Hong Kong Community College

BHMH2002 Introduction to Economics

<Semester 1, 2023-24>

Tentative Teaching Plan

Subject Leader

Dr June FUNG (Office: Room WK-S1429, Tel.: 3746 0346, email: june.fung@cpce-polyu.edu.hk)

Subject Lecturers

Mr Samson CHIU (Office: Room WK-N1201, Tel.: 6323 4548, email: ccsamson@cpce-polyu.edu.hk)
Mr Henry CHOI (Office: Room WK-N1201, Tel.: 9011 9736, email: kschoi@cpce-polyu.edu.hk)
Dr June FUNG (Office: Room WK-S1429, Tel.: 3746 0346, email: june.fung@cpce-polyu.edu.hk)
Dr Diana HUANG (Office: Room WK-S1328, Tel.: 3746 0323, email: diana.jj.huang@cpce-polyu.edu.hk)
Ms Titi HUNG (Office: Room WK-N1201, Tel.: 8490 1009, email: wthung@cpce-polyu.edu.hk)
Ms Pennie WONG (Office: Room WK-N1201, Tel.: 9622 1003, email: ppywong@cpce-polyu.edu.hk)

Pre-requisite/ Co-requisite/ Exclusion

Exclusion: BHMH1042 Economics and Society (for Non-Business Students)

Objectives

This subject enables students to do simple analysis of business situations by applying conceptual frameworks drawn from Economics, and identify
and analyse the means by which value is created in goods and services and delivered to the end-users. It also identifies and analyses those aspects
of the local and global business environment that affect the business decisions made by the business organisations. The subject also helps students
develop critical thinking skills which are useful for life-long learning.

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Subject Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this subject, students will be able to:

(a) explain the issues involved in the allocation of scarce resources for individual economic agents and the economy as a whole;
(b) apply relevant economic knowledge to conduct economic analysis of the behaviour of firms and markets, and the effectiveness of
government economic policy;
(c) explain the issues relating to macroeconomics and their impacts on an economy;
(d) apply relevant economic knowledge to enhance their understanding of other business subjects.

Respective Scheme/ Programme Intended Learning Outcomes

This subject contributes to the respective Scheme/ Programme Intended Learning Outcomes in the following way:
(1) For students taking this subject as a General Education/ General University Requirements subject or elective Discipline-specific/ Discipline
Specific Requirements subject, please refer to your Scheme/Programme Requirement Document for the Scheme/ Programme Intended Learning
Outcomes.

(2) For students of Associate Degree Scheme in Business –

(Row extracted from the Curriculum Map of Associate Degree Scheme in Business)
P-ILO-6
P-ILO-1 P-ILO-2 P-ILO-3 P-ILO-4 P-ILO-5
Subject Code Subject Title IT and Quantitative Skills Communication Critical Thinking Problem Solving Different Perspectives
Ethics and
Professional Attitudes

BHMH 2002 Introduction to Economics I, A I, A

* Please refer to your Scheme/Programme Requirement Document for the full version of the Outcome Statements.

I: The learning leading to the particular outcome is introduced in that subject

A: The learning leading to the particular outcome is assessed in that subject

Teaching and Learning Approach

Lectures will focus on the introduction and explanation of key economic concepts, with specific reference to current economic issues wherever
appropriate. Occasional group discussions will be conducted.

Tutorials will provide students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the concepts taught in lectures and to do simple analysis of real-
life economic issues by applying the relevant economic concepts and theories. Activities in tutorials will include doing problem sets, discussion
and/or presentations.
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Weekly Teaching Pattern

2 hours of lecture
1 hour of tutorial

Tentative Teaching Schedule

Lecture Tutorial
Readings/ Tutorial
No Content/ Topics No Content/ Topics
Remarks Exercise
1 Scope of Economics Analysis Chapter 1 1 Introduction

