BSC N401 Accounting (Including Foundation Year),
BSC NN43 Accounting and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BSC NN42 Accounting and Management (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N4L1 Accounting with Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N391 Banking and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BBA N104 Business Administration (Including Foundation Year),
BBA N104CO Business Administration (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N201 Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA L102 Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L103 Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N301 Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BA L118 Financial Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L117 Financial Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N124 International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N124CO International Business and Entrepreneurship (Including Foundation Year),
BA L160 International Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L161 International Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N2N5 Management and Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BA L190 Management Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC L191 Management Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N505 Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N505CO Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BA LX14 Financial Economics and Accounting (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N347 Finance and Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA LX10 Business Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N358 International Business and Finance (Including Foundation Year),
BA R113 Economics with Language Studies (Including Foundation Year)
The module covers the mathematical skills needed to proceed to any degree course within the Department of Economics and Essex Business School. The syllabus covers the mathematics of systems of equations and differentiation as well as statistical distributions and hypothesis testing. The associated work in classes and lab sessions develops the skills used to solve relevant problems, with classwork and online assignments being set and full solutions provided as part of the feedback process.
- To ensure that students from a wide range of educational backgrounds have an understanding of core mathematical skills needed within the study of Economics and Business.
- To develop the ability to acquire knowledge and skills from lectures, classwork exercises, and mathematical software and application of theory to a range of weekly tasks.
- To develop students' ability to use these skills in their subsequent degree course.
- To equip students with the mathematical techniques needed to solve problems involving systems of equations and differentiation and to clearly structure their solutions and conclusions.
- To give students the ability to present and interpret data clearly and unambiguously, both by hand and with the use of Excel software.
- To give students an understanding and ability to calculate statistical measures and set up hypothesis tests.
On successful completion of this module a student is expected to be able to:
1. Understand and use basic arithmetic and algebra;
2. Solve linear systems of equations;
3. Ability to plot basic graphs and find key points on graphs;
4. Understand and use differentiation and partial differentiation to find the gradient of functions of one or two variables and in different Economics and Business applications;
5. Understand basic Statistics and calculate measures of centrality and spread;
6. Understand and interpret basic statistical graphs,;
7. Understand the normal distribution and be familiar with reading statistical tables;
8. Understanding of basic statistical inference and able to construct simple hypothesis tests.
Syllabus
- Basic arithmetic and algebra.
- Systems of linear equations.
- Graphical representation of functions, shifts in graphs and graphical solution of equations.
- Calculus: differentiation of linear and polynomial functions, partial differentiation of functions of two variables, turning points, applications of differentiation
- Compound interest rates, rates of change
- Descriptive statistics: interpreting data, measures of location and dispersion.
- Inference Statistics: basic hypothesis testing, normal distribution and statistics tables.
- Hypothesis testing and regression
- Using Excel to carry out statistical computations and create graphs.
- Practical application of algebra and statistics to economics and business related problems
Assessment
Formative assessment
Students engage in completing weekly worksheets and online assignments and receive in-class and online feedback.
Summative assessment
Test 1 (25%)
The first test examines students' understanding of mathematical concepts taught in the first six lectures of the course. These concepts include: prime factorisation, solving basic exercises involving arithmetic operations, solving basic exercises involving algebraic operations, solving systems of simultaneous linear equations, solving linear and quadratic equations, basic linear graphs concepts and solving worded questions. The test can be delivered in-class or online.
Test 2 (30%)
The second test examines students' understanding of further mathematical and statistical concepts. These concepts include: solving exercises and worded questions using calculus (differentiation, partial differentiation and applications of differentiation), rates of change, understanding of introductory statistical definitions, descriptive statistics, measures of centrality and dispersion,. Mathematics and statistics questions relating to economic and business concepts are emphasised. The test can be delivered in-class or online.
Participation mark (5%)
Participation marks are awarded for completing mini online assignments. For face-to-face delivery, these are regularly completed during the lab sessions of the module, while for online delivery, these should be completed in the students' individual study time. Support is offered in both online and face-to-face environments. The assignments are based around the topics taught during the weekly mathematics and statistics lectures.
Assignment (40%)
The assignment includes questions covering all the topics taught during the mathematics and statistics sections of the course. Therefore, it will cover topics covered in the first two tests as well as further hypothesis testing questions and normal distribution concepts. Emphasis is put on mathematics and statistics questions relating to economic and business concepts.
Reassessment strategy
Failed Coursework
Resubmit a piece of coursework which will be marked as 100% of the new module mark. The reassessment task will enable the relevant learning outcomes to be met.
Teaching and learning on Essex Pathways modules offers students the ability to develop the foundation knowledge, skills, and competences to study at undergraduate level, through a curriculum that is purposely designed to provide an exceptional learning experience. All teaching, learning and assessment materials will be available to you via Moodle in a consistent and user-friendly manner.
This module is delivered using a ‘blended’ approach that involves a range of teaching methods. There will be four hours of directed teaching and learning per week over 22 weeks and each week’s instruction will consist of a mixture of live ‘synchronous’ and recorded ‘asynchronous’ delivery. In addition, there will be an expectation that students undertake the guided set-reading and research necessary for their modules.
Asynchronous Delivery
The asynchronous aspects of the delivery are an evolution of the traditional University lecture and primarily focus on the sharing of academic theory and concepts to ensure students develop a sound knowledge and understanding of the discipline and cultivate an appreciation of relevant and current research in the subject area. This material will be made available to students via Moodle and will usually include essential and further reading, pre-recorded knowledge casts and some online, interactive activities that can be undertaken independently. Unlike traditional, timetabled lectures, the asynchronous aspects of the blended delivery provide students with the freedom and flexibility to learn at their own time, pace and convenience, each week. To ensure students can take advantage of this flexibility, materials will be released to the students in good time. In order for the students to benefit the most from the timetabled seminars, it is essential that students complete the necessary directed and guided learning before the event.
Synchronous Delivery
The synchronous elements of the teaching and learning will follow the structure of traditional university seminars. These may be delivered either face to face, on campus, or remotely via electronic means. The seminars provide students the opportunity to apply, and reflect upon what they have learned from the asynchronous delivery and guided study, and aim to bring the knowledge and understanding ‘to life’ by relating it to current issues and practice. In seminars students will develop skills of application, analysis and problem solving through a variety of activities including quizzes and problem scenarios. Whether students are attending seminars remotely, or on campus, these will be scheduled at a weekly set-time, for the duration of the module and will appear in the timetable.
This module does not appear to have any essential texts. To see non-essential items, please refer to the module's reading list.