You'll find descriptions of the major course projects here, once they're posted (during Week 3). For now, though, here is a summary of the coursework in this class:

1. Reading Responses: You should respond to questions or readings listed on the calendar and identified as "Reading Response" with one short (200- 300-word) semi-formal written blog post using the appropriate tag (see the prompt on the calendar for tag info). These responses will need to be posted by class time every Tuesday, on the day the reading is listed. (In class on the preceding Thursday, we'll complete "anticipation guides" that will help focus your reading and responses.) During the week, I will promote some of your responses to our front page. You'll be responsible for posting at least two comments and replies to messages posted by others. For help, read the guidelines on the course website: Principles of Reading Responses, Principles for Posting to Your Weblog, and Principles for Comments and Replies. We will discuss best practices for this aspect of the coursework in class as needed. There will be 10 reading responses in all and, thus, at least 20 comments and/or replies posted by the end of the semester.
2. Reading Quizzes and Anticipation Guides: Starting the third week and each week thereafter there will be short reading quizzes to take on our course website. Each quiz will be available by Saturday at 5 p.m. and needs to be completed by Tuesday before class, when the reading is due (and listed on the calendar). On Thursdays in class, we'll complete and discuss anticipation guides, which prepare you for reading the material due the following week and also help focus the reading responses in your blog. You'll turn in these anticipation guides for credit after you've completed the reading the following week.
3. Ad-Hoc Presentations: Each class meeting starting in Week 3, teams of two students will make short oral presentations that introduce innovative ("disruptive") technologies that have (or will) change how people think and act and, thus, how they spend their time and money. You'll be given a list of subjects on the course site and also be encouraged to discover subjects on your own. You will have access to the classroom's presentation technologies so that you can show slides, websites, or other media.
4. Success and Failure Case Presentations: Each week and in teams of three, you'll make a short (5-7 minute) presentation that focuses on the success and failure cases presented in the course texts or available via link on our course website.
5. Midterm Project: In teams, you'll plan and conduct an interview with an entrepreneur, making it into a 5-7 minute video presentation that can be uploaded to our course website or another location. Individually, you'll submit a short (2-page) project assessment document that evaluates and analyzes your experience throughout this project. All team members also will complete a Collaborative Project Evaluation Form and submit it to me in printed form, privately.
6. Final Group Project: Comprehensive Concept Statement. This group project will involve developing and elaborating an entrepreneurial concept or idea, creating the important documents (feasibility study, start-up procedures, funding plan, etc), pitching it to the class in an oral presentation with multimedia components (PowerPoint, Keynote, website), and then assessing the group's effort at the end in a Collaborative Project Evaluation Form.

In sum: Each student will 1) write and respond in the course blogs regularly; 2) complete all reading quizzes (online) and anticipation guides (in class); 3) make one ad-hoc presentation introducing a new technology as part of a two-person team; 4) present one success or failure case as part of a three-person