade of zero.
Weekly Study Guides
Each Saturday, look for a study guide for the following week on WebCT. Study
guides are designed to guide you in your studying and keep you on track. Make sure to
carefully read these study guides as soon as they become available and post your
questions on WebCT’s Discussion Board. Your questions must reflect that you have
done your best to grasp the material. Your participation grade depends, in part, on
the quality and the quantity of your posted questions. Remember: if you don’t ask
any questions, I assume you know.
Class PowerPoint Slides
Each Friday, look for the previous week’s classroom PowerPoint Presentations on
WebCT.
Participation Grade
As noted above, five percent of your grade is determined by your participation. To
maximize your participation grade you must (1) attend classes; (2) actively participate
in class by asking questions and responding to questions asked by others; (3) post
questions or respond to others’ questions on WebCT’s discussion board. (4) be an
active member of your team.
Extra Help Sessions
During this semester, there will be a total of five extra help sessions according to the
following schedule:
Session 1
Tuesday,
February 3
Session 2
Tuesday,
March 3
Session 3
Tuesday,
April 7
Session 4
Tuesday,
April 28
Session 5
Wednesday,
April 29
All help sessions start at 5:30 PM in Thomas 209. During these help sessions I will be
available to answer your questions.
Academic Dishonesty
Have A Disability?
Academic Warning,
Probation, Dismissal
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"Dishonesty within the academic community is a very serious matter, because
dishonesty destroys the basic trust necessary for a healthy education environment.
Academic dishonesty is any treatment or representation of work as if one were fully
responsible for it, when it is in fact the work of another person. Academic dishonesty
includes cheating, plagiarism, theft, or improper manipulation of laboratory or research
data or theft of services. A substantiated case of academic dishonesty may result in
disciplinary action, including a failing grade on the project, a failing grade in the
course, or expulsion from the College" (Marietta College Undergraduate Programs,
2008-2009 Catalog).
If you need accommodations due to documented disability, contact the Academic
Resource Center (Andrews Hall, Third Floor, 376-4700) at the beginning of the
semester for further instruction
In order to familiarize yourself with the college policy please study the relevant pages
of Marietta College 2008-2009 Undergraduate Catalog available at
http://www.marietta.edu/academics/records/index.html#Catalogs/UG%20Catalogs/inde
x.html