Students

ECON8057 – Economic Development

2023 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer
Cong Wang
cong.wang@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
E4A-444
5pm - 6pm Thursdays (teaching weeks only)
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
ECON632 or ECON6032 or ECON633 or ECON6033 or ECON649 or ECON6049 or ECON991 or ECON8091 or admission to MPH or MSusDev
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit is designed to give students a critical understanding of the inherent problems facing developing countries. The focus is on the research that provides insights into the constraints and decisions of the poor and the implications for practical and achievable policy interventions that improves the lives of the poor. The range of topics covered includes the poverty trap, nutrition, health, how families make decisions on issues such as fertility and gender; how the poor make decisions about education; and the general failure of the market and institutions including credit, savings and insurance markets in providing services to the poor and fostering economic development.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Evaluate the evidence that show how economic agents make decisions, and the impact this has on their well-being.
  • ULO2: Assess the impact on the well-being of the poor arising from the institutions that govern their lives.
  • ULO3: Appraise policy interventions designed to improve the well-being of the poor.
  • ULO4: Critically analyse the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals in low-income countries.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. 

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Weekly Discussion 20% No Weekly
Research Project 40% No Week 10
Case Study Report 40% No Week 13

Weekly Discussion

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%

 

Three times throughout the session, students will choose to prepare for an in-class discussion or submit a written discussion piece.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate the evidence that show how economic agents make decisions, and the impact this has on their well-being.
  • Assess the impact on the well-being of the poor arising from the institutions that govern their lives.
  • Appraise policy interventions designed to improve the well-being of the poor.
  • Critically analyse the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals in low-income countries.

Research Project

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 40%

 

This assessment involves students undertaking an individual research project chosen from a set of topics. This mid session project consists of a 1,500-word essay (excluding tables, diagrams and reference list).

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate the evidence that show how economic agents make decisions, and the impact this has on their well-being.
  • Assess the impact on the well-being of the poor arising from the institutions that govern their lives.
  • Appraise policy interventions designed to improve the well-being of the poor.
  • Critically analyse the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals in low-income countries.

Case Study Report

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%

 

The timed case study report takes place on iLearn over a 3-day period in Week 13.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Evaluate the evidence that show how economic agents make decisions, and the impact this has on their well-being.
  • Assess the impact on the well-being of the poor arising from the institutions that govern their lives.
  • Appraise policy interventions designed to improve the well-being of the poor.
  • Critically analyse the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals in low-income countries.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Lectures

There will be one two-hour session each week. Students need to watch pre-recorded lecture videos before attending class and are strongly advised to attend all lectures as important components of the course are conducted in class. Note that in Week 8, we will have a guest lecturer who is currently employed by the Reserve Bank of Australia (the central bank in Australia) to introduce the role of central bank in economic development. In particular, the guest lecturer will discuss the general frameworks for a central bank and their role in institutions and macroeconomic stability. 

iLearn

Up to date information concerning any aspect of the unit, including the weekly topics, readings and information about assessment tasks, will be available to students on the unit web page. In addition to attending classes, students are strongly encouraged to access the website each week.  

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2023.02 of the Handbook