Course Outline

ECON 101 (001): Principles of Microeconomics

2024 Winter Term 1
Vancouver School of Economics, UBC

Table of Contents

Class Times, Location and Teaching Team ....................................................................................................................................................... 2

Course Description ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Prerequisites .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Learning Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Required Materials ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
iClicker Cloud ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Office Hours .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Communication and Support .................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Term Schedule ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Important Dates ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Course Format ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Lectures ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Textbook Readings ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
iClicker Questions ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Achieve Graded Homeworks .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Peer Instruction ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Discussions................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Achieve Practice Problems.................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Piazza ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
Assessment ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Achieve Graded Homeworks .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
iClicker Questions ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Midterm Exams ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Final Exam .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Course Policies .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Missed Work .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Student Success ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Sharing Course Materials .................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Academic Honesty ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Academic Concessions ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Use of AI Learning Tools ................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Lecture Recordings.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Email Communication ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Laptop, Tablet and Phone Use ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11

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CLASS TIMES, LOCATION AND TEACHING TEAM
Class Times: MWF 10:00 – 10:50
Class Location: IRC 2
Instructor: Clive Chapple
Contact: Canvas Inbox

The teaching team for this course consists of Professor Chapple, one Head Teaching Assistant (TA), and six academic
TAs. The names of your Head TA and academic TAs will be posted on Canvas in Week 1. The Head TA is your contact
for all administrative issues related to the course. Your academic TAs will hold regular office hours, run the weekly
discussions, and provide academic support related to the course content throughout the term.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course examines how markets and prices allocate scarce resources; how markets
determine prices; how consumers and firms make decisions and interact in markets; how firms choose what
quantities of goods and services to produce and sell; how government policies affect market outcomes and social
welfare; and how economists think about issues like international trade and pollution. This course will show you how
to better understand the world around you and to help you make better decisions in your personal life and
professional career. It will also enhance your general economic literacy.
PREREQUISITES: None.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students successfully completing this course will be able to

1. use economic concepts such as the cost-benefit rule, opportunity cost, and marginal analysis.
2. demonstrate how trade can make all parties better off.
3. use the supply and demand model to analyze how various events and government policies affect markets.
4. explain the assumptions underlying the supply and demand model and understand the model's limitations.
5. understand what economists mean by an efficient use of resources.
6. appreciate how unregulated markets can, in certain circumstances, produce socially desirable outcomes.
7. identify situations where unregulated markets produce inefficient outcomes and where government intervention
may improve the welfare of individuals and society.
8. describe different types of market structure and the resource allocations they produce.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: The required materials for this course are:

• Microeconomics by Paul Krugman, Robin Wells, Iris Au and Jack Parkinson, 4th CAN ed, Worth Publishers, 2021.
• Achieve, which is an online learning system you will use to complete graded homeworks and to access a digital
version of the textbook (eBook) and other resources that will help you master the course content.
• iClicker Cloud, which is an online student response system that allows you to respond individually to in-class
polls using your phone, tablet, or computer. UBC currently has a site license for iClicker Cloud, so there is no cost
to you. Find more information at https://lthub.ubc.ca/guides/iclicker-cloud-student-guide.

You must buy a bundle that includes the textbook and Achieve access. You have two options: (i) a digital-only bundle
that includes an eBook and Achieve access; or (ii) a bundle that includes a loose-leaf version of the textbook and
Achieve access. The second option also gives you access to the eBook. You can take advantage of a free trial that gives
you access to Achieve and the Krugman eBook until September 17th at 6:00 am PST.
In this course, Achieve is integrated with Canvas. This means you must purchase your bundle either through the UBC
Bookstore or through Canvas. For information about purchasing your bundle, taking advantage of Achieve free trial,
and accessing Achieve, use the “Buying/Verifying Achieve” link on the Econ 101 Canvas homepage.

