Instructor:
Dr. Stephanie M. (Brewer) Jozefowicz
Email:
smjozef@iup.edu
Economics Dept. Phone:
724-357-2640
My Office:
McElhaney Hall 202B
My Office Phone:
724-357-2642
Office Hours:
MW 3:45-5:30 pm, TR 11:15-11:45 am, Thursdays 2:45-3:15 pm, or by appointment
Prerequisites:
ECON 122
Catalog Course Description:
This course familiarizes students with the economics of information including how information is defined and measured, the economics of information goods, the economics of electronic markets, and network externalities.Course Objectives:
This course aims at helping students understand: 1) some fundamental concepts regarding the Internet and economics including pricing access, electronic commerce, network effects, versioning, lock-in, cybersecurity, and internet taxation issues; 2) the historical context in which the electronic transmission of information has evolved 3) intellectual property issues related to digital information goods 4) economic aspects of the mass media industries as key suppliers of information goods. This course also aims to improve student writing through a variety of writing opportunities both in and out of the classroom.
Tom Standage, The Victorian Internet, ©1998, ISBN: 0-425-17169-8; Alan E. Wiseman, The Internet Economy: Access, Taxes, and Market Structure, ©2000, ISBN: 0-8157-9384-7; Alan B. Albarran, Media Economics: Understanding Markets, Industries and Concepts, 2nd ed., ©2002, ISBN: 0-8138-2124-X; Carl Shapiro and Hal R. Varian, Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy, ©1999, ISBN: 0-87584-863-X
These books are designed to facilitate learning both inside and outside the classroom. Reading assignments from the texts will be mentioned in class. You will know what you should be reading if you attend class. Lecture material will make more sense if you read the text first; the text will make more sense if you attend lecture first. Exam questions will be based on the lecture and text materials.
I may hand out supplemental reading materials in class. These readings will be news articles or other materials related to the current course topic. You are responsible for obtaining these materials from me if you miss class. I also may ask you to access supplemental materials through JSTOR or other IUP accessible web resources. Additionally, a course readings packet may be assembled later in the semester. The course packet will be available at Copies Now under Dr. Stephanie Jozefowicz’s name for ECON281 Information Economics.
ECON281 Website
I have set up a website for this class. The specific html address location is given above. (This page is linked off of the Department of Economics website, as well, if you cannot remember the address.) A variety of information will be accessible via this website. I intend to update an “Announcements” page after every class. Announcements will include the topic of the lecture material covered in class on a given day and any homework/in-class assignments/extra-credit assignments/exams collected or announced that day.
Assignments and Grading Policy
In-class/Homework Assignments: Periodically homework and in-class assignments will be made. These assignments may be problems from the texts or other materials that I prepare. In-class assignments will be due in class on the day they are assigned. Generally, you will be asked to work in a small group as you complete in-class readings and assignments. Learning to work better in groups and learning microeconomic theory are both instructional goals from these in-class assignments. They are also important instructional tools in breaking up class time rather than having 1½ hours of solid lecture every class. Points will be deducted from any assignments turned in after they are due unless prior arrangements with the instructor have been made. To be redundant, this policy means that if you miss a class, it is YOUR responsibility to check with a classmate to determine what, if any, assignments were made. Not being able to reach me personally concerning assignments because you missed class is NOT a legitimate excuse for late homework. If you know you will be missing the class in which a homework assignment is due, you can send the assignment with a classmate, turn in the assignment to me in advance, have it placed in my box (during normal business hours), or email the assignment to me attached as a Word or WordPerfect document. Homework must be in my box or received as email by the end of the class period. Combined, these assignments will count as 10% of your final course grade.
Writing Assignment Projects: Whether you graduate and enter the work force or continue in school for an advanced degree, communicating through writing will be a necessary and often used tool skill for you. Hence, I consider using writing as another instructional goal for this course. Furthermore, this is an IUP designated writing intensive course. As such, IUP guidelines stipulate that you must write a minimum of 5,000 words as part of completion of this course. There will be three major writing assignment projects over the course of the semester. Each of these projects will have a writing component that includes an opportunity for a peer review process before final grading. All projects will require outside reading, and some will require outside research. Writing assignments should be formatted with one inch margins, use Times New Roman or Arial 11-point font, and be double-spaced. The length of assignments will be specified at the time the assignment is given. Writing assignments will be graded on the basis of organization, content, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Please hand in two copies of all writing assignments. One of the papers will be graded and returned to you; the other paper will be retained in my files. You may hand in a rough draft of any writing assignment one week before the due date for instructor feedback regarding the quality of your work and suggestions for improvement. See the separate handouts for specific details about each of the writing assignment project requirements. Combined, these assignments will count as 30% of your final course grade.
