Student-Center Content

In-Text Web Buttons

We wanted to provide more materials for professors who wanted them without bogging down those that didn’t. In-text "Web Buttons" allow for more instructor flexibility. These small icons appear throughout the text, indicating that additional information on a related subject can be found in the Student Center area of the website. Instructors can choose to assign all or none of the materials. Types of Web Buttons include:

Analogies, Anecdotes, and Insights. These 50 short pieces, written by Stan Brue, help students understand and remember economic ideas by connecting them to other better-known ideas or easy-to-remember stories and examples.

Origins of the Idea. These brief histories were written by Randy Grant of Linfield College. They examine the origins of 68 major ideas identified in the book. Students can learn about the people who first developed ideas such as opportunity costs, equilibrium price, the multiplier, comparative advantage, and elasticity.

Interactive Graphs on the Website correspond to the text’s key graph materials. Developed under the supervision of Norris Peterson of Pacific Lutheran University, these Java applets depict major graphs and instruct students to shift the curves, observe the outcomes, and derive relevant generalizations.

Additional Student Content

Internet Math Notes

Although most students in the principles course have only modest math skills, a few have taken advanced high school or college courses in mathematics. For the latter group, seeing the algebra and, in a few cases, the calculus behind the economics is highly revealing and useful. Professor Norris Peterson of Pacific Lutheran University has created a Web feature called Do You Want to See the Math? There are 50 math notes that are keyed to the page numbers in the book. They are creative, concise, and will enhance the economics experience for math-minded students.

Bonus Internet-Only Chapter

The completely updated and revised chapter "Economies in Transition: Russia and China" is available for free use at our Website. It contains all the features of regular chapters, is readable in Adobe format, and can be printed or read on-screen. Moreover, those who assign this bonus chapter will have a full complement of book supplements to aid in study and testing.

Quizzes

Students can take multiple-choice quizzes for each chapter’s materials in order to gauge their comprehension of topics and pinpoint areas that require further study.

DiscoverEcon

DiscoverEcon by Gerald Nelson at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is the most exciting and widely used Economics educational software on the market. Available both on the web and CD, this version is even more closely integrated with the McConnell/Brue text than previous versions. Students who need to explore concepts interactively will find this software especially appealing. And instructors looking for pedagogically sound, easy-to-manage, self-grading exercises for homework need look no further. The software is Java-based and includes graphing exercises, problems, and quizzes, all linked closely with the textbook. It’s available for purchase in two formats: on CD or, for those who buy a pass code, as part of the Website. Call 1-800-262-4729 for ordering information.

Instructor-Oriented Web Content

The Instructor Center is a password-protected area of the book site that allows professors to view and download book PowerPoints and the Instructor’s Manual. There is also full access to the Student Center content and links to professional resources on the Web.

Interactive Graphing Library

Computer-savvy instructors who like the Interactive Graphing applets on the Student Center can create their own original exercises to go with them. This area of the site includes all applets plus directions on how to reorganize and change graph information.