2 Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium Chapter 4 2 Scopes of Economics Analysis Topic 1
Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium
3 Chapter 4 3 Topic 2
(Con’d)
Market Efficiency Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium Sample
4 Chapter 6 4
Assignment I
Elasticities and the applications Market Efficiency
5 Chapter 5 5 Topic 3
Government Actions in Markets
6 Production and Costs Chapter 14 6 Elasticities and the applications Topic 4
Production and Costs (Con’d) Government Actions in Markets Sample
7 Chapter 14 & 15 7
Market Structure (I): Perfect Competition Production and Costs Assignment II
Market Structure (I): Perfect Competition Production and Costs
8 Chapter 15 8 Topic 6
(Con’d)
9 Market Structure (II): Monopoly Chapter 16 9 Perfect Competition Topic 7
Nature of Macroeconomics and National Monopoly
10 Chapter 21 10 Topic 8
Income Accounting
Money, Banking, Credit Creation, and Nature of Macroeconomic and National
11 Chapter 27 & 33 11 Topic 9
Monetary Policy Income Accounting
Unemployment, Inflation, & Deflation Money, Banking, Credit Creation, and
12 Chapter 22 to 24 12 Topic 10
Monetary Policy
Aggregate Supply, Aggregate Demand, Unemployment, Inflation, & Deflation
13 - 13 Topic 11
and Fiscal Policy
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Assessment Weighting
Continuous Assessment: 50%
Examination: 50%
100%

Assessment Methods for Continuous Assessment

Continuous Assessment Percentage Brief Description

Mid-term Test 40% The mid-term test consists of multiple choice questions and
integrated questions tentatively covering Topic 1 to 4 to be held on
4 November 2023 (Saturday) (Week 9) from 7:30 to 8:30pm
tentatively.

Individual Assignment 1 20% The assignment consists of integrated questions tentatively covering
Topic 1 to 3 to be submitted in Week 7.

Individual Assignment 2 20% The assignment consists of integrated questions tentatively covering
Topic 6 to 7 to be submitted in Week 11.

In-class Exercises 20% In-class exercises are used to assess student performance. Students
have to complete 6 exercises during tutorial on group basis.
Details are provided in the tutorial guideline.
100%

To pass this subject of BHMH2002, Introduction to Economics, students must obtain a pass grade in BOTH continuous assessment AND
examination components.

Attendance and Other Rules/ Regulations

Attendance
Regular and punctual attendance at lectures and tutorials is important. Students must only attend the subject classes in which they are registered.
They will have their names listed on the finalised class registers after the add/drop period only if they are officially registered in that particular
subject class. Attending classes in which students have not been officially registered is not allowed.

It is important that students attend classes and study-related activities regularly and punctually. Absence will affect study progress and students
should not be absent without good reason.
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Medium of Instruction
English is the medium of instruction (the only exceptions are for language subjects other than English and a small number of subjects which have
obtained special approval to be taught and assessed in Chinese and/or other languages, due to the nature and objectives of the subjects concerned).
Chinese could only be used in small group discussions/tutorials/practical sessions if and when necessary. In the presence of non-Cantonese-
speaking students, English should be used all the time. Please refer to the individual subject syllabuses for details. The subject syllabuses can be
obtained via my.HKCC accessible through HKCC website at http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/

Lecture/ Tutorial Notes and Assignments

Students are required to download lecture notes, tutorial exercises and assignments from the e-Learning platform, Blackboard Ultra.

Lecture Notes
Lecture notes will be posted on Blackboard Ultra (under centralised group of BHMH2002) from which you can download. You are recommended
to read the chapter(s) or notes to be covered in advance. This will help you to learn effectively and catch up with the teaching pace in the tertiary
education.

Tutorial Exercise
 Students should download and attempt the exercises before attending the tutorial meeting according the tentative teaching plan.
 Suggested solutions will be uploaded to Blackboard Ultra.

Assignments
 Individual Assignment 1 (20% of continuous assessment):
The question set could be downloaded from the centralized Blackboard Ultra page around 1 week before the due date. Usually, there are 2
to 3 questions. Submission deadline: Week 7 (To be confirmed); suggested solutions will be given in Week 8 tentatively.