Major exams: There will be two major exams given in class during the semester. Each exam will be worth 100 points, and each will count as 20% of your final semester grade. The tentative exam dates are Major Exam #1: Wednesday, February 19 and Major Exam #2: Wednesday, March 26. There will be NO make-up exams in this class regardless of circumstances. You may choose not to take one (and only one) of the two in-class exams simply by informing me prior to the end of the exam period. (Thus, you may decide during the course of taking an exam that you do not wish to hand in the exam. If this is your choice, then DO NOT turn in the exam. If you walk out the door with the exam in your possession, I will assume your final decision (in the words of Regis Philbin!) is to not have the exam to count as part of your grade.) Any exam turned in to me at the end of an exam period WILL BE graded and WILL partially determine your course grade. If you elect not to take one of the two in-class exams, the comprehensive final exam will take on the additional weight of the missed exam. Exam questions will stress analysis including short essay questions, numerical problem solving, and defining microeconomic terms or concepts. Using graphs to illustrate your reasoning is a critical part of answering most short essay questions. Any written answer that cannot be deciphered due to handwriting illegibility will be counted as a wrong answer. Exams will be based on the material covered in class. You may use a basic, non-programmable calculator on exams. Cell phones should be turned off and put away before any exam begins. Once the exam is handed out, you will not leave the room until you are ready to hand in the exam.
Final exam: There will be a final exam given on Wednesday,
April 30 from 12:30 - 2:30 pm in McElhaney Hall 205. The final
exam will have the same format as the major exams. The final exam
will be comprehensive, covering all of the course material for the whole
semester. The final exam will count as 20% of your final semester
grade. (This means that if you miss either the first or second major
exam, then the final exam will count as 40% (20% + 20%) of your final semester
grade.)
Summary of grading :
In-Class/Homework Assignments:
10%
Writing Assignment Projects:
30%
Major Exam #1:
20%
Major Exam #2:
20%
Final exam:
20%
Total:
100%
Grading scale: The standards are based on the below percentage
distribution. Changes to the distribution may be made at the instructor’s
discretion, but any changes will be strictly in your favor in terms of
expanding the ranges to include lower grade percentages. A:
90 - 100%, B: 80 - 89%, C: 70 - 79%, D: 60 - 69%, F:
< 60%.
Extra-credit: Under no circumstances will I give extra-credit
work to individual students. However, during the semester, class
exercises for which extra-credit points can be earned may be offered.
Offering extra-credit is subject to my discretion.
Attendance and Class Participation: I believe class attendance and participation are closely linked with how well students learn and perform on exams. All students will be expected to participate fully in the discussion of materials. In other words, I expect you to be present in mind as well as body when you come to class. Students routinely will be called upon to provide definitions of terms, examples for theories under consideration, and theories for examples under discussion. This is non-punitive behavior–it merely enhances the learning environment. Cardinal rule: never, never, never cut class because you are unprepared: such behavior will only compound how far behind you are.
Miscellaneous
Many students may find it beneficial to discuss the course material with one another. You are encouraged to share helpful suggestions for studying and mastering the material. There is an underlying principle of learning when working together in small groups like this–you can determine what you know as you are forced to explain the concepts and problem solutions to one another.
You may wish to bring colored pens/pencils with you to class. For some graphical analyses, I will use colored chalk in my presentation. Some students have expressed that having colors of their own greatly enhances their ability to understand their notes.
If you do not regularly check your IUP email, you should set a mail forward on your IUP account to whatever email address you do regularly check. I may the class information, but I will only use your assigned IUP email addresses.
I follow the policy outlined in the IUP Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures with regard to cheating and academic dishonesty. I will give an incomplete only for the specific reasons outlined in the IUP Incomplete policy, so please don't ask for exceptions to these rules. Both policies can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog 2002-2003.
I will be available for questions or comments about class during my office hours. I will arrange to see you by appointment if you are not able to come see me during the designated office hours. Please talk with me after class to arrange any appointments.
Summary
of Important Dates for the Spring 2003 Semester
(Announcements
about upcoming assignments and extra-credit opportunities will be made
in class,
as
well as, confirmation of/changes in the tentative exam dates.)
DR. S. JOZEFOWICZ’S TOP TEN
LIST
FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEMESTER:
1. Attend class regularly.
2. Be on time for your own benefit and out of consideration for others–the disruptions you cause by coming in late affect everyone.
3. If you know you will have to leave before class ends, then sit by the door to minimize disruptions and interruptions for your classmates that will occur if you don’t sit near the door and have to stomp over the top of them and/or parade across the front of the room as you exit (furthermore, I would appreciate if you would kindly mention your need to leave to me before class starts).
4. Having to get up and leave in the middle of class in the case of an emergency is one thing, but DO NOT make it a habit to wander into and out of lecture–this is rude and disruptive behavior causing a NEGATIVE impact on your fellow classmates and instructor.
5. KEEP UP--the materials build as the semester progresses--very few students can succeed by just studying the night before the exam;.
6. Take excellent class notes–write out explanations and examples of the concepts covered rather than just copying down the definitions or graphs–this will help you immensely as you work on assignments and as you study for quizzes and exams.
7. Look over your class notes and text readings before (yes, I said before!) coming to class–for each section of notes, go back and think how you can reorganize them so they make sense to you (students have found that making flow diagrams can help connect the material in a personally meaningful way).
8. At a minimum, work the assigned problems.
9. Make use of office hours–clear up questions as they arise and are fresh on your mind... generally students find I am friendly and helpful in office hours, and the additional one-on-one attention does wonders for truly comprehending the material.
10. Just as you expect to be treated with respect,
remember to treat your fellow students and me with the same high level
of respect.
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