Syllabus for EUT-402-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Applied Economic Analysis provides learners with an understanding of the basics of utility regulatory economics, covering topics such as rate structuring, applications of economic principles for regulated and non-regulated utility operations, and economic analysis of financial operations.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. The textbook is available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

• Public Utilities Reports Guide: Principles of Public Utilities Operations and Management, (9 volumes), (Vienna, VA: Public Utilities Reports, Inc., 2004)).
  ISBN-13: 978-0-910325-84-4

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Applied Economic Analysis is a three-credit online course. It consists of five study modules.

Modular study assignments include text readings. You are required to participate in graded online discussions and an ungraded "Introductions" forum, which occurs during the first week of the semester. You are also required to complete 7 graded quizzes as well as the written assignments and a capstone project. In this project, which all assignments lead up to, you apply your knowledge to analysis of a focus utility and a comparison utility.

For the course's assignment modules (study assignments, online discussions, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. The quizzes are found in the Tests & Quizzes area of the site. See also the Course Calendar for an overview of the assignments and for all due dates.

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum, Applied Economic Analysis requires you to participate in weekly graded class discussions--in some weeks there are two topics and in others just one.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, and concepts as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful. Average length of discussion postings should be 150 to 200 words.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. Be aware that half of your grade for discussion participation will be based on your initial postings; the other half will depend on your responses to the postings of your classmates.

Deadlines for posting responses to the discussion questions are given in the course Calendar.

Specific directions for these activities, and the questions to be discussed, are given in the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Applied Economic Analysis has twelve (12) written assignments. (The last is the submission of your capstone project.) For the assignment topics and questions, see the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. Each of the assignments requires you to apply course content to the operation of particular utilities, and all assignments can be used as building blocks in your capstone project. Due dates for each assignment are listed in the course Calendar.

Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the readings and concepts. They should also adequately answer the questions posed. If you need help in writing, take a look at The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Also, formulate responses in your own words. Do not merely copy answers from your reading materials. When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to APA guidelines (see also Basic Documentation Rules). If you have further questions, your mentor will guide you in accordance with the correct style of documentation.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in a textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
• Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is reason to suspect that you were cheating in any way, you run the risk of being given a failing grade in this course.

Please also note that the online quizzes are time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time (15 minutes per quiz) in which to complete each quiz. If you attempt to use more time than you are allowed, you will be penalized. Important note: Remember that you may enter and take the quiz only once. Be sure you are ready to take the quiz and have time to finish it before you click the link to enter.

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CAPSTONE PROJECT

This course includes a capstone project to be submitted near the end of the course. (See the Course Calendar.) A full description of this project and guidelines for completing it are in the Course Documents area of this course site.

Throughout Modules 1 through 4 you will answer questions that require you to apply concepts to your chosen utilities. You will use these assignments, along with additional research as noted above, to create a 7- to 12-page (1500- to 3000-word) report. The report should include references to the data you have researched and any interviews you have conducted.

Refer to the Guidelines as you compose your report. You may begin work on this project at any time during the course, but you should submit it by the due date indicated on the course Calendar.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Consult the Grading Rubric for more detail about how your capstone project will be evaluated.

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the final examination are based on the following numerical grades:

Note: To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Course Essentials, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course and get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.



4. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.