Every economics class relies on a course syllabus to serve as a resource and guide for the students. It provides useful information and serves as a road map to keep students aware of the larger context within which the course topics fall. It is a key component in course management that minimizes administrative questions students might have. In addition to a syllabus many instructors have enhanced course management by adopting the use of a class website to house course documents such as the syllabus homeworks handouts solution sets etc. In recent years we have seen the development of full-featured course management systems most noteably Blackboard and WebCT. Some institutions are developing even more course management alternatives such as the University of Alaska Southeast's UASOnline. These systems also provide an excellent platform for extending course offerings into the realm of distance education to reach off-campus students. The benefit of having a web-based course management system however is that it keeps the classroom door open 24/7. When students leave the classroom at the end of the hour they can easily check back in and continue learning by visiting a well-designed web-based course site.
