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In order to enroll in this course, you must have successfully completed
E-commerce I: Principles and Implications (28-IS-285).
In addition, you must be eligible for the English Composition course sequence.
In some cases, equivalent work experience or other courses may be accepted in
lieu of the aforementioned prerequisites. Your knowledge-base prior to taking this
course should include the following:
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working knowledge of word processing and desktop presentation
software.
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working knowledge of your email software (Web-based or POP
client),
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working knowledge of your Web browser.
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familiarity with Blackboard.
Documentation is available on the
Blackboard Web site.
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a basic understanding of typical business functions.
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an exposure to e-commerce technology and
strategy.
If you are unsure as to whether
or not you meet the prerequisites, please either contact
me or check with your adviser.
We’ll meet on campus four times this quarter. The
required on-campus meeting dates are listed below (the class meets from
6:20pm-9:00pm).
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Tuesday, Jan 5 Introduction
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Tuesday, Jan 18 Project
presentations and/or general discussions (specific
topics to be announced closer to the meeting date)
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Tuesday, Feb 15 Project
presentations and/or general discussions (specific
topics to be announced closer to the meeting date)
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Tuesday, Mar 8 Project presentations
and/or general discussions (specific topics to be announced closer to the
meeting date)
Once we agree on the class meeting dates, attendance on those
dates is required!
We can make the most of our time together if we all agree to the
following guidelines for on-campus meetings:
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Arrive on time. If you absolutely cannot make it to class on time
consistently, please drop the class. I understand that traffic, work emergencies, family crises, and so on may
occasionally prevent you from arriving on time. Consistent tardiness, however, is
distracting to everyone and is unacceptable. Please be considerate to the others in the
class and plan to arrive by the scheduled course starting time.
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Plan to stay for the entire class. Early departures are distracting. In
addition, please understand that I am very aware of what time the class ends, and will do
my best to make sure we wrap up by the class ending time. Please do not pack up your
worldly possessions until class is over.
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Please either turn off your cell phone or leave it at
home.
- Laudon and Traver: E-commerce: Business. Technology. Society. (2e, 2004). Boston, MA:
Addison-Wesley.
- A Web browser, such as Internet Explorer.
- Regular access to the Web.
- USB flash drive
- A Bearcat Online email account (this
is in addition to any other email account you may currently be using).
- A Blackboard account.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader.
This is installed on RWC's computers, but if you plan to use some of the
course materials away from RWC, you need to make sure Acrobat reader is
installed on the computer you plan to use.
- Additional utilities --
QuickTime,
RealOne Player, and so on -- may also be required, depending on the web sites you access
during the quarter.
- Regular access to business publications (online or print
versions). Examples of business publications include, but are not limited
to, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes,
and the Wall Street Journal.
Should the need arise, you are responsible for completing the paperwork
required to officially drop the class. Failure to complete the required paperwork will
result in a grade of UW (unofficial withdrawal) for the course; a grade of UW has the same
effect as a grade of F when calculating your GPA. Note: I will not submit your
paperwork for you!
Much of this course will follow a Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
approach. I believe that we learn more by solving problems than by listening to
lectures; PBL supports that belief. This doesn't mean that the class will be
entirely lecture-free; I'll do a mini-lecture from time to time. It does,
however, mean that you'll take responsibility for the learning that
takes place in the course.
We'll follow these guidelines as we work through
the quarter together:
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Since most work environments require collaboration with
colleagues, much of your work this quarter will require you to work as part of a
team.
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Teams will be assigned, and you will most
likely stay with your team for the
entire quarter. It's quite likely that you'll enjoy working with your team
members. It's also possible that you may end up in a group with someone you
don't particularly like. That's OK you don't have to like someone to work with
them. Your job is to come up with a way to work effectively with your team and
to resolve personal conflicts as they arise.
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Each team will establish its own set of
ground rules, which must be agreed upon by all team members. The ground rules
will identify communication expectations (such as turnaround time for phone
calls and email), consequences for "slugs," consequences for failing to meet
group deadlines, and so on.
Please note that although I'll give each team some latitude
in dealing with absences, late arrivals, and early departures, I believe attendance
(during required on-campus meetings, at scheduled out-of-class meetings, and at
scheduled online meetings) is critical in this
course. When you miss scheduled classes and team meetings, your team members end
up doing your work as well as their own work; this is unacceptable. So, my
expectation is that each team will come up with, and enforce, a reasonable
attendance policy.
