These represent all of the comments, both good and bad, received in Fall 2007 from every student that has completed the course. This may help you decide whether this class is for you. Some light editing for spelling and the occasional forgotten verb has been done, but in no cases was the students meaning knowingly altered. I did not have to, but would have removed any personal references that could identify any student.
Learned: I enjoyed this course very much. Having the outlines with all the information was exactly what I needed to get through economics. I took economics in the classroom style and couldn't get through it. This course allowed me to go at my own pace which was crucial for me since economics was something hard for me to understand.
Comments: No comments except that this course was a success for me!
Recommendations: No recommendations, I'm pleased with the way the course is run!
Learned: Overall, I believe that I have learned quite a bit, both micro and macro economics. This was my first online class and in addition to the factual knowledge that I gained about Economics, I have experience with online course and I have gained better budgeting and time management skills that I otherwise could not have gained in a conventional in-the-classroom class. The final writing assignment also aided me by giving me a hypothetical situation in which I would be reporting to my boss. Even though I am a Mechanical Engineer, this type of report between employer and employee is something that will come up more than once in my life and I am glad to have had the opportunity to write it.
Comments: I like the outlines given in each module. They are very detailed and relate to the material that we are tested on quite well. I also liked how quickly the teacher/TA responded to the completion of each module, usually only a day or two if that passed between the student's email and the response. The hour in between quizzes is also good since it gives the student adequate time to review what he/she missed in their 1st attempt so that they may achieve mastery in the 2nd or 3rd attempt.
Recommendations: I cannot think of any ways to enhance the course at this moment. Perhaps to avoid procrastination, make groups of modules due at the end of each month. In this way, even if the student does procrastinate, he/she can only put off so much before receiving zero credit for it.
Learned: This course was very interesting as it was my first online class. I put a lot of time into this course, and it was a lot of work. I am an independent leaner and this course still took a lot of time. Overall, I thought that this course was excellent for students like me. The ideas of how the economy runs will be implanted in my mind as I move onto the next courses I take and ultimately my degree. As a college student, I feel that these ideas will benefit my thinking and how I handle certain situations in society.
Questions: There are really no questions that I have that pertain to this course. Although, there is one point that I would like to make. One of my fellow students made it clear that this class was difficult as an actual in-class course; I felt that although some of the concepts were difficult, it was an obstacle that I could overcome. The point I'm trying to make is that I feel a course that lets you go at your own pace is more beneficial then courses in which you are rushed for time and have to make day-to-day deadlines.
Comments: This course has an excellent layout and every point or question was explained in full detail. I feel that the course material that presented was directly related to what was tested. Although that may seem like an obvious statement, you would be surprised by some professors at this university.
Recommendations: The feedback was good and I realize that there are a lot of students taking both online and in-class courses under this professor. The only thing I can recommend is a mandatory evaluation and feedback on the first writing assignment so it can help the student with their second writing assignment.
Comments: Very intensive evaluation module. There were a lot of questions.
Recommendations: I think the course ran very smooth. The acknowledgment of papers being sent was not very timely, although I was having problems with that. Also I would have liked to see the grade on the first paper before I wrote the second one in hopes to learn from my mistakes.
Learned: I have learned a lot in this online class. I was actually quite surprised that I learned as much as I did being an online class. I could go through the entire book and explain everything that I learned, but I already wrote evaluations for each chapter so I don't feel I need to. I realized how well I can do being on my own. I am used to constantly hearing my teacher and learning from him, but this time I had to do everything on my own and I actually liked it.
Recommendations: The only problem I had was not being able to take the next quiz if I didn't get a 10. I would try to take several quizzes in a night and wouldn't be able to because I would have to wait for the response.
Learned: Over the past semester, I have learned the following. This class has been a complete let down, in every aspect. I feel it has been a complete waste of time, effort, and money. The "professor" rarely responded with feedback from module and writing assignments.
Learned: I learned all about macro- and micro-economics. I learned that to be successful as a company you must maximize profits and minimize costs. I also learned what causes the economy to fluctuate and what means are there to stabilize it once again. Although, all of this is interesting, I don't think it will affect my thinking or behavior.
Learned: I have learned a lot from this course. It was very organized and I appreciated the feedback from these learning assessments. I liked that we were able to work at our own pace but at the same time it was great to know that someone was there to help you at anytime. Economics broadens your thinking of life around you. It helps you to understand that everything you do effects the economic some way or some how. It also helped me to realize what I need to watch out for as far as economic well-being and how my investments now may affect my future.