ICLICKER CLOUD: iClicker Cloud is an online student response system that allows you to respond individually to in-
class polls using your mobile device or computer. You will need to create an iClicker account in Week 1 if you do not
already have an account. See the UBC iClicker Cloud Student Guide for information about how to create an iClicker
account and how to add this course to your account. Once you have set up your iClicker account and added this course
to your account, you should download, install, and use the iClicker Student Mobile App on your phone or tablet. This

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app is available for both iOS and Android. Here are direct download links: iClicker Student app for iOS and iClicker
Student app for Android.

Once you have installed the iClicker Student app on your phone or tablet, you can use it to join a session and answer
iClicker questions in class. Alternatively, you can log in to istudent.iclicker.com using a web browser. Most students
find using the mobile app to answer questions in class more reliable and convenient than logging in to
istudent.iclicker.com. As such, I highly recommend installing and using the iClicker Student app.

The use of physical iClicker remotes is NOT supported in this class.

OFFICE HOURS: Starting in Week 3, your academic TAs will hold in-person, drop-in office hours each week. Times
and locations will be posted on Canvas in Week 2. Direct all questions about course content to one of your academic
TAs or post your question on Piazza. All office hours are optional drop-in sessions. As such, they are not suitable for
discussing personal or sensitive matters. To discuss such a matter with Professor Chapple, use the Canvas Inbox to
contact him to make a private appointment. Professor Chapple does not hold regular office hours for Econ 101.

COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT: This course has about 500 students, so clear and efficient communication is
needed to ensure you get support in a timely manner. The main channels used for course-related communications are
Canvas Announcements, the Canvas Inbox, Piazza, and a course-specific email address (see table below). During the
term, your instructor and/or TA will use Canvas Announcements and the Canvas Inbox to send you important
messages, so check your Canvas Announcements and Canvas Inbox daily.

If you require support at any point during the term, please refer to the table below and use the method of
communication indicated:

Issue Do this

I have a question about administration of the Post your question in Piazza using the “admin” tag or
course. send an email to [email protected]

I have a question about course content. Either post your question in Piazza, attend your
discussion, or attend one of the weekly office hours held
by one of your academic TAs.

I am having a technical issue with Achieve. See the “Achieve Support” link on the Canvas homepage
for support options.

I need to contact one of the TAs. Use the Canvas Inbox.

I need to discuss a private or sensitive matter Use the Canvas Inbox to send Professor Chapple a
with Professor Chapple. message requesting an appointment.

I need to discuss a course-related issue that Send an email to [email protected]

doesn’t match any of the above.

All emails sent to [email protected] must include your full name (as it appears in the Workday student
information system) and your 8-digit UBC student number. Emails sent without this information will not receive a
reply.

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TERM SCHEDULE: The table below lists the topics we will cover in this course, the order in which we will cover them,
and the corresponding chapters of the Krugman textbook.

Topic Corresponding Chapter of Krugman

Introduction and Basic Principles Chapter 1
Economic Models: Trade-offs and Trade Chapter 2 (including appendix)
Supply and Demand Chapter 3 (excluding appendix)
Consumer and Producer Surplus Chapter 4
Price Controls and Quotas Chapter 5
Elasticity Chapter 6 (excluding appendix)
Taxes Chapter 7
International Trade (if time permits) Chapter 8
Inputs and Costs Chapter 11(excluding appendix)
Perfect Competition Chapter 12
Externalities Chapter 16
Monopoly Chapter 13
Oligopoly (if time permits) Chapter 14

IMPORTANT DATES:

Date Event
Tue, Sep 3 No class. UBC Imagine Day.
Mon, Sep 30 No class. Holiday in lieu of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Mon, Oct 14 No class. Thanksgiving Day.
Wed, Oct 9 Midterm 1 at 10:00 am in IRC 2
Wed, Nov 6 Midterm 2 at 10:00 am in IRC 2
Mon, Nov 11 No class. Midterm break.
Wed, Nov 13 No class. Midterm break.

COURSE FORMAT: The table below lists the course components, indicates their mode of delivery. It also indicates if
the component is required or optional. Detailed descriptions are provided after the table.