I reserve the right to require an individual to drop the
course if, in my estimation, he or she isn't meeting a acceptable level of class
attendance and participation. Please note that "attendance" refers not just to
coming to class and team meetings, but also to work habits that are expected by any employer:
arriving on time, staying for the entire work period, being prepared, and so on.
You should plan to attend all scheduled classes and group meetings. In
most cases, an absentee rate over 10% is unacceptable. And, as mentioned earlier
in this document, you may be removed from the class if you miss even one of the
required on-campus class meetings.
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Each team member has an equal voice. Make sure to listen
carefully to the views and perspectives of every member of the team. A major
benefit of collaborative learning is that multiple views and perspectives are
available learn from your teammates!
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Full participation is expected. Please be prepared throughout the quarter to participate in
discussions with your group and with the class as a
whole; these discussions may take place in a face-to-face setting, or they may
involve use of the class discussion board.
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Nearly all of the problems your team tackles this quarter will
be based on content to which you may not have been formally introduced. As you
work through the problems, you'll develop effective research skills. By leaning
how to find and evaluate resources on your own, you'll be better able to deal
with constantly-changing technological environment as you move along in your
chosen career.
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In most cases, your team will submit some
sort of work product that reflects the team's problem-solving process, solution,
and rationale for that solution. Work products can take many different
forms: completed work sheets, informal discussions, oral presentations, formal
papers, and so on. Please make sure to complete each work product carefully and
thoroughly. If you have questions about the work product requirements for a
particular problem, please ask!
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You'll be asked to evaluate yourself and your
team members from time to time throughout the quarter. Since these evaluations
will play a significant role in your final course grade, you should take them
seriously.
This course may require a different method of
learning than you're used to. You're taking responsibility for your learning
this quarter, but rest assured: I'm not abandoning you! I'll be available to
answer questions, listen to concerns, and (when necessary) mediate disputes. The
goal is to minimize the time you spend listening to me, and maximize the time
you spend working with your colleagues to learn about the topics we'll cover
during our time together.
In addition to the Course Approach
information provided above, I thought it might be
helpful to let you know some additional expectations for the course. While much of what follows
is common sense, it never hurts to make sure we are all starting from the same page of the
book (no pun intended…).
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This is a web-based course. This means that you are not
required to come to campus every week, but instead are expected to complete
the required coursework on your own. Please note that the material covered
in this course is no different than the material covered in a traditional
classroom; the big difference is that web-based study requires much more
self-discipline than does a traditional classroom environment. A word to the
wise dont get behind! Please remember that you arent alone
give me a call or send an email
if you need additional help or clarification on a particular topic.
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Please remember that even though our course does not meet on
campus every week, you may still find it necessary to meet with your team as
the quarter progresses. Our classroom is usually available on Tuesday
nights from 6:20-9:00pm. You can also make use of the group rooms in the
library, or the online chat and discussion board features in
Blackboard.
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A tentative course outline is provided with this syllabus.
Please note that the schedule is subject to revision as required. You should
check our Blackboard classroom and your Bearcat Online email account regularly for assignment due dates, schedule changes, and so
on.
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Naturally, ethical and honest behavior is expected in this class. This means that
academic dishonesty or other unethical and/or illegal activities will not be
tolerated; such activities will be dealt with swiftly and harshly. If
you are unsure as to what type of activity constitutes "academic dishonesty,"
please take a look at the Student Code of Conduct.
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You are expected to complete and submit
work products throughout the quarter. All
assignments must be submitted by the due date specified to
receive credit. Late submissions will be cheerfully refused! (I
reserve the right to adjust this policy in extreme cases, such as those involving
hospitalization, death in the immediate family, and so on.) Failure to submit the required
assignments will result in a drastic reduction of your course grade (you will most likely
receive a grade of F or UW).
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Please make sure to read each assignment
carefully for submission requirements. I'm usually very specific regarding
the submission method to be used. In fact, I usually go so far as to specify
file names and email subject lines. Please trust me there's a method to
my madness. If you don't follow the instructions in each assignment, you
probably won't have a successful quarter.
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Most of the assignments for this class require the use of
technology — computers, printers, Internet connections, and so on. I am very much aware
of the fact that technology occasionally fails. That's why
course work
is assigned so as to allow sufficient time for completion prior to the due date. Plan ahead! I am not inclined to accept work late because of technology
failures.
