ACTL2111 Course Outline Final
ACTL2111 Course Outline Final
ACTL2111 Course Outline Final
ACTL2111
FINANCIAL MATHEMATICS
Course Outline
Semester 1, 2016
Part A: Course-Specific Information
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Table of Contents
PART A: COURSE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION
COURSE DETAILS
3
4
4
4
4
7
8
ASSESSMENT
8
9
10
11
COURSE RESOURCES
11
13
COURSE SCHEDULE
13
Dear Students
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PART A: COURSE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION
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2 COURSE DETAILS
2.1 Teaching Times and Locations
This course will be taught using an innovative flipped teaching model where students
adopt an online self-learning strategy. As a result, there will be half the number of face-
to-face lecture contact hours. Lectures begin in Week 1 and continue every fortnight
from Week 2 to Week 12: The Time and Location is: Thursday 9:00 am 11:00 am
Physics Theatre K-K14-19. Tutorials start in Week 1 (and continue weekly to Week
12).
Tutorial Time
Location
Staff
Contact
Thu
11:00- Webster 251 (K- Dr Priya
[email protected]
12:00
G14-251)
Dev
Thu
11:00- Quadrangle
Muhhmad
[email protected]
12:00
G045
(K-E15- Rahman
G045)
Mon 13:00 - Quadrangle
Oliver
[email protected]
14:00
G052
(K-E15- Wood
G052)
Mon 13:00 - Quadrangle
Muhhmad
[email protected]
14:00
G035
(K-E15- Rahman
G035)
Mon 14:00 - Quadrangle
Muhhmad
[email protected]
15:00
G034
(K-E15- Rahman
G034)
Tue 16:00 - Quadrangle
Oliver
[email protected]
17:00
G025
(K-E15- Wood
G025)
Wed 09:00 - Webster 302 (K- Mark
[email protected]
10:00
G14-302)
Lavender
Wed 10:00 - Webster 251 (K- Mark
[email protected]
11:00
G14-251)
Lavender
Wed 14:00 - Webster 302 (K- Dale Chen [email protected]
15:00
G14-302)
Wed 15:00 - Webster 302 (K- Dale Chen [email protected]
16:00
G14-302)
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A3. Understand the relation between a present value, a set of cash flows and
interest, as well as understand the interest rate risk (duration, immunisation);
A4. Explain how to modify a simple valuation problem by taking into account tax
and transaction costs;
A5. Assess financial calculations for reasonableness and criticise their
assumptions;
B1. Describe, compare and value the following securities: bonds, shares, loans,
forwards and futures contracts, options, annuities and life insurance contracts;
B2. Describe the basic market conventions in the securities and money markets for
the instruments introduced during the course;
B3. Develop formulae for the expected value and variance of the present values of
simple insurance and annuity contracts, assuming constant deterministic
interest;
C1. Integrate financial valuation concepts to practical situations such as in
investment project appraisals or in financial markets;
C2. Explain difficult concepts in simple terms and in an effective way, both in oral
and written forms;
C3. Use R to implement the models introduced in the course.
The course covers the syllabus of the Institute of Actuaries CT1 Financial Mathematics
examination. The courses Learning Outcomes relate to the aims of Actuaries Institute
of Australia aims in the following way:
Course Learning Outcomes Actuaries Institute aims
A1
CT1: 2
A2
CT1: 3, 4, 13, 14
A3
Not included in The Institute Aims
A4
CT1: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11
A5
CT1: 11
B1
(CT2: v.3)
B2
CT1: 10, 12
B3
(CT5: introduction)
C1
(CT2: x.1)
C2
Not included in The Institute Aims
The Learning Outcomes in this course also help you to achieve some of the overall
Program Learning Goals and Outcomes for all undergraduate students in the Business
School. Program Learning Goals are what we want you to BE or HAVE by the time you
successfully complete your degree (e.g. be an effective team player). You
demonstrate this by achieving specific Program Learning Outcomes - what you are
able to DO by the end of your degree (e.g. participate collaboratively and responsibly
in teams). For more information on the Undergraduate Program Learning Goals and
Outcomes, see Part B of the course outline.
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problem solvers.
You should be able to identify and research issues in business situations, analyse the issues, and propose
appropriate and well-justified solutions.
