The Internet is transforming many aspects of economic life, from the online purchasing and selling of goods and services, to new ways of (peer) producing information goods such as open source software, currencies (e.g. Bitcoin) and user-generated content in online social networks. This course shows how the tools of economics can further our understanding of online behaviour, and also how economics can contribute to the future development of the Internet. The course also demonstrates how data from the Internet are being used to answer important long-standing research questions in economics.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:1. Use tools of economics to analyse online economic behaviour (buying, selling and producing).
2. Identify which assumptions, theory and methods used by economists to study the offline world can also be used to study online behaviour (and how they may need to be modified).
3. Understand the sources and use of data for empirical analysis of online economic behaviour, and be able to independently find such data.
4. Analyse challenges of the Digital Age and assess a contribution of economics to the future development of the Internet.
Indicative Assessment
- Online quizzes (20%)
- Written assignment (30%)
- Final exam (50%)
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
2 hours of lectures + 1 hour of tutorial + 7 hours private studyRequisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
- Peitz, M. and J. Waldfogel (2012): The Oxford Handbook of the Digital Economy, Oxford University Press.
- Goldfarb, A., Greenstein, S. and C. Tucker (2015): Economic Analysis of the Digital Economy, University of Chicago Press.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4500 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