Questions: I do not have any questions at this time, but I appreciate all the questions that I have had being answered quickly and thoroughly.
Recommendations: I still have the recommendation that I had earlier in the course: having practice quizzes at the end of the modules (before taking the real quiz) that are similar in structure as the quiz.
Learned: Overall I learned the basics behind economics in both the micro and macro subject matters. I feel this course gave me a well rounded understanding of the subjects that were covered throughout the semester. And although I have no desire to take anymore economics classes, I appreciate the information I have ascertained from this course.
Learned: I learned the basics of economics.
Recommendations: Maybe you could have practice quizzes. Also, it was kind of frustrating that the graduate assistant answered all my questions, and was the one to advance me. She was good but I think that it is mostly the teacher's job to do that.
Learned: Throughout this course, I gained a deeper overall understanding of the study of economics. Prior to taking this course, I had no background or knowledge of many of the concepts introduced in this course. I now know the difference between macro and micro economics and what they entail. I also can now better understand how our economy works and why things happen the way that they do.
Learned: I am kind of confused as to why I have to write this for the end of course evaluation, but I guess I can write what I learned overall for the whole course. This course was an online course to teach micro and macro economics. It was effective in doing so. I learned the art of economics through this course and have a different appreciation for it. I learned how economics affects our everyday lives and is intertwined in everything we do including everyday decision making.
Questions: nothing at this time, it’s the end!
Learned: Pretty much everything I learned in this course was new to me. The concepts I took away that are most valuable to me that I didn't understand before are about taxes. This is an area that affects me and will my entire life so it was interesting learning about how much certain people have to pay and the different kinds of taxes and what effects them.
Questions: I guess when I think about it there was so much information in the course that everything is a little cloudy to me but coming into the course I had no knowledge at all. The hardest thing for me was correlating all the graphs as to what they go to and what effect they have on certain things.
Comments: This was an interesting class and I would recommend taking it. Lisa was very helpful and nice.
Recommendations: I think you have it down pretty good. Being an online course it is mainly up to the student to do well, you provided me with everything I needed to succeed.
Learned: I think this class was a little more work than I thought and I got behind in the beginning and I had to do 2 modules a week towards the end. Overall I thought this class was a good way to see how self-motivated I can be. This shows me how I should not procrastinate and I have already tried to change that in other classes these past couple weeks.
Comments: none, but the class overall was good.
Learned: I have learned about so many different things in this course. I would venture to say that I covered the most or nearly the most material in this course compared to the rest I have taken, although it is only my first semester. The main thing I learned in the last assignment was to relate economic ideas to real life situations.
Questions: Will my final grade get posted in WebCT or will I have to wait until my official grade report.
Comments: The topics presented in the writing assignments seemed daunting in comparison to the simple ideas in the quizzes.
Recommendations: My only complaint is that I did not receive timely grading on the first writing assignment, so that I knew how well I needed to do in the remainder of the course to get the desired grade.
Learned: I learned that economics is very confusing. I still don't understand what this has to do with Mechanical Polymer Engineering. Economics as a whole is a cool subject. There's an awful lot of prediction involved. Economics isn't scientific fact because people have free will, rather it is psychology; putting the idea of a good economy or a bad economy will tend to make it true more than some prediction of the future.
Questions: I do not have any questions at this time.
Comments: Requiring a 10/10 every single time was painful considering a 9/10 is still an "A". The questions were hard, especially for people who aren't majoring in economics.
Recommendations: Get rid of the hour "study time" between quizzes!!!!!!!! It was most frustrating missing the word, "not", getting a 9/10, and having to wait another hour to "try again." If you have to have a study time, make it based upon the previous quiz score: 9/10 = 10 min, 8/10 = 20 min, 7/10 = 30 min, 6/10 = 40 min, 5/10 = 50 min, 4/10 - 0/10 = 1 hour. Also, get rid of the mandatory 3 tries a module. If a student is satisfied with a 9/10 on the first try, open the next module and the quiz (let me repeat, and the quiz) and let them go on. They can take the quiz again if they really want the 10/10. There is nothing wrong with wanting kids to get an "A" in the class, but don't force it.
Learned: I learned so many things in this course, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Economics is not as mysterious as it used to be. This course also showed me how to be responsible and how to manage time well. I'm proud that I never fell behind, and I followed the recommended schedule the whole time.
Comments: I think that the practice quizzes after reading the online text helped me out a lot. The PowerPoints that you provided also helped to refresh my thoughts on the subjects before the quizzes. You should definitely keep providing PowerPoints and other helpful resources for future students.
