Syllabus for SOS-360

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: GAME THEORY IN LIFE, BUSINESS, AND BEYOND

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Games People Play presents the fundamentals of game theory and applies the principles of this field of study to daily life. Game theory is defined as the scientific study of strategic, interactive decision making among rational individuals. Understanding game theory can help people make better decisions in their own lives and better understand the behavior and decisions of others. This course shows game theory at work in daily life, business, and world affairs. Along the way, students are introduced to some of game theory's greatest minds, including John von Neumann, John Nash, and Kenneth Arrow.

COURSE TOPICS

  1. Game theory
  2. Components of games: players, strategies, payoffs
  3. Common knowledge
  4. Types of games (sequential and  simultaneous, zero-sum and non-zero-sum, competitive and cooperative, etc.)
  5. Game trees
  6. Nash equilibrium
  7. Minimax theorem
  8. The Prisoner’s Dilemma
  9. Pure strategies and mixed strategies
  10. Types of strategic moves: threats, promises, commitments
  11. Credibility
  12. Deterrence and compellence
  13. Signaling and screening
  14. Repeated games
  15. Games of incomplete information
  16. Games of asymmetric information
  17. The tragedy of the commons
  18. Applications of game theory (such as economics, voting, auctions, diplomacy, war)
  19. Limitations of game theory
  20. Evolutionary game theory
  21. Bargaining
  22. Cooperative games
  23. Co-opetition

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  1. Explain the fundamentals of game theory.
  2. Analyze types of game strategies and their uses.
  3. Discuss the applications of game theory to personal situations.
  4. Discuss the applications of game theory to societal behavior.
  5. Apply game theory to decision making situations.
  6. Apply game theory to current events.

COURSE MATERIALS 

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbooks are available from the College’s textbook supplier.

Videos (streamed for you within the course)

  1. Games People Play (The Great Courses Series) by Professor Scott P. Stevens, Professor of Computer Information Systems and Management Science at James Madison University. 24 videos of 30 minutes each.

Textbooks

  1. Davis, M. D. (1997). Game theory: A nontechnical introduction. Mineola, NY: Dover.

ISBN-13: 978-0-486-29672-2

  1. Mehlmann, A. (2000). The game's afoot!: Game theory in myth and paradox. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society.

ISBN-10: 0-8218-2121-0

COURSE STRUCTURE

Games People Play is a three-credit online course, consisting eight (8) modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

  1. Module 1: Introduction to Game Theory
    Course objectives covered in this module: 1
  2. Module 2: Types of Games
    Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2

  1. Module 3:  Games in Life

Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  1. Module 4:  Game Strategies
    Course objectives covered in this module: 2, 3, 4

  1. Module 5:  Playing the Game
    Course objectives covered in this module: 2, 3, 4, 5

  1. Module 6:  Game Theory Applications

Course objectives covered in this module: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  1. Module 7:  More Applications
    Course objectives covered in this module: 2, 4, 5, 6

  1. Module 8:  Games in Business
    Course objectives covered in this module: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, and complete a final project. See below for details.

Consult the course Calendar for due dates.

Discussion Forums

You are required to participate in eight (8) graded discussion forums as well as an ungraded Introductions Forum. The online discussions are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

For posting guidelines and help with discussion forums, please see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course Web site is the rubric used to aid in the grading of online discussions.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete eight (8) written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

For help regarding preparing and submitting assignment activities, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course Web site is the rubric used to aid in the grading of written assignments.

Final Project

There is no midterm or final exam in this course. Instead, you will write a 2000- to 2500-word paper (with a typical font and spacing this will be a paper of 8 to 10 pages) integrating your learning from this course. The paper will draw together the course readings, information from the videos, and outside research. Students will be required to discuss the application of game theory in other disciplines and in daily life.

Detailed information about this assignment is found in the final project area of the course Web site.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

  1. Online discussions (8)—25%
  2. Written assignments (8)—45%
  3. Final project—30%

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A

=

93–100

C+

=

78–79

A–

=

90–92

C

=

73–77

B+

=

88–89

C–

=

70–72

B

=

83–87

D

=

60–69

B–

=

80–82

F

=

Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a nonarea of study course), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

  1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
  2. Take time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.
  3. Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
  4. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

  1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments and posting discussions.
  2. Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students at Thomas Edison State College are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlines procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State College expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty takes the following forms:

  1. Cheating
  2. Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
  3. Fabricating information or citations
  4. Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others
  5. Unauthorized access to examinations or the use of unauthorized materials during exam administration
  6. Submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the mentor
  7. Tampering with the academic work of other students

Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College. Students who submit papers that are found to be plagiarized will receive an F on the plagiarized assignment, may receive a grade of F for the course, and may face dismissal from the College.

A student who is charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral or written notice of the charge. If a mentor or the College official believes the infraction is serious enough to warrant referral of the case to the academic dean, or if the mentor awards a final grade of F in the course because of the infraction, the student and the mentor will be afforded formal due process.

If a student is found cheating or using unauthorized materials on an examination, he or she will automatically receive a grade of F on that examination. Students who believe they have been falsely accused of academic dishonesty should seek redress through informal discussions with the mentor, through the office of the dean, or through an executive officer of Thomas Edison State College.

Plagiarism

Using someone else’s work as your own is plagiarism. Although it may seem like simple dishonesty, plagiarism is against the law. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > “Citing Sources.”)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of the intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.

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