Component Delivery Status

Lectures Face-to-face/synchronous Required
Textbook readings Asynchronous Required
iCIicker questions Face-to-face/synchronous Required
Achieve graded homeworks Asynchronous Required
Peer instruction Face-to-face/synchronous Required
Discussions Face-to-face/synchronous Optional
Achieve practice problems Asynchronous Optional
Piazza Asynchronous Optional

Lectures: Classes are a mix of traditional lecture, clicker questions and peer instruction. Each week's lectures have a
matching set of lecture notes posted on Canvas. These notes provide most, but not all, of the material—text, diagrams,
and analysis—appearing on the lecture slides used in class and include ample white space for adding material as
required. To get the most out of the lectures you should annotate your lecture notes by hand in class. Your annotated
notes will provide an excellent resource for review and exam preparation.

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Lecture notes are posted in the “Lecture Notes” module in Canvas as the course progresses and are provided as PDFs.
If you have trouble opening or viewing a set of lecture notes, use a different browser or download and install the latest
version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Textbook Readings: The material delivered in class and the assigned textbook readings are complements rather than
substitutes. Study each chapter of the textbook the same week we covered related material in class. Each chapter of
the textbook is divided into sections. The “Textbook Coverage” module in Canvas classifies each section as either
Required, Self-study, Optional, or Excluded, as defined below:

• Required sections contain examinable material that will be fully or partially covered in class. Study this material.
• Self-study sections contain examinable material that will not be covered in class. Study this material and make
your own summary notes.
• Optional sections contain material related to topics covered either in class or in Required or Self-study sections.
While optional sections may provide some interesting background material, feel free to skip them if they do not
interest you.
• Excluded sections should be ignored.

iClicker Questions: You will use the iClicker personal response system to answer several multiple-choice questions
in each class. The questions serve one or more of the following three purposes: (i) testing your understanding of the
lecture material; (ii) getting you to think more deeply about the lecture material; or (iii) introducing new concepts or
ideas related to the lecture material.

You should make good notes summarizing any in-class discussion about the iClicker questions. To help you do so in an
organized and efficient manner, each iClicker question has a unique reference number in the top-right corner of the
slide on which it appears. You should write the reference number in your notes along with your comments about the
question and any associated discussion (including which answer is correct if there is correct answer). When you
review your annotated notes, the reference numbers will allow you to easily associate your notes with the relevant
iClicker question. Screenshots of the iClicker questions will be available via your iClicker Student app or iClicker Cloud
account after the questions have been answered in class.

Answers to the clicker questions will not be provided outside of class. You are responsible for noting the correct
answer (if there is one) and the rationale for the correct answer when the question is discussed in class. If you miss
the in-class discussion of a clicker question for any reason, you must obtain the correct answer (if there is one) and
any other important information related to the question from one of your peers.

You will need to do some calculations to answer some of the iClicker questions, so bring a calculator to every class.

The iClicker Cloud section of this document describes how to set up your iClicker Cloud account and how to install the
iClicker App on one of your devices. The Assessment section of this document describes how your responses to the
iClicker questions are used to determine your grade for the iClicker component of the course.

Achieve Graded Homeworks: You must complete about 15 Achieve Graded Homeworks throughout the term. The
first two introductory homeworks are worth 5 points each. All other homeworks are worth 10 points each.

Peer Instruction: Peer instruction is an evidence-based, interactive teaching method used by a wide variety of
disciplines in academic institutions around the world. Peer instruction facilitates student learning and is used
extensively in this course.

Peer instruction is typically implemented as follows: (1) the instructor asks an iClicker question; (2) you think about
the question on your own (in silence) and then select an answer from the options provided using the iClicker App; (3)
the instructor reviews the responses and then, in some cases, asks you to discuss your answer with one or two of your
peers (i.e., students sitting nearby); (4) the instructor poses the same clicker question again and you answer again
using the iClicker App.

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To get the most out of peer instruction you need to try to carefully explain why you think the answer you have
selected is correct. You also need to listen to, evaluate, and discuss any explanations provided by your peers. It is not
enough to simply tell your peers which answer you selected: You need to explain your reasoning and listen to theirs.

