Shirley uses WebCT as a "virtual classroom" for two of the courses she teaches:
Course Details
Title: Principles of Microeconomics
Level: Primarily freshman/sophomore
Number of Students: 140
Syllabus
Course Objectives and Methods
Here's how Shirley describes the goals of this course: "Upon completion of this course, students should feel comfortable drawing graphs to illustrate the behavior of firms and individuals to changing economic conditions. Students should also be able to discuss the history, market structure, and performance of several different industries in the U. S. economy and should feel comfortable reading articles in the business daily newspaper about U. S. companies. Students should also be able to explain the strengths of the capitalist free enterprise system as well as discuss some of the ways in which the market may not provide the ideal or optimal amount of a particular good."
To reach these goals, Shirley employs a variety of teaching methods, including:
• Readings
• Lecture
• Portfolio development (“’portfolio of concrete experiences’ to balance abstract and theoretical content in the text”)
• In-class writing
• Online discussion
• Case study review
• Interviews
Course Details
Title: Comparative Economic Systems
Level: sophomore/junior
Number of Students: 35
Syllabus
Course Objectives and Methods
Goals from the syllabus:
“Upon completion of this course, students should be able to discuss the history, market structure, and performance of many countries, including Russia and the transitional economies in Eastern Europe, China, Japan, Sweden, and the former Yugoslavia and should feel comfortable reading articles in the business and academic journals about these countries. Students should also be able to explain the differences between capitalism, socialism, and the soviet-type command economies.
This is a writing intensive and web-intensive course. Students will also learn how to present ideas and arguments in written form both on paper and using websites they learn how to design.”
Shirley uses the following methods to reach these goals:
• Readings
• Lecture
• Online and Classroom Discussions
• Web-published team projects
• Student presentations
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