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Unless otherwise specified, work
products completed outside of class should be prepared
using an appropriate software tool (word processor, spreadsheet, email, etc.).
Unless specifically discussed in class, hand-written assignments are not
accepted. To accommodate time constraints, in-class work
products are typically hand-written.
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You must have a Bearcat Online
(BOL) email
account, a Blackboard
(Bb) account, and
Internet access to participate in this course. Instructions for
activating your email
and Blackboard accounts are available on
this web site. If you don’t already have Internet access, you can sign up for UC’s
dial-in service. If you don't have a computer at home, please don't panic —
RWC has
several computers available for your use.
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You should get in the habit of checking your
BOL email account
and Blackboard
regularly, since most class information and assignments will be distributed
electronically.
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Please keep the following information in mind
when you send email my way.
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I will answer email that contains:
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questions about course content.
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questions about grades and/or
feedback received on a specific
project or assignment.
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concerns about group process.
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I will not answer email that contains:
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questions for which answers are provided on the
class Web site, in an email message, in an assignment, or in other
materials that were assigned as readings in the class. Please make sure
to read all available information the
assignment, the course syllabus, the class Announcements page, your
text, and other resources provided to you
before you send your question.
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messages that don't include a clearly-defined
subject line and your name (not just a username
I need your full name). I receive tons of
email. If you don't include a subject line and
your name as part of your message, I probably
won't read it.
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messages that raise an inappropriate subject. I
shouldn't need to elaborate on this...
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messages that include file attachments.
Messages that include file attachments are immediately
deleted. File attachments are problematic for a number
of reasons; I currently do not accept them for homework.
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Email response time is dependent on a number if
circumstances, not the least of which is system availability. Under
normal circumstances, I'll respond to your message within 48 hours,
excluding weekends and holidays.
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A student assistant is usually available in the computer lab
on the Concourse (across from the library) to help with
general problems, such as putting paper in the printer and restarting computers when
necessary. Please note that the student assistants are not responsible for
helping you with your homework. If you have difficulty with an assignment,
please contact me!
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Depending on the classroom in which your class
meets, we may have frequent access to computers
throughout the quarter. Please note that you are expected to use
common courtesy with regard to the use of the computers. Disruptive and/or
annoying behavior such as surfing the web, reading/sending email, working on
homework for other classes, and playing games will not be tolerated (unless,
of course, these activities are required as part of an assignment for this
class). If this behavior occurs, I won't be shy about asking you to either
shut off your monitor or leave the class. Repeated offenses may
lead to your forced withdrawal from the course.
Your grade is made up of several components; the course
components are described in more detail on the Course Work
page. For this class, the breakdown
looks like this:
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PBL work/Projects — 50% (100 points). PBL work
and projects are completed with your group. The project deliverables
vary from project to project, but typically include either a written report
or a PowerPoint presentation. Projects are often structured so that each
team investigates a different topic. This lets us "divide and conquer" the
subject matter each team takes responsibility for teaching the class about
a specific topic.
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Online discussions and case analyses
30% (60 points). This work is completed individually. These assignments
are typically focused on a somewhat narrow concept or topic from your
readings.
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Peer evaluations and class participation 20% (40 points). This category
includes a quantitative evaluation of the peer reviews submitted by you
about your team members and by your team members about you. This category
also includes my subjective evaluation of your participation throughout the
quarter. I tend to look not just at whether or not you completed the
required course work (although that certainly plays a role in the grade), but
also at the quality of your participation throughout the quarter.
For information regarding UC's +/- grading scale, please see the Grading Info page.
Here's a list of the topics we'll cover during
the quarter. Some topics will be addressed individually, while others will be
incorporated into a group project. Group projects may cover more than topic.
Please remember to check Blackboard and your Bearcat Online email account for
specific assignments, due dates, schedule updates, and so on.
Introduction to E-commerce (Kazaa)
EC Business Models (Priceline.com)
EC Infrastructure and Stores (REI)
Security (Verisign)
Marketing and Communications (Advergames, Internet Advertising Movies, and
Invasive Marketing Techniques)
B2B EC (Siemens)
Digital Media (AOL, Microsoft, and RealNetworks)
Developing a Web Strategy
This is a tentative syllabus and is subject to revision.
Grateful appreciation is given to Professor
Michael Rappa of North Carolina State University for his willingness to share
his course materials. Additional information is available at the Managing
the Digital Enterprise Open Courseware web site.
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