Discussions: You must enroll in one of the following discussions:

Discussion Day of Week Starts Location

L1A Mon 4PM Buch D217
L1B Mon 5PM Buch B213
L1C Tue 4PM Buch D217
L1D Tue 5PM Buch B315
L1E Wed 4PM Buch D222
L1F Wed 5PM Buch B213
L1G Fri 4PM Buch D219
L1H Fri 4PM Buch D217

All discussions are 50 minutes. An academic TA will attend each discussion. The name of the TA attending each
discussion will be posted on Canvas in Week 2. Discussions are used as drop-in office hours restricted to students
registered in the discussion. Although attending your discussion is optional, doing so is probably the best way for you
to get personalized academic support from a teaching assistant during the term.

You will have your first discussion in Week 3 (week of Sep 16). There are no discussions in Week 1 (week of Sep 2), in
Week 2 (week of Sep 9) or in Week 11 (week of Nov 11). Discussions are also cancelled if scheduled on a day that
coincides with a Statutory holiday, a university closure, or a midterm exam. If you would like to meet with a TA during
a week when your discussion has been cancelled, either attend one of the TAs regular weekly office hours or attend
one of the other discussions held that week.

Achieve Practice Problems: Each chapter of the Krugman textbook has a set of end-of-chapter (EOC) problems.
Working through these problems is an excellent way to test and enhance your understanding of the material covered
in class and in the textbook. These problems are a particularly valuable study resource because Achieve provides
detailed solutions for most of them. The EOC problems for each chapter covered will be posted in Achieve as the
course progresses. Ignore questions and/or parts of questions related to the content of chapter sections categorized
as either Optional or Excluded in the "Textbook Coverage" Canvas module. After attempting a question, review the
solution. If you don’t understand the solution, ask one of your peers or one of your academic TAs for help.

Working through the EOC problems will enhance your understanding of the course content and likely improve your
performance in the exams. As such, you are encouraged to work though these problems. However, most students can
succeed in this course without working through the EOC problems.

Piazza: Piazza is one of your main tools for obtaining academic support in this course. Piazza is an online question-
and-answer platform. Piazza helps students ask and answer their own questions, under the guidance of their teaching
assistants. The question-and-answer process typically goes like this:
• A student posts a question using a WYSIWYG editor. Any student or teaching assistant can edit the question for
clarity or detail. Thus, the question area, like the answer area, allows for collaborative content (like a wiki).
• Other students then attempt to answer the question.
• If needed, a teaching assistant can supply an answer or comment on the answer provided by students.
• Students have the option to have a follow-up discussion about the posted answer. Follow-up discussions can be
tagged with the label “resolved” or “unresolved.”

Piazza is integrated into Canvas. Use the “Piazza” link on the left side of the Canvas homepage.

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Asking and answering questions is one of the best ways to test and enhance your understanding of the course content.
Piazza offers a convenient and efficient way to do both these things. If you have a question about something in the
textbook, something related to the lecture notes, clicker questions, or any of the Achieve problems, post your question
on Piazza. Even if you don’t have a question, you should spend some time each week looking through the questions
and answers posted on Piazza by your peers.

Piazza uses a structure of folders and subfolders—which function like tags—to keep things organized. When you post
a question in Piazza, you will be asked to select a folder and subfolder. Folders are named chp1, chp2, chp3 and so
on. These folders correspond to the chapters of the Krugman textbook covered in the course. There is also an admin
Piazza folder, which you should use if you have a question about the structure and/or administration of the course.
Each of the chapter folders has five subfolders: book, lecture, clicker, achieve, other.