3. Communication: Our graduates will be effective professional communicators.
You should be able to:
a. Prepare written documents that are clear and concise, using appropriate style and presentation
for the intended audience, purpose and context, and
b. Prepare and deliver oral presentations that are clear, focused, well-structured, and delivered in a
professional manner.
4. Teamwork: Our graduates will be effective team participants.
You should be able to participate collaboratively and responsibly in teams, and reflect on your own
teamwork, and on the teams processes and ability to achieve outcomes.
5. Ethical, social and environmental responsibility: Our graduates will have a sound awareness of
the ethical, social, cultural and environmental implications of business practice.
You should be able to:
a. Identify and assess ethical, environmental and/or sustainability considerations in business
decision-making and practice, and
b. Identify social and cultural implications of business situations.
The following table shows how your Course Learning Outcomes relate to the overall
Program Learning Goals and Outcomes, and indicates where these are assessed (they
may also be developed in tutorials and other activities):
Program Learning Goals and
Course Learning
Course Assessment Item
Outcomes
Outcomes
On successful
This course helps you to achieve
This learning outcome will be
completion of the
the following learning goals for all
assessed in the following
course, you should be
Business undergraduate students:
items:
able to achieve:
Tutorial Problems
Mid-session exam
Learning Outcomes
Assignment
1 Knowledge
A1 C2
Final Exam
3a Written communication
3b Oral communication
Learning Outcomes
C1 C2
Learning Outcomes
A2 & C2
Learning Outcome C2
Teamwork
5a.
Not specifically
Ethical, social and
addressed in this
environmental responsibility
course
Not specifically
5b. Social and cultural awareness addressed in this
course
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Tutorial Problems
Assignment
Mid-session exam
Final Exam
Assignment
Tutorial Presentations
Group assignment
Not specifically
assessed in this
course
Not specifically
assessed in this
course
Additionally, students who are not familiar with the software package R should
complete the module R you ready? (with videos, exercises and documents) which is
available on Blackboard on a website available to all ACTL students.
Given the substantial amount of course on-line support, lectures will focus on providing
the intuition and the big picture rather than repeating the details that are available on
the videos. Students should have read the prescribed books, watched the videos and
attempted the tutorial exercises prior to the lectures. An ideal lecture would be one
consisting essentially of answers to the students questions. Students are encouraged
to prepare questions and communicate them to the lecturer in advance on the course
websites forums (although this is not required).
Tutorials are for students to ask questions on aspects of the course that need further
clarification and to interact with other students in the course. Students need to attempt
the tutorial exercises prior to the tutorial classes and identify problems that require
closer review during tutorials. They are an opportunity to learn from other students and
to develop team skills by working on problems with other students.
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Self-study
(readings,
videos,
exercises)
Lectures
Tutorials
Assignment
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Optional
readings
Optional
exercises
The aims A and B are developed during all activities. The learning outcome C3 is
developed through the R you ready module, tutorial exercises and the assignment.
The broader aim C is developed in the assignment.
A detailed mapping of the tutorial exercises to the modules contents is provided on the
course website. Exercises are organised in an increasing level of difficulty and it is
recommended to complete all the exercises of a subsection before attempting the
exercises of the following subsection.
It is expected that you will spend at least ten hours per week studying this course. In
periods where you need to complete assignments or prepare for examinations, the
workload may be greater. Over-commitment (to extra-curricular activities) has been a
cause of failure for many students. You should take the required workload into account
when planning how to balance study with employment and other activities. In the past,
students have found the amount of contents particularly challenging. Dont allow
yourself to fall behind the schedule!
4 ASSESSMENT
4.1 Formal Requirements
In order to pass this course, you must:
achieve a composite mark of at least 50; and
make a satisfactory attempt at all assessment tasks (see below).
In order to pass the course students must complete and submit all components of
assessment at or before the due times. Late assessment submissions will not be
marked. It is important that students be punctual and reliable when submitting
assessment. This is an important workplace requirement and students need to ensure
they meet deadlines.
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Your regular and punctual attendance at lectures and tutorials is expected in this
course. University regulations indicate that if students attend less than eighty per cent
of scheduled classes they may be refused final assessment.
In order to pass the course students must perform satisfactorily in all course
assessment components. Students who have an overall performance at the Credit
level (65% and above) are eligible for exemption of the Institute of Actuaries CT1
examination.
