Course coordinator
Dr Priscilla Man
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Economics School
This course aims to set students on the path to becoming effective decision makers. It equips students with the core economic principles that are necessary to understand how decision makers make choices and how choices can be made that make the best possible use of limited available resources. Whether you are operating in the role of a consumer apportioning your income, a company manager striving to maximise profits, or a government policy-maker seeking to tackle environmental degradation, these principles are fundamental to effective decision making.
ECON1011 is an introductory economics course, covering principles of Micro- and Macroeconomics. It is taught in an "issue-based" format, meaning that we will be discussing contemporary social and economic issues, introducing relevant fundamental economic principles as we come across them. We would like to showcase the relevance and versatility of economics, and help you to acquire an "economic mindset". Through these applications, we will cover topics such as how price and output (for a particular product or general price and output level of an economy) are determined, how we explain why governments may need to intervene in a particular type of market but not in others, and how some government policies are more efficient than others. These basic concept will provide stepping stones for further studies in economics and business.
Course requirements
Assumed background
There is a mathematical requirement for entry into degree programs offered by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law. The mathematical requirements for this course are modest. However, just as in most knowledge-intensive private and public sector jobs, basic arithmetic and an ability to understand and manipulate simple graphs and equations are required in order to make good progress. No previous study in the field of economics, micro or macro, is assumed or required.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
ECON1010, ECON2011, ECON2012
Restrictions
This course is not available to students enrolled in Economics programs.
Course contact
School enquiries
School Enquiries, School of Economics
All enquiries regarding student and academic administration (i.e. non-course content information, e.g., class allocation, timetables, extension to assessment due date, etc.) should be directed toﾠenquiries@economics.uq.edu.au.ﾠ
Enquiries relating specifically to course content should be directed to the Course Coordinator/Lecturer.
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Priscilla Man
Tutor
Dr Priscilla Man
Mr Dominic Byrne
Mr Arjun Mehrotra
Mr Ben Morris
Mr Krishna Nair
Mr Jacob Behne
Ms Lou Oxford
Mr Kyle Wang
Mr Troy Lee
Senior tutor
Mr Dominic Byrne
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Lectures commence in Week 1
Tutorials commence in Week 2
Tutorial Sign On: Students must select their preferred workshop times as described below. This should be completed before the end of Teaching Week 1.
Please see the Learning Activities section of this Course Profile for the timetabling implications of public holidays.
Important Dates:
· Public Holidays: Fri 18 April (Good Friday), Mon 5 ﾠMay (Labour Day).
· Mid-Semester Break: 21 April - 25 April. Semester 1 classes recommence on Mon 28 April
Students should refer to the timetable prior to the commencement of classes to ensure that they have the most up to date information, as from time to time late room changes may occur.
Aims and outcomes
ECON1011 aims to introduce students to economics through contemporary social issues such as the Housing Crisis, Cost of Living, and Climate Change. By understanding how incentives intertwines with market structure, students are invited to interpret and analyse, through the lens of economics, the challenges our society faces, and evaluate proposed policies or solutions to these issues.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Interpret, explain and utilise basic economic terminology.
LO2.
Identify and illustrate appropriate economic theory related to real-life contexts.
LO3.
Evaluate contemporary economics issues with the use of appropriate economics models.
LO4.
Communicate economic thinking in non-technical, plain language.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Author, Moderate and Answer Questions via RiPPLE
|
15% (3 x 5%) |
Round 1 28/03/2025 2:00 pm Round 2 28/04/2025 2:00 pm Round 3 23/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Critique a Celebrity
|
35% (10% + 25%) |
Issue identification (10%) 11/04/2025 2:00 pm Video (25%) 30/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
50% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
Assessment details
Author, Moderate and Answer Questions via RiPPLE
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 15% (3 x 5%)
- Due date
Round 1 28/03/2025 2:00 pm
Round 2 28/04/2025 2:00 pm
Round 3 23/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Peer assessed.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
You are required to author resources, moderate resources, and answer questions that your peers and instructors author.
Three rounds of RiPPLE will be run during the semester, with assessable items due in Week 5, mid-semester break and Week 12 (28th March, 24th April, and 23rd May respectively).
Due to the adaptive and interactive nature of the task, late submission is not possible for this assessment.