When you post a question in Piazza, select the folder that corresponds to textbook chapter related to your question.
For example, if your question about the basics of the supply and demand model, you would select the chp3 folder
because that topic is covered in Chapter 3 of Krugman. Once you have selected the chapter folder, select one of the five
subfolders depending on the specifics of your question:
• select the book subfolder if your question is about some aspect of the textbook reading.
• select the lecture subfolder if your question is about some aspect of the lecture notes or material covered in class.
• select the clicker subfolder if your question is about one of the clicker questions.
• select the achieve subfolder if your question is about one of the Achieve homeworks or practice questions.
• select the other subfolder if none of the above subfolders seems appropriate.

When you post a question (or answer) on Piazza, please adhere to the following guidelines:
• Do not use the Piazza discussion forums to discuss matters of a personal or sensitive nature.
• Make your question as clear, concise, and specific as possible.
• Always be polite and respectful.
• If your question is about something that appears in the textbook, provide a reference to the exact material in the
textbook you are asking about; e.g., “I have a question about the example discussed in the second paragraph on
page 135 of the textbook. My question is….”.
• If you ask about a particular clicker question, include a screenshot of the clicker question in your post.
• Do not post a question about any of the Achieve graded homeworks before the homework's due date and time.
Exception: If you think a homework question contains an error, you can ask about the error before the
homework's due date and time.
• If you ask about one of the Achieve questions, include a screenshot of the Achieve question in your post.

When you post a question on Piazza, you should expect to wait between 24 and 48 hours for a response. This should
be enough time for at least one of your peers (or a teaching assistant) to respond to your question.

When you create a Piazza account, you will be asked to provide personally identifying information. You do not have
consent to share this personal information with the tool if you are uncomfortable doing so. If you choose not to
consent, you may create an account using a nickname and a non-identifying email address. If you do this, you must
send an email to [email protected] to tell the Head TA that you have done so. Your email must include the
following information: your full name as it appears in the Student Service Center, your 8-digit UBC Student Number,
and the alias you are using in Piazza.

If you haven’t used Piazza before, it’s worth taking a few minutes to learn how to use it. Piazza’s Support Center for
Students is an excellent resource for doing so and provides a concise overview of how Piazza’s Q&A works.

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ASSESSMENT: Your progress in this course is measured using the following weighting scheme:
iClicker Questions: 8%
Achieve Graded Homeworks: 10%
Midterm Exam 1: 12% or 22%
Midterm Exam 2: 12% or 22%
Final Exam: 48%
If your grade on Midterm 1 is higher than on Midterm 2, weights of 22% for Midterm 1 and 12% for Midterm 2 will be
used to calculate your course grade. Conversely, if your grade on Midterm 2 is higher than on Midterm 1, weights of
12% for Midterm 1 and 22% for Midterm 2 will be used to calculate your course grade. Comparison of the midterm
grades to determine the assessment weights will occur after any scaling of the midterm grades has been applied.
The grading policy of Vancouver School of Economics for 100-level courses states that the average grade for this
course will be between 67% and 71%. If necessary, course grades will be scaled upwards or downwards at the end of
the term to comply with this policy.
Achieve Graded Homeworks: You will complete between 12 and 15 graded Achieve homeworks during the term.
Your performance on the Achieve homeworks will determine 10% of your course grade. The first two introductory
homeworks are worth 5 points each. All other homeworks are worth 10 points each.
• For the two introductory homeworks, you have unlimited attempts before the deadline with no penalty for
incorrect answers.
• For all other graded homeworks, you have unlimited attempts before the deadline, but a 20% penalty is applied
each time you answer a question incorrectly. This penalty is applied at the question level, not on the entire
homework.

All homeworks must be completed and submitted before the homework deadline. No late submissions will be
accepted, and no deadline extensions will be granted, under any circumstances (including technical difficulties). As
such, you are strongly encouraged to complete all Achieve homeworks at least 24 hours before their deadlines to give
yourself a safety margin in case you encounter something that temporarily prevents you from accessing the internet
or Achieve.