Weighting
Length
Due Date
Mid-term exam
15%
60 mins
Assignment
25%
N/A
Final Exam
60%
2 hours
TBA
Total
100%
Mid-term exam
There will be one written answer mid-term exam in week 6 of 60 minutes duration (+ 5
minutes reading time). The mid-term exam will take place during a lecture during week
6. The mid-semester exam will take place on Monday 4th April 2016 from 6pm
8pm. Its venue will be advertised later. The mid-term exam will be closed book.
Students will only be allowed to bring the text "Formulae and Tables for Actuarial
Examinations".
Normal examination rules apply to the conduct of mid-term exams. Calculators will
be allowed in the mid-term and final examination but a clear indication of all of the
steps involved in your calculations must be shown. The University will not supply
calculators to students for use in examinations where the provision of calculators has
not been requested by the course examiner. It is the students responsibility to be
familiar with the rules governing the conduct of examinations.
The course exams require written responses, with students earning marks for correct
mathematical working as well as part marks for incorrect responses with correct
method and reasoning. They test not only their knowledge of the material, but also the
depth of their understanding of it.
Assignment
The practical application of the course concepts based on actual financial problems is
an important graduate attribute that employers require and this course aims to provide
at least some introductory exposure to this. Writing skills for technical material are also
important.
There will be one major Assignment for this course involving the practical application of
course concepts to a financial problem and an essay whose theme will be based on
professional ethics. These will provide students with an opportunity to also develop
writing skills of different types.
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Students should make sure they understand what plagiarism is (see Section
5 and do the quiz) cases of plagiarism have a very high probability of being
discovered. For issues of collective work, having different persons marking the
assignment does not decrease this probability.
Students should consult the Turnitin section of the website accessible to all
ACTL students well in advance, as this gives a (non exhaustive) list of things
that could go wrong and explains how the policies above are implemented.
5 COURSE RESOURCES
Textbooks
The required textbooks for the course are:
Broverman, S.A. (2010), Mathematics of Investment and Credit, 6th Edition,
ACTEX Publications. [A solutions manual is available for purchase. The 6th
Edition is largely similar to the 5th Edition, so it may be possible to learn
with the 5th Edition as well; the references at the end of this course outline
are valid for both editions. However, Editions previous to the 4th are not
recommended.]
Sherris, M. (1996), Money and Capital Markets, Pricing, Yields and Analysis,
2nd Edition, Allen & Unwin.
Zuur, A. F., Ieno, E. N., Maesters, E. (2009), A Beginners Guide to R, Springer
[This book is a very good reference for the statistical software R. An online
version is available through the UNSW Library, and it may thus not be
necessary to purchase a paper copy]
Additional (optional) readings are:
The Actuarial Education Company, Course CT1 Study Guide. [A subset of the
course, which has the advantage of showing exactly what the Institute of
Actuaries expects from students at CT1 exam, should you need to take the
exam later]
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7 COURSE SCHEDULE
Lectorial / Tutorial Schedule
Lectures start in Week 1 and finish in Week 12. Lecture time: Thursday 9:00 am
11:00 am Physics Theatre K-K14-19. Tutorials start in Week 1 and finish in Week 12.
Topic
References
Self-study Module 1
Week 2
7 March
Self-study Module 1
Week 3
14 March
Self-study Module 1
Week 1
29 February
Week 4
21 March
Self-study Module 2
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Week 5
4 April
Self-study Module 3
Week 6
11 April
Self-study Module 3
Week 7
18 April
Self-study Module 4
Week 8
25 April
(Monday 25 April is Anzac Day public holiday)
Self-study Module 4
Week 9
2 May
Self-study Module 5
Week 10
9 May
Self-study Module 5
Week 11
16 May
Self-study Module 6
Self-study Module 6
Self-assessment
Students who are not familiar with R should cover the module R you ready? within the
first two weeks of the course. See Section 3.1.
This timetable may be altered. Students will be advised of any changes in lectures and
via the course web site.
Detailed information about the modules contents and their associated readings will be
provided on the course website. Note that all topics have been mapped to the Institute
of Actuaries CT1 Exam 2010 Syllabus. Only the readings Broverman (6th Edition) and
Sherris are prescribed. The other three references are optional and provide further
support if needed (see Section 6).
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