Detailed information about RiPPLE will be provided on Blackboard.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Technical note on Machine Translation
Please disable the translation plug-in of your browser when you work on RiPPLE. There have been recurring reports that translation plug-ins or applications render your submissions in a non-English language even if it appears in English on your screen. As RiPPLE is a peer-learning device, having all resources and moderations in English is essential for equal accessibility. Any non-English submission will be deleted and marked at 0. It is students’ responsibility to ensure that their submission is in English. Neither ECON1011 Team nor the RiPPLE team will accept responsibility for marks lost due to non-English submissions.
Submission guidelines
The resources will be created, moderated and answered on RiPPLE via the course Blackboard site. See detailed information posted on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Requests for the granting of extensions must be made online via Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland with supporting documentation before the submission due date and time. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email. Extensions cannot exceed the number of days you suffered from a medical condition, as stated on the medical certificate.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Where an extension has not been previously approved, the following penalties apply to late or non-submission of an assessment item (e.g. essay) in alignment with PPL 3.10.02:
Adaptive Learning Exercises (Author, Moderate and Answer Questions via RiPPLE):
A 100% penalty (zero mark) for the relevant assessment round will apply to late submissions. RiPPLE automatically assigns marks, in line with the marking criteria, based on the time you created a resource, moderated a resource or answered a question. If you do not meet the criteria, RiPPLE will award zero marks.
Critique a Celebrity
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 35% (10% + 25%)
- Due date
Issue identification (10%) 11/04/2025 2:00 pm
Video (25%) 30/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Student will choose a quote from a celebrity (e.g., politicians, social media influencers) made last year. This quote should be related to one of the five main topics covered in this course. Students will evaluate the validity of the claim(s) made in the chosen quote using economic concepts or theories you have learnt in this course, and then make a one-minute TikTok-style video explaining whether the celebrity’s claim is valid, and why.
There are two submissible items in this assessments:
Issue identification (10%)
Students are to identify contemporary economic issues that are being discussed in the public domain. Using the template provided on the course Blackboard site, provide basic background information and a link to your chosen quote (or attach a pdf in the case of a traditional media article). Relate the quote to the topic you have identified. This item is to be submitted by Friday, 11th April 2025 14:00 (i.e., 2:00pm) AEST.
One-minute Video (25%)
Produce a one-minute video of your critique. In your video, you should:
- Introduce the quote you are critiquing;
- Identify a claim in the quote as an economic statement;
- Explain the economic concepts in the statement you have identified in 2.; and
- Correct (if the claim is wrong), qualify (if the claim is partially correct) or validate (if the claim is correct) the claim you have identified in 2.
The video should be submitted by Friday, 30th May 2025 14:00 (i.e., 2:00pm) AEST.
Detailed instructions on the tasks are posted on the course Blackboard site.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
The issue identification is to be submitted electronically to Turnitin through the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
The one-minute video is to be submitted electronically to Blackboard Assignments through the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Requests for the granting of extensions must be made online via Applying for an extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland with supporting documentation before the submission due date and time. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email. Extensions cannot exceed the number of days you suffered from a medical condition, as stated on the medical certificate.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Where an extension has not been previously approved, the following penalties apply to late or non-submission of an assessment item (e.g. essay) in alignment with PPL 3.10.02:
Video (Topic identification and/or the one-minute video):
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24 hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.
Final Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
An invigilated digital exam (Inspera) covering the five main topics discussed in class. Written and printed materials are permitted.
Students need to bring their own laptop with the Safe Exam browser installed for the exam. It is students' responsibility to ensure that they are prepared for a digital exam (including having a laptop with sufficient battery for the exam duration -- no plug in power points will be provided). Students who cannot use their own laptop may borrow a laptop from the Library (https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/it/laptop-loans).
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Open Book examination |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0% - 29% |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30% - 46% |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47% - 49% |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50% - 64% |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65% - 74% |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75% - 84% |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85% - 100% |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
A student's final overall end of semester percentage mark will be rounded to determine their final grade. For example, 64.5% rounds to 65%, while 64.4% rounds to 64%.
ﾠ
ﾠ
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Plagiarism
The School of Economics is committed to reducing the incidence of plagiarism.ﾠ Further information on plagiarism and how to avoid an allegation of plagiarism is available in this course profile under Section 6.1 - Assessment Related Policies & Guidelines. Please refer to Section 6.1 and the link to theﾠAcademic Integrity Module (AIM). It is strongly recommended that you complete the AIM ﾠif you have not already done so.
