This course is designed to encourage your participation in a number of key learning activities related to fully understanding how Direct Marketing and E-Commerce are contributing to the development of new business systems.

• For each class there will generally be an assigned case and some readings or references. You are expected to study these materials and be well prepared to discuss the case and issues of that class. Class participation will account for 35% of your grade, so please be sure to participate regularly.
• There will also be opportunities to enter the online discussion of case issues and to vote on case or topic issues. Teams will be assigned as "prime" contributors for each discussion -- and the rest of you can "chime in" to present your views.  Participation in Discussion, and Survey and other similar activities will account for 20% of your grade.
• Mini-Project: During the semester, each student team -- of 4 or 5 students -- will be responsible for developing one or two mini-projects -- usually by leading the discussion of a topic or case or special topic --  which will account for 15% of your grade.   Project/Presentation Teams will be formed by you, with my assistance idf necessary -- early in the semester. Examples of special topics might include you may select are:

 
• "B2B Implementation". B2B is huge.  But implementation is hard.  Projects exploring this issue are encouraged.
• "Web-success".  A handful of companies appears to have already achieved a high level of success and high stock market value. Your task is to build an on-line presentation -- incorporating the firm's web-site -- explaining its high current valuation and to present it to the class as a Team.
• "Web Tools".  There are already a variety of Web-site building tools -- such as Yahoo Store, iCat, Click2site, etc.  Your task is to use -- and evaluate -- one of these tools to build a small "commercial" web-site.
• If you wish to create another equivalent assignment for either of these, you may do so by prior agreement with the instructor.

• "Final Presentation".  This will consist of a formal on-line and in-class presentation on a topic agreed in advance with me. You will select a topic of interest to you for this Team presentation. This presentation will count 30% of your grade and should be designed to show your understanding of Direct Marketing/E-Commerce strategy and implementation.
• One possible"default"  topic could be a comparison and evaluation of a small set of competing Direct Marketing and/or E-Commerce campaigns/strategies/Web-sites.

I believe strongly in the concept that students should "Manage their own learning".  To make this work, I believe it is important to plan your participation in terms of:

• Meeting the course requirements/goals.
• Meeting your own personal goals.

When you do extensive work as a team, as for your Final Presentations, I may ask you to give "peer ratings" to the efforts of your Team-mates. These ratings may be used to differentiate the grades of team members on these activities and give credit for extra effort.

Larry