I found this class to be very different than any class I have ever taken before, but in a good and enjoyable way. As I am an accounting student, the content of the class was obviously different from the majority of what I had taken at college, however I have taken other economics classes at the university, so it was nice change of pace in that regard. However, aside from the content, the most unique thing about this course for me was the structure. While I have taken courses that involve posting topics on discussion boards, this is the first one I have ever taken that incorporates extensive blogging. I think aside from the educational content this will prove to be beneficial down the road as our exposure to blogging will help as it continues its ascent into the mainstream. I liked being able to offer my opinion on topics in a freer and less restrictive environment, and I think the open-ended nature of the blogs made for better insight.
I felt that the excel homeworks were helpful in seeing graphically and mathematically how the applied concepts affected the market. The visuals provided by the graphs really helped me the impact of certain factors on the market which really helped reinforce topics to me. My biggest complaint with the excel was simply the physical layout and formatting. On some of the homework assignments, a few of the spreadsheets had so much written information on them in such a small space that it made it difficult to retain some of the information. While I understand this is a very petty complaint, it is one that I also think is easily fixable for the future by either formatting the document differently or breaking up the homework into more parts splitting up the written text.
My favorite topic we covered was the theories on management and how management styles can affect an organization economically. It was interesting to compare and contrast the different techniques and makes assumptions about which style is best for certain situations. This is a topic that applies all across the business world and is very important to keep in mind for all future career endeavors. The trickle down effect from management styles is simply something that cannot be ignored.
Overall, I thought this was a beneficial class and one that I was happy to have taken.
Thanks for your comments. The remarks about the extensive text on the Excel assignments is fair, a consequence of authoring them too close to the time they are assigned.
ReplyDeleteI actually think you get a lot of economics implicit in accounting. The economic theory forms the basis for many accounting approaches. So your background may have been an advantage in that you've had enough economics but also could see it applied in a particular way.