Economics Interactive Tutorials

Instructions

Copyright © 1996-2000 Samuel L. Baker

These interactive tutorials are written with a combination of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and Java, a programming system from Sun Microsystems. Your browser formats and displays the HTML text and Java applets on your screen.

Each tutorial starts with text. Scroll down to read the text, until you come to where you're supposed to answer a question.

To scroll up or down

Answering questions

Your answers to questions are handled by Java applets. These are small computer programs ("applet" is diminuitive of "application"), written in Java, a programming language. Your browser downloads the Java applet's code along with the HTML text.

The answer applets generally have two parts. First is a box (or boxes) that you can click on or write in.  Second is a box for me to reply to your answer. When you come to a question, be sure to scroll down far enough to also see the reply box. Don't scroll down farther than that, though. You don't want to go on to new material until you've tried the question.

Below is a sample applet that has two text boxes, one for you and one for me. Scroll down far enough to just show both boxes. To answer the question: Click with your mouse in the first box. Type in your answer.  While you are typing in the little box, you can use the arrow keys, backspace key, and delete key to edit what you are typing.  When your answer is ready, press Enter. Pressing Enter signals to the lower box that you want it to reply to your answer.

After you have answered the question and read the reply, click on some text outside the applet. This lets you use the arrow keys again to continue scrolling down. (The applet has a rectangular area that surrounds its words and boxes. In Netscape, when the status line of your browser says something like "Applet Instruct1 running," your mouse pointer is inside the applet's surrounding area. Microsoft Internet Explorer does not do this.)

What is 1 + 1 ?

If you get the answer wrong, you can click in the little box and edit your answer.  Press Enter when you want a reply to your new answer.

If you get the answer right, you may want to try some wrong answers anyway. The explanations that go with wrong answers may help solidify your understanding.

The next applet (scroll down to see it) uses check boxes. Click on the round check box next to the answer you want. You can also click on the answer itself.  You don't have to press Enter. The text box below will show my reply to the answer you picked.
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One of the check boxes may be checked by default. If you want to choose that as your answer, click on it as if it weren't already checked.

Which health care system is more efficient?

After the reply box, there may be further comment, such as:
The new health reform law will extend private health insurance to more people. Maybe we'll catch up to Canada's efficiency.  Or maybe not.