Recommendations: One thing that you don't need to change is all of the resources that you provide the students with. However, the survey that I took for this course had a great idea that I think would help future students. I think that you should set up online office hours so that students will know exactly when you will be online so that they can get help.
Learned: I have gained a broader information base concerning the domestic and international economy. When engaged in conversations, I will feel better able to make points and understand the arguments presented before me. I will also be able to use the knowledge I have gained when writing my Senator and Representative. Thank you for giving me these tools.
Questions: I think this course covers quite a bit of information. I feel I have gained a lot but still feel like there is much above my head. This course has engaged me to learn more on my free time of how the economy works and what I can do to help influence it.
Comments: I believe the modules are easy to complete and understand. I believe notes should be made available in PDF format so words to not get chopped off while printing.
Recommendations: You are doing a fine job. The homework was helpful and the audio made the course seem more 'human'.
Learned: This was my first on-line class and I just want to mention that it was a good experience. The class objectives and what was expected was clearly outlined in the syllabus. And a tentative schedule was made that informed me on what should be done weekly to ensure good progress in the class. Another positive aspect of the course was the prompt email responses. Feedback was given weekly along with suggestions on how to improve. I also thought that the text book was a good one. It was easy to read and understand not to mention all the material encompassing the book was relevant and interesting.
Learned: This course went well. I learned a lot more than I thought I would. I think I appreciate this subject more now and I realized that If I want to own my own business in the future, which is a goal of mine, I'll need to know a lot more about economics.
Learned: In this course I have learned practical knowledge about micro and macroeconomic concepts. I learned how my decisions serve my personal interest but also affect the social interest. I think that one of the most important concepts that I learned was how firms and the economy operates efficiently and how the most efficient point is adjusted. I also think that it was important to learn how the government and the fed control the economy. I also became more comfortable with expressing these concepts verbally after doing the writing assignments.
Questions: I feel comfortable with the concepts I learned, so nothing is muddy.
Recommendations: I don't have any recommendations, I though that this process works well with feedback after every module.
Learned: I learned so much more about economics and how it can be implemented in many factors of life in general. If you know even a little about economics you know more than the average citizen. I learned about what stores do to make profit and why. When I go into a store I will be more conscious of the pricing and the amount of goods I buy at what times. I learned about employment and what goes into the decision making of choosing to hire or not to hire.
Questions: I do not have any questions at this time. I feel that I learned a lot during this class. I will take what I learned this semester and make conscious decisions about factors of the economy throughout life.
Comments: I feel that this was a good module. A reward for finishing all modules is appreciated by the student. Professors do not always reward students for simply finishing the course.
Recommendations: I have no recommendations at this time. I feel the course is good the way it is.
Learned: This was a very good learning experience for me, in more than one way. I was worried that I would not be able to finish this course on time, but I found it in myself to finish strong and I was also able to learn a lot in the process. After taking this course I can actually watch the news and channels like CNN now. I understand what economics are all about, like how to measure them, how to analyze them, and how to interpret these numbers and make a validated prediction. I am truly grateful that Dr. Myers allowed me into this course after I missed the sign up deadline. I am also truly thankful for the knowledge and skills that I can take with me for the rest of my life. This has been one of my top ten classes since I joined the University of Akron.
Recommendations: This course is great, the only recommendation would be to inform your future students that if they are taking the quiz and click off the webct page, they will not be able to see their results and their grade won't post for a day or so (These are the instances where my computer "shut off" on me).
Learned: This was a good course.
I enjoyed this course. You were able to work at your own pace but also you had help whenever you needed it. I learned a lot of information regarding the subject of economics. I would recommend students taking this class.
Time management is critical; procrastinators will hate it and have a difficult time.
If you can work well alone this is a good idea, although if you are taking it purely for the desire to learn as much as possible more may potentially be learned in a classroom environment or taking separate micro- and macro- classes. Had I have known I could have split this class up for more credit before I signed up, I may have done so.
As said before, the layout of the course is excellent. The information on webct was more than substantial to complete each module and move on. I feel that the on-line version of this course was more beneficial than the actual in-class course for me. I feel like I'm saying the same things over but a course that lets you move at your own pace relieves some stress if a student plans accordingly.
The course was set up very well. I ended up reading through the whole economics book and reviewing the online outlines before each quiz. I thought the course ran very smooth.
This course is not to be taken lightly. There is a lot of work to be put in and it is time consuming. For people who work this course is good if you have motivation.