 Individual Assignment 2 (20% of continuous assessment):

The question set could be downloaded from the centralized Blackboard Ultra page around 1 week before the due date. Usually, there are
to 3 questions. Submission deadline: Week 11 (To be confirmed); suggested solutions will be given in Week 12 tentatively.

 Written format:
Students are required to present their answers in paragraph form, except for calculation steps. Criteria for marking will include the
applications of economic theories and concepts, relevant content, logical presentation and clarity of expression. Abbreviations and notation
are only for teaching and taking notes. No abbreviations of terms are accepted in formal assessments and examinations.

 Assignments must be hand-written in either dark blue or black pen on A4 paper. Students can use pencils to draw the diagrams.

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 Assignments must be submitted on or before the due date. Students who submit their works after the suggested solutions have been
uploaded will receive zero mark. Students who are found copying from others will be given zero mark. This rule will apply as well to
those giving his/her assignment for others to copy.

Mid-term Test (40% of continuous assessment) (Topic 1-4)

 For your provisional reference, the mid-term test consists of multiple choice questions and integrated questions tentatively covering
materials from both the tutorials and lectures. Changes may be made at the discretion of lecturers.

 All students of BHMH2002 are expected to complete the test as scheduled. Make-up test will not be arranged unless under very
exceptional circumstances. The subject team reserves the right to change the format of the make-up test.

Examination

There are FOUR sections in the exam paper. The components are tentatively as follows:
Section A – Multiple Choice Questions
Section B – Short Questions
Section C – Integrated Questions
Section D – Integrated Questions

Make-up class

If there are calendar holidays, make-up lecture(s)/tutorial meeting(s) will be arranged by your lecturer. Check your college e-mail account and
Blackboard Ultra from time to time for updated information.

Walk-in consultation hours and student appointment

Please make the best use of the “walk-in consultation hours” provided by your lecturer if you want to meet him/her in person for your study.
Otherwise, you need to make an appointment, say by email, with him/her in advance.

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Textbook and References

Recommended Textbook:
Title: Foundations of Economics
Authors: Robin Bade and Michael Parkin
Publisher: Pearson Education Limited
Edition: 9th edition (Global edition), 2022
ISBN: 978-1292434230

References:
Frank, R. H. & Bernanke, B. S. (2022). Principles of economics (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Mankiw, N. G. (2021). Essentials of economics (9th ed.). Thomson South-Western.
Mankiw, N. G. (2022) Principles of economics (9th ed.). Thomson South-Western.
Parkin, M. (2019). Economics (13th ed.). Pearson Addison Wesley.

Study Guide (in e-copy)

 A study guide in e-copy can be downloaded from Blackboard Ultra. The study guide aims at providing more variety of exercises for the
students on a self-assessment basis and to test their understanding of different economic concepts and theories. Suggested solutions and sample
of assignment 1 and 2 can also be found.

Plagiarism

You are strongly advised to pay attention to the rules and guidance notes regarding plagiarism, how sources should be referred to, and bibliography
referencing as stipulated in the Student Handbook.

The College may take disciplinary actions against students when there is evidence of collusion between individuals. The work of others which is
included in the assignment must be attributed to its source (a full bibliography and a list of references must be submitted). Failure to observe such
requirements may lead to serious consequences for your study in this subject and your registration at the College. Please refer to the Section
“Penalties for Offences” in the Student Handbook for details. You are also strongly advised to review the hot tips about plagiarism and how to
avoid it with reference to the following document: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ogur/docdrive/Academic_Integrity/Plagiarism_Booklet.pdf.

In principle, CPCE considers GenAI tools as positive and creative forces in education and encourages their use in learning, teaching, and
assessment. However, considering the characteristics and assessment methods/tools of this subject, generative AI or language model use is
considered cheating. Students should refrain from using any generative AI or language model for the completion of their assignments in this
subject.

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