Bus 187: Global Dimensions of Business (On Line)
Esteemed Student:
Welcome! Your interest in our new online class, Bus 187: Global Dimensions of Business is sincerely appreciated! In the following you find information designed to help you decide whether this class is right for you. Please read and think carefully about the special conditions of taking this class online.
About the Course:
This is a challenging course that takes a global view on business, investigating why and how companies go international, providing students with a conceptual tool by which to understand how economic, social and political factors influence both domestic and international operations. The course offers an integrated framework, in contrast to a functional approach, and involves the simultaneous consideration of all business functions as they interact globally. It takes an inclusive view of international business from a truly global, in contrast to an U.S.-centric, perspective. It goes beyond the textbook to see how concepts relate to the real world.
The course promotes learning of concepts, models, and arrangements through investigating their applications in the real world of business, namely: how they appear in current events, what they imply for the future of a particular country, company, or ambitious individual like you. As part of the class, students working in groups will apply the course material to a specific subject, country and company, of their choice in the integrative framework of a term project.
Please note: This is an on-line course in a virtual (electronic) classroom with all the assignments, lectures, discussions, tests taking place through written dialogues, without the need for the student to participate physically in any class meeting.
The course covers, in essence, the same material as a traditional 16-week class. On the one hand, you will accomplish the tasks at times you choose to fit your convenience; on the other hand, be prepared for considerable work. Attendance in the virtual classroom is required on at least 4 out of 7 days with about 8 to 10 hours of intensive weekly work to complete the course successfully.
Please note: to master the course more effectively, students find it useful to check into the virtual classroom at least once a day.
About Our Online Class:
Our Bus 187 online class is offered as an asynchronous process. It means that learning is cut free of synchronies of both time and place that characterize traditional in-class arrangements; it allows participants freedom in choosing when and where they want to pursue their studies.
The asynchronous learning process leans heavily on a curriculum that is designed to stimulate dialogue among the students and facilitator (instructor in the traditional class). The process utilizes work, life, and educational experiences together with supplemental contemporary readings and various ancillaries to accelerate learning. The model is heavily application based and the knowledge learned can be used in the workplace today.
Important: This environment is not based on lectures, memorization, or tests; it does require that students take an active part in the process. Critical thinking and applying concepts to real time events is paramount. Students are not "lectured to" but are actively involved in searching out, studying and applying information presented online and then, documenting the results in writing.
Please note: The process nature of the course means frequent interaction through written communication among students and with the facilitator.
Very important: This online course is based on the premise that the student is in charge of allocating his efforts toward achieving the goals he set for himself. It means allocating commensurate amount of time to using resources of the course as he deems appropriate to his situation, background, and learning models. The student's self-motivation and self-discipline are the keys to success - the facilitator cannot supply them. The facilitator’s role is to make a range of relevant resources available to the student, help the student in using them effectively, and then, recognize the student's progress.
What Kind of Computer Skills Is Needed?
The computer technology is only a tool utilized in this process.
To be able to participate in our online course, you need to have
a computer at home, with word processing, spread sheet, and Internet access facilities, also equipped with a browser (Explorer 4.0 or Netscape 4.0 or more recent versions); also having a printer will be useful;
knowledge of using the computer and its programs, notably the word processor and browser, access to Internet, downloading and uploading files, and in particular using the WebCT program.
Before the beginning of class as scheduled, you should visit the course discussion board (according to the instructions you are going to receive - after registering for the course - from Online Campus) and log in. It is important that you orient yourself thoroughly in our class web environment before the scheduled first day of class.
Remember that there are no buildings in the online program. The classroom is in cyberspace. Here, there is no way for students to withdraw anonymously into the last rows of a large classroom and wait until the class period ends. "Online" is on your own time.
Are You a Candidate for an Online Program?
Here are some basic questions to ask yourself in deciding if the online program is for you:
1. Do you have access to a computer and phone line at home?
2. Do you feel that high quality learning can take place without going to a traditional classroom environment?
3. Do you like the idea of sharing your work, life, and educational experiences as part of the learning process?
4. Can you make 8 to 10 hours a week (anytime during the day or night) free to participate in the learning process?
5. Are you a self-motivated and self-disciplined person?
6. Are you comfortable in communicating in writing?
7. Do you see value in being able to think an idea through before having to give a response?
8. Do you subscribe to the value of introducing critical thinking into the learning process?
9. Do you see the possibility of increased learning taking place when work/life/knowledge experiences are shared with peers?
10.Do you accept the value of facilitated learning as an advantage over the more traditional lecture based learning processes?
Look carefully at your responses. To be a good candidate for an online course, you should have answered YES to questions 1, 4, and 6. In addition, you should have answered YES to 5 of the remaining 7 questions.
In this self-assessment, please consider the following:
Facility with communicating, i.e., expressing yourself in writing in concise, businesslike English is crucial for success in an online course where all information exchange, assignments, tests, etc., are in writing, including all communication among group members (if it is part of an assignment or to be considered for credit).
Self-discipline and self-motivation are also crucial for completing the online course which is strictly organized on a weekly basis with several from the instructor as in a traditional classroom; the student is in charge of his or her allocation of time and effort to this course and other activities, as he or she deems appropriate.
Ability and willingness to work constructively in groups with others of differing background, interest, motivation or priorities on various assignments of joint interest.
Think it over again. If you did not meet the above criteria, it means nothing about your value as a person or a student. It should serve only as an indication that you should discuss the matter further with an enrollment counselor prior to registering for the online class because, quite possibly, you could do better in a traditional class.
If You Qualify
Please register as soon as you can. Placing in the course is strictly limited due to its online nature.
If you are registered at least one week before the beginning of the semester, you’ll receive a confirmation and access code from E-campus. With this, you can then have access to our class web site, the Syllabus, other tools, and our class e-mail facility. Please use this class e-mail to contact the instructor and confirm your presence in the class as soon as possible.
If you do not receive this information or are registered later, you must confirm your status directly to the instructor through the following:
send an email message to:jankov_l@cob.sjsu.edu with
subject: Registered 187 OL;
your name: last, first, middle initial;
your student ID number;
your email address
Students who fail to contact the instructor by the second day of instruction will be dropped from the class.
If your application to register is not accepted because of the space limitation, you may want to try later again. Then, in case a registered student drops the course, the place will become available to the next caller and you may be the lucky one. Kindly understand that this arrangement is beyond the instructor’s control and does not guarantee a place in the course; thus, you are advised to find a place in another section of the course (larger sections offer better chance of getting in!) in a timely manner.
Looking forward to seeing you in our online class!
Dr. Jankovich
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