Overall this course gave a great "general knowledge of economics" background. If you are interested in taking an economics course I would recommend that you take this one. It gave a broad overview of what economics is all about and what you would come to expect if you were to take more advanced courses in this subject matter.
I you have a computer available all the time and can learn by reading you'll be fine in this course
This course adequately informs and tests the student on concepts of microeconomics and macroeconomics. Although not located in the conventional classroom, the teacher attempts to reach out to his students and encourage them to contact him about any main points that they may find unclear from reading the text, notes, or power points presented. So long as the student is willing to ask, the teacher is more than happy to help in the student's learning experience. Overall, i rate this course as excellent.
You learn a variety of things about how the economy is run. Taking the online course allows you to work at your own pace, and it also allows you to establish a sense of responsibility. If you can keep up with the work week to week without falling behind then you have learned about responsibility as well as economics.
I believe that this course is good for those that are going into business majors. Only a small amount of things were the same as my Process Economics course, like net present value, gross income, and profit.
(Not answered)
If you are RESPONSIBLE with your time and you need to take an economics course, I would recommend this one. Not only do you take all the knowledge of micro and macro economics with you, it’s at your pace. For example, let’s say you have an exam tomorrow, take the day off and study for that. Now it’s Sat. and all you’re doing is watching college football. Now do a module or two and the day you missed is caught up and now you’re ahead of the class. The online version of this course allows you to study the topics you need to study, and allows you the time necessary to complete them. The teacher is the best there is, and he has all the answers. I strongly recommend this course for anyone considering being an economics major. I really liked this course and I want to thank you for allowing me in.
This online course is an excellent way to help a student learn and understand the principles of economics by having a computer do the teaching. Timed quizzes covering nearly all 30 chapters of the textbook are given at a pace determined by the student. It is very user friendly and the student can learn a lot on the subject.
The class is set up extremely well and very straightforward. I really hate economics and would not ever want to take it, but since it was required for my major, I would definitely recommend this course online. It seems to be the least painless.
In summary, this course was very helpful for me. It let me go at my own pace and learn the material in my own time. However, it is easy to get behind so you need to pace yourself and make sure you are following the timeline the instructor gives for completing the course. I did 1-2 modules a week and I got through the course smoothly.
This course is one that although you do not have to take a lot of time out of your day, it does take time. It is not to be taken for granted that you do not have to go to class. You still must study. The class overall was helpful in learning a lot a bout economics. It was a great time saver as well. If a student likes to work alone the class is great for individual learning.
This course contains a general overview of micro and macroeconomics. The lessons are separated into 14 modules with an organized outline and PowerPoint for each chapter in the text with various other learning tools and worksheets. After each module there is a 10 question multiple choice quiz. There are two writing assignments during the course to practice your ability to write about economics topics.
This course was very interesting. I learned a lot because of the fact that it was up to me to learn the material. I liked not having to go to class and taking the quizzes at my own pace. I fell a little behind in the beginning but caught back up and managed to do ok in the class. You must be self motivated to take the class and not put off doing your work. As long as you read and stay up with taking the quizzes you will do fine.
Be prepared for a completely independent course about life. Be able to sit and type in front of a computer for a commitment.
This course is intended to teach micro and macro economics through an online computer based program. It utilizes a text book, online notes, and a weekly quiz to teach and measure progress.
I think this class overall was good. It was nice that I could do the work for this class when I had time, but I also procrastinated some. I wish I would have stayed on track. I wasn't too far behind, but enough to put extra work on at the end of the semester and it's not fun when finals are coming up.
This is a good course if you can keep yourself on track to complete one module per week and have the self-discipline to not just put the course off because you don't have to go do it. It is nice having several credit hours without having to actually go to a class. If you learn better through hearing a professor speak to you and explain things, this is not a good course.
The course is very long and tedious. You need to set aside more time a week than any other 3 credit course you have taken, especially any other 3 credit online course. You cannot even try to skim the book. You must read the book word for word for word for word. Then you have to understand every single word you just read. Even then, you will not be guaranteed to get a 10/10 on the quiz. This course is better suited for economics majors. If you wanted a peek at economics, you will get more than you can chew with this course. Remember, all this is coming from a straight-A honors student. For those who aren't in honors: God help you.
This course is well organized in the subject material it provides and what is expected of you as a student. It covers both aspects of economics including macro and micro economics. As long as you keep up with the quizzes and not fall behind things should go smoothly. Questions and suggestions were promptly answered and given.