- Economics Online:
- Guide to Economics Online at BCC
- Is an online economics
course for you?
- Hardware/software
requirements and recommendations
- Papers for Online
Economics Courses
- Online Resources for
Economics Students
- Electronic
Reserve Desk for Online Economics (password
required)
- Economics of Emerging
Technologies Research Guide
- Gallery of Economists
- Online Economics Courses (Introductory Pages):
- Economics
100: Survey of Economics
- Economics
200: Principles of Macroeconomics
- Economics
201: Principles of Microeconomics
- Economics
270: The Economics of Emerging Technologies
- Course Home Pages (password required):
- Economics
100
- Economics
200
- Economics
201
- Economics
270
- Other Links:
- Instructor's Home
Page
- Email
Instructor
- Distance
Education Office (Registration Information)
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Hardware
and Software Requirements and Recommendations
- Browsers
- The browser is the most important
piece of software for an online course. Web-based
course materials in online economics courses
include tables, frames, forms, and some animated
graphics. You will need version 4.0 or above of
either Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape
Navigator. Older browsers will make a
mish-mash of some of the course materials,
particularly tables. Which of these two
browsers to use is a matter of taste. If you have
the disk space available, I recommend getting
both of them.
Versions of both browsers are available for all major operating systems, including Windows 3.1, 95, and 98; Windows NT; MacOS7.1 or higher; and even UNIX. Be sure to get the correct version for your operating system.
At present, the browsers are free. You can
download them from the Netscape
and/or Microsoft
web sites. Both come with many other useful
goodies, including simple but adequate Web-page
editors. Netscape calls its package Netscape
Communicator -- so be sure to download the
entire package.
Online materials used in this course are checked out on the current versions of both of these browsers (as of December 1998 the current versions are Explorer 4.0 and Netscape 4.5). I find the navigation easier with Netscape, however that may be because I've been using it longer. But Explorer now has some useful features that are not available on Netscape:
- A print option allows you to print a table of the URL links that are included in a web page when you print the web page. There is another print option that prints all the linked web pages as well -- which could tie up your printer all day -- so be careful when selecting print options.
- Explorer's Fullscreen button lets you get rid of most of the stuff at the top of the screen to provide more space for the web page -- then you can click it again to bring that stuff back when you need it. Very useful. It takes three clicks to accomplish the same thing on Netscape.
- Some of the assigned reading for this course is on the electronic reserve system. These are articles that have been electronically "clipped" from various sources. Opening some of them in Netscape requires that you disable style sheets, which takes several steps (and of course you need to remember to enable them again when you are through). Explorer opens these articles without any problems.
- Computer, Operating System, etc.
- Any computer and operating system that can run
Explorer or Netscape 4.0 or higher will be
adequate. The minimum computer for using these browsers would be a PC with at least a 66MHz 486, 16MB of RAM, and 75MB of unused hard drive space; or a PowerPC Mac. Note that those are minimums and browser operations may be very slow. You should also have a 28.8Kbps or faster modem.
- Internet Service Provider
- You will need a reliable Internet Service Provider (IPS). If your Internet service provided a sub-standard browser, you need to find out how to switch to a 4.0 or higher browser. ISPs that require you to go trhough half a dozen screens and menus before actually getting to the Internet will be quite frustrating when you are taking an online course. In past quarters, students using America OnLine have had far more technical problems that students using other ISPs.
U.S.West's !INTERACT is available to BCC students for $11.00/month plus a $15.00 set up charge. It is very basic -- no server space or anything fancy -- but offers unlimited web access and basic email. Access numbers are strictly local, so it won't do if you travel a lot. The last time I looked it came with a hopelessly outdated browser so you may need to switch browsers. Their phone support is usually quite good.
- Email Service
- Most internet service providers also provide
email as part of the package. Some are better
than others. If you do not like the email service
from your ISP, there are other options. Netscape now
offers free email (even if you are not using
their browser).
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- However, the software we are using for online
economics courses -- WebCt -- has its own email
system. Once you get your password and start the
course you will use that system for email to and
from the instructor and other students. This has
several advantages. If you are not working from
your own computer you can still access the course
email from any computer with an internet
connection. And using the built-in email system
keeps your course email separate from your other
email. But after the course is over, you will
need to use your regular email service for any
communication with the instructor.
- Text Processor
- Any basic text processor will do. When you post
your papers and other assignments any fancy
formatting from top-line word processors will be
lost - you will need to post them as plain text
files or as HTML files. For this purpose any
simple text processor such as the ones that come
with Microsoft Windows (Notepad or WordPad) will
be adequate. For better control of formatting you
may want to use a Web editor. Microsoft Front
Page Express or Netscape Composer -- both of
which come free with the browsers -- will meet this
need.
- Skills
- Browser skills are the most critical for this course. You should know how to enter URLs, bookmark Web sites, save and/or print out Web pages, and how to move around in hypertext documents. You will also need to know how to download and install plug-ins when a Web site requires another component, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Search skills are also required. You should know how to identify the key words or phrases that you enter into a search engine, and how to refine your search criteria when your first search comes up with too many Web sites.
- Basic word processing skills are a must. You won't be able to use the fancy formatting capabilities of your top-line word processor, but that is no reason not to use it. The basic stuff -- cut and paste, drag and drop, search and replace, save, print, etc. -- is all you really need. But the outlining capabilities, spell-checking, built-in thesarus, instant word count, ability to have multiple documents open at the same time, and other features of the top word processors are well worth the time it takes to learn how to use them. For this course, though, just remember to save your documents in simple text (.txt suffix) or the fancy formatting can turn your paper into unreadable garbage when you paste it into the bulletin board.
- Backup and Crash Plan
- Blessed are the pessimists for they hath made backups
- Hard drives go bonkers, CPU chips overheat and fry, houses get broken into and computers get stolen. These crises are stressful enough without adding a loss of all the files that were on the hard drive or not being able to finish a course after you've gotten half way through it.
Of course you will keep a backup of all your course files somewhere other than on your computer's hard drive. And you will keep the course URLs, passwords, etc. written down somewhere other than on a text file on your hard drive. And you will know where you can temporarily borrow or rent a computer until yours is repaired.
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