To deal with occasional situations that might legitimately prevent you from being able to complete an Achieve
homework on time, your two lowest grades on the Achieve homeworks will be dropped when calculating your grade
on the Achieve component of the course at the end of the term (the two 5-point two orientation homeworks will be
treated as a single homework for this purpose). As such, no additional adjustments or allowances will be made without
a formal in-term academic concession for ALL missed homeworks being granted by an Academic Advisor from your home
faculty.
Your grades on the Achieve homeworks WILL NOT appear in the Canvas gradebook. But you see your grades for all
the Achieve homeworks you have completed at any time from within Achieve. To do so, just click on the Gradebook
link (mortarboard icon) on the left side of the Achieve homepage.
After the due date of each Achieve homework, a copy will appear in Achieve with “(UNGRADED)” at the end of the
homework title. This is a copy of the homework that you can use for practice for the rest of the term.
iClicker Questions: Your responses to the iClicker questions determine 8% of your course grade, with 5% based on
participation and 3% based on correctness. Each iClicker question is either a “participation-only question” or a
“graded question”. Participation-only questions may or may not have a correct answer and sometimes may even have
more than one correct answer. Graded questions always have just one correct answer. Answering either type of
question earns you a “participation point” even if your answer is wrong. Answering a graded question correctly also
earns you one “graded point.”
It is not always obvious if a particular iClicker question is a participation-only question or a graded question. As such,
you should always try to select the best possible answer for every question.
Sometimes the same question will be asked more than once. For grading, each instance is treated as a separate
question; e.g., if you are asked to answer a particular graded question three times, you could earn a maximum of three
participation points and three graded points for that question.

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To illustrate how your grade on the clicker component of the course will be calculated, let’s assume the following:
• There are a total of 52 clicker questions throughout the term, 12 of which are participation-only questions and 40
of which are graded questions.
• You answer a total of 43 clicker questions throughout the term, 8 of which are participation-only questions and
35 of which are graded questions.
• Of the 35 graded questions you answer, you answer 28 correctly.

In this case, your grade for participation would be [(43/52) × 5%]/0.85 = 4.86%. (Note: If this calculation yields a
grade of more than 5%, the grade is reduced to 5%.) And your grade for correctness would be [(28/40) × 3%]/0.85
=2.47%. (Note: If this calculation yields a grade of more than 3%, the grade is reduced to 3%.) This would give you an
overall grade of 4.86% + 2.47% = 7.33% (out of 8%) for the clicker component of the course.
Dividing by 0.85 in the above calculations allows you to not answer (or answer incorrectly) up to 15% of the iClicker
questions throughout the term without penalty. This automatic 15% allowance deals with occasional situations that
might legitimately prevent you from being able to answer some of the iClicker questions, like missing a class because
of illness or forgetting to bring a phone/tablet to class. As such, no additional adjustments or allowances will be made
without a formal in-term academic concession being granted by an Arts Academic Advisor for ALL missed clicker
questions.
The grade calculations described above cannot be made within iClicker Cloud. Instead, responses to the iClicker
questions must be exported from iClicker Cloud multiple times and manipulated in Excel. This process is time-
consuming, so it is carried out only once at the end of the term. This is when your grades for the clicker component of
the course will be posted on Canvas.
During the term, your iClicker app will show a “Performance” grade and an “Attendance” grade. The Performance
grade indicates the percentage of all the iClicker questions you have answered; e.g., if your iClicker app shows a
Performance grade of 90% on September 30th, it indicates you have answered 90% of all the iClicker questions asked
between the start of term and September 30th. The Attendance grade is meaningless in this course and should be
ignored.
Midterm Exams: Both midterm exams are comprehensive; i.e., they may contain questions about any of the material
covered from the start of the course to the date of the exam. Each midterm exam is 45 minutes long. Both midterms
are in-person exams. There is no option to take an exam remotely and no accommodation will be made for students
who cannot write because they are out of the country.
Both exams have the same format, consisting of a combination of short-answer and multiple-choice questions. More
details about the format of the exam and the number of questions will be posted on Canvas at least one week before
the first midterm exam.
Final Exam: The final exam is comprehensive and will be held in person on the date, at the time, and in the location
determined by UBC Classroom Services. This information is released about halfway through the term. Do not book any
travel before you know the date and time of the final exam. There is no option to take the final exam remotely and no
accommodation will be given to students who cannot write because they are out of the country. The final exam is 2.5
hours long and has the same format as the midterm exams, just with more questions of all types.