ﾠ
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Announcements and Support Materials
Announcements and support materials are made through:
- The course Blackboard site;
- The course Ed Discussion board; or
- Your student email.
Please visit the course Blackboard site, Ed Discussion board and check your student emailﾠregularly. You are deemed to have received any message sent to your UQ email address.
UQ Library Resources
UQ Library offers a series of Digital Essentials modules. Feel free to explore as many as you need. The following modules are of particularﾠrelevance to ECON1011:
- Write, cite and submit: For planning, referencing and submitting assignments
- Choose the right tool: For finding the right tool to make your video
- Find and use media: If you intend to use media (e.g., images, music) in your video
See also UQ Library's referencing guide for the APA 7th citation style (adopted by this course).
UQ Student Services Resources
UQ Student Central ﾠoffers a range of student support services, ranging from handling day-to-day student lifeﾠto crisis support. The following resources may be of particular interest to ECON1011 students:
- Academic English support:ﾠ Your English is probably better than you thinkﾠ-- if you are willing to use it.
- General study skills: ﾠGeneral tips on developing effective study strategies.
- Study skills workshops:ﾠ Join a workshop to improve your academic, life and well-being skills!
- Study and Exam adjustments: ECON1011 Team supports students with a disability, mental health or medical condition, illness, injury or exceptional circumstances. If a condition or circumstance is impacting your ability to study, make an appointment with an adviser to create a plan and discuss the support available to you. You may also be eligible for exam adjustments if you have a condition or circumstance that impacts on your exams.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Good Friday 18th April 2025 is a public holiday (Good Friday). There will be no lecture on that day. Students who normally attend a Friday tutorial are welcome to attend an alternative tutorial session in this week. |
Not scheduled |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Labour Day Monday 5th May is a public holiday. No tutorials or consultations will be held on that day. Students who normally attend a Monday tutorial are welcome to attend an alternative tutorial session for this week only. |
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 1 - Introduction Introduction to basic macroeconomic variables (e.g., GDP, inflation rate). Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 1 - Introduction Introduction and Housekeeping on RiPPLE. Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 2 - Housing Crisis in Australia I Demand, supply and price determination in competitive markets, with an application to the housing crisis in Australia. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 2 Investigating demand, supply and price formation, and how they are affected by changing market conditions. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 3 - Housing Crisis in Australia II Discussing the economic approaches to typical interventions in competitive markets, with an application of evaluating various "solutions" to the housing crisis. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 3 Applications of demand, supply and market interventions. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Lecture |
Lecture 4 - Cost of Living I Departing from the competitive market settings in Lectures 2 and 3, we will start investigating imperfect competition, with an application to the cost of living issue in Australia. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 4 Investigating the welfare implications of monopoly. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 5 - Cost of Living II Introduction to the Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply model of output and general price level determination, with an application to the cost of living in Australia. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 5 Applications of the Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply model. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 6 - Cost of Living III Discussing fiscal and monetary policies and their effects, we will evaluate the Australian policy responses to cost of living. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 6 Applications of the economic theory on fiscal and monetary policies. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 7 - Trade War I Through discussing why nations trade (i.e., comparative advantages), this lecture provides the background for analysing trade wars. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 7 Applications of comparative advantage and trade. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break No lecture, tutorial or consultation this week. |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 8 Critique a celebrity video component planning -- getting suggestions and feedback on the video assessment from your tutor. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 9 - Trade War II Through analysing the effects of tariffs, we will evaluate the implications of contemporary trade wars. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 9 Analysing the impact of a trade war from different perspectives. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 10 - Climate Change I An introduction to externalities, coordination failure and public goods, with an application to climate change. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 10 Applications of externalities. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Lecture |
Lecture 11 - Climate Change II Introduction to Game Theory, with an application to climate agreements between countries. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 11 Analysing climate agreements using game theory. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 12 - Global Inequality Why are some countries poorer than the others? What determines a country's economic growth? This lecture will introduce students to the Solow Growth Model, one of the basic models for understanding economic growth. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 12 Discussion and applications of the Solow Growth Model. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Lecture |
Lecture 13 - Summary and Review The way we have come, and the way ahead. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.