| Nassau
Community College
ECO 207 Macroeconomics Summer 1996 Session II Robert F. Mulligan, Ph.D. |
 |
| Nassau
Community College
ECO 207 Macroeconomics Summer 1996 Session II Robert F. Mulligan, Ph.D. |
|
Professor Louis Buda of the Department
of Economics and Finance performed a faculty observation of the two sections
of introductory macroeconomics I taught at Nassau Community College in
the second summer session in 1996. His comments are presented here.
Nassau Community College does not employ student assessment of teaching,
relying instead on the most extensive and conscientiously administered
program of peer assessment I have ever seen.
| Prof. Mulligan took the attendance
at the beginning of class. He indicated that he would return the
test papers so that the students could look up the answers of the questions
they missed. If they still did not understand the answer he would
explain the answers.
The aim of the lesson was to understand the aggregate demand and aggregate supply curves as presented in chapter 9 of the text. He proceeded in a logical way to draw the aggregate demand curve carefully explaining how it differed from the ordinary demand curve. He listed the reasons for the downward-sloping to the right nature of the curve. Applying this to the real-world he showed the implications of what would happen if the price level were to rise. The real balance effect was introduced, the interest rate effect, and the open-economy effect were all included. Reasons for the shifting of the aggregate demand curve were introduced with its ramifications. Prof. Mulligan exhibited a welcomed professionalism throughout the lesson. It is obvious that he has a superior command of the subject matter. The students were attentive and took notes throughout the lesson. Several students asked questions which were answered by the instructor. In brief, it was a more than satisfactory lesson. (This is one of the most difficult lessons to present in macroeconomics.) |