Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2009-2010 (archived)
Module ECON1011: ELEMENTS OF ECONOMICS
Department: Economics, Finance and Business (Economics and Finance)
ECON1011: ELEMENTS OF ECONOMICS
| Type | Open | Level | 1 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2009/10 | Module Cap | None. | Location | Durham |
|---|
Prerequisites
- None.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None
Aims
- To introduce the basic principles of economics
- To provide a sound foundation for second year core modules in Micro- and Macroeconomics.
Content
- MICROECONOMICS: The methodology of economics.
- Demand, supply and the market determination of prices.
- Consumer spending choices, indifference curves and the budget constraint.
- Household saving and investment decisions.
- Labour supply decisions and the choice between work and leisure.
- Production of goods and services and the theory of the firm.
- Competition, Monopoly and Oligopoly.
- Game Theory, factor markets.
- MACROECONOMICS: Introduction
- Keynesian macroeconomics.
- Financial markets.
- The IS-LM model.
- Aggregate demand and supply
- Unemployment and inflation 1: the Phillips curve and rational expectations.
- Unemployment and inflation 2: New Classical and New Keynesian theories.
- Growth theories.
- Business cycles.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- know and understand the basic principles of economics
- be able to apply an economic framework to the analysis of decision making by producers and/or consumers
- be able to construct and explain fundamental macro-economic models and interrelationships and how they are affected by change
- have had exposure to rival schools of thought in the evolution of economics
Subject-specific Skills:
- Manipulation of microeconomical and macroeconomical analysis
Key Skills:
- Critical and analytical thinking
- problem solving
- written communication
- own learning
- working with numbers
- library skills
- information retrieval
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Teaching is by lectures and tutorials. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, preparation for and participation in tutorial classes, and private study. Tutorial Groups give students the opportunity to test their understanding of the subject. Formative assessment is by means of fortnightly tutorial on-line assessment, regular tutorial assignments and a mid year test. Summative assessment is by means of a written examination to test students’ knowledge and understanding of the subject-matter.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 41 | 2 per week | 1 hour | 41 | |
| Tutorials | 8 | 1 per fortnight | 1 hour | 8 | ■ |
| Preparation and Reading | 151 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| One written examination | 2 hours 15 minutes | 100% | |
Formative Assessment:
1 hour test/mock exam in December consisting of short answers and multiple choice questions. Fortnightly on-line multiple choice test and tutorial assignments throughout the Michaelmas and Epiphany Terms.
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University