COURSE POLICIES
Missed Work: If you miss a lecture, you are responsible for obtaining what you missed from another student that did
attend the lecture. This includes obtaining copies of any materials that may have been distributed during the missed
lecture. Do not ask Professor Chapple or your TA to review any material you missed because you did not attend a
lecture. They do not have the time to provide personal make-up materials or instruction to students who miss class.
If you are going to miss a midterm exam for any reason, please use the Canvas Inbox to email me, Professor Chapple,
before the start of the exam if possible. If you miss a midterm exam, you must speak to an Academic Advisor in your
home faculty and request an academic concession (for more information see: Academic concessions | Student Services).
If your academic advisor recommends you be granted an academic concession, Professor Chapple will review your
case and decide if an academic concession will be granted. (Note: It is your course instructor who makes the final

9
decision about whether you will be granted an academic concession.) If you are granted an academic concession, the
weight of your missed midterm will be shifted to your final exam. If you are not granted an academic concession, you
will get a grade of zero on the missed midterm. You can see a comprehensive list of the acceptable grounds for missing
term work here.
As previously discussed, you can skip (or provide incorrect answers to) up to 15% of the iClicker questions
throughout the term without penalty. This automatic 15% allowance deals with occasional situations that might
legitimately prevent you from being able to answer some of the iClicker questions, like missing a class because of
illness or forgetting to bring a phone/tablet to class. As such, no additional adjustments or allowances will be made
without a formal in-term academic concession being granted by an Arts Academic Advisor for ALL missed clicker
questions.
As previously discussed, your three lowest grades on the Achieve homeworks will be dropped when calculating your
grade for the Achieve component of the course at the end of the term (the three 5-point orientation homeworks will
be treated as a single homework for this purpose). This automatic adjustment is made to deal with occasional
situations that might legitimately prevent you from being able to complete an Achieve homework on time, As such, no
additional adjustments or allowances will be made without a formal in-term academic concession for ALL missed
homeworks being granted by an Academic Advisor from your home faculty.
Student Success: UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but
recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of
sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment
and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate
accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious, spiritual and cultural observances. UBC values
academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest
academic standards in all of their actions. Details of the policies and how to access support are available
here: https://senate.ubc.ca/policies-resources-support-student-success/.
Sharing Course Materials: All the materials provided to you as part of this course are protected by copyright. All
assignment instructions, quiz questions and answers, discussion questions, announcements, lecture slides,
audio/video recordings, Canvas modules, and any other materials provided to you by your instructor or in the
textbook are for use only by students enrolled in this course this term. Sharing any of these materials beyond this
course, including by posting on file-sharing websites (e.g., CourseHero, Google Docs) is a violation of copyright law
and an academic offence. Copying and pasting sentences from the lecture notes or the textbook (e.g., definitions) into
for-profit software (e.g., Quizlet) is likewise a violation of copyright law, and an academic offence. Violations of this
policy will be treated according to the provisos of the Code of Student Conduct. For further information about
copyright law, please refer to (https://copyright.ubc.ca/students/).
Academic Honesty: It is the policy of the Vancouver School of Economics to report all violations of UBC’s standards
for academic integrity to the office of the Dean of Arts. All violations of academic integrity standards will result in a
grade of zero on the relevant assessment (exam, paper, assignment etc.). Students who do not have a previous offence
may have the option to enter into a diversionary process with the Dean of Arts to resolve their misconduct
(https://academicintegrity.ubc.ca/diversionary-process/). Any student who has a previous academic offence will be
referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline (PACSD)
(https://universitycounsel.ubc.ca/homepage/guides-and-resources/discipline/). PACSD may impose additional
penalties including: a transcript notation indicating that the student has committed an academic offence, zero in the
course, and/or suspension or expulsion from the University. You are personally responsible for understanding and
following the UBC’s policies for academic integrity: https://vancouver.calendar.ubc.ca/campus-wide-policies-and-
regulations/academic-honesty-and-standards. A Canvas module has been made available you for this purpose titled
“Avoiding Academic Misconduct”. It is your responsibility to read the materials in that module before submitting any
work in this course. Speak to your instructor if you have any questions regarding the standard for academic integrity
at UBC and/or the VSE polices on academic misconduct.

Academic Concessions: There are only three acceptable grounds for academic concessions at UBC: unexpected
changes in personal responsibilities that create a schedule conflict; medical circumstances; and compassionate
grounds when the student experiences a traumatic event, sexual assault, or death in the family or of a close friend.
Academic concessions for graded work and exams are granted for work that will be missed due to unexpected

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situations or circumstances. Situations that are expected (such as time constraints due to workload in other courses)
or are predictable (such as being scheduled for paid work) are not grounds for academic concession.
Requests for academic concessions should be made before the due date for that graded work and/or the writing of the
exam. UBC policy does not allow for concessions to students who have missed work because they have registered for a
course after the due date for that work. You can read more about the rules for academic concessions
here: https://students.ubc.ca/enrolment/academic-learning-resources/academic-concessions. Students in the
Faculty of Arts who require a concession can apply for concessions using this form
here: https://students.air.arts.ubc.ca/academic-concession-form/. Students in other Faculties should consult their
faculty website on academic concessions. Please note that the role of the faculty advising office is to review the
evidence and to either support or not support concession requests. The final decision to grant the request always
rests with your instructor.
Use of AI Learning Tools: The use of AI Learning Tools is of limited value in this course. Students are responsible for
all factual inaccuracies created by the use of AI tools. As such, it is recommended that you avoid using such tools in
this course unless doing so clearly benefits your learning and you are confident in the accuracy of the information
provided by the AI tool.
Lecture Recordings: Students are expected to attend all lectures. You do not have permission to record lectures,
office hours, group meetings, or personal conversations that take place either in person or online.
Email Communication: All course-related emails must be sent via the Canvas Inbox. Using the Canvas Inbox to
communicate about course-related matters helps Professor Chapple and your TA stay organized and ensures timely
responses. When communicating by email, please keep the following in mind:
• Professor Chapple and your TAs will always strive to be respectful and courteous when communicating by email.
Please do the same.
• You should generally expect a response to your email within 48 hours, but you might have to wait longer if you
send your email on the weekend or on a public holiday.
• Some questions are difficult and time-consuming to answer by email. If you ask such a question by email, your TA
may suggest discussing the matter in person during office hours.

Laptop, Tablet and Phone Use: Except for when you are using your device to answer an iClicker Question, this class
has a no laptop/tablet/phone policy, so please do not use a laptop or tablet or phone during class at any other time.
Reasons for this policy include:
• Laptop, tablet, and phone use in class often generates significant distractions both for those using the device and
those nearby.
• A growing body of recent research (e.g., P.A. Mueller and D.M. Oppenheimer, The Pen Is Mightier Than the
Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking, Psychological Science, 23 April 2014) shows that
even when laptops are used solely to take notes in class, students who take notes longhand perform better on
conceptual questions than students who take notes on laptops.
• In this course detailed lecture notes are provided that are specifically designed for you to annotate by hand
during class. These notes provide space for adding diagrams, equations, and other notes as required. A laptop is
not an efficient way to make annotations involving diagrams and/or mathematics, which is something you will
have to do frequently in this course.

There is one exception to the no laptop/tablet rule. If you have a pen-enabled laptop or tablet that allows you to
annotate PDF documents by hand (e.g., Microsoft Surface or iPad), you may use it in class as long as it is flat on the
desk and you only use the device for annotating your lecture notes. If you use your tablet in class for any other
purpose (e.g., checking Facebook, watching a video, etc.) you will forfeit the privilege of using your pen-enabled
laptop/tablet in class for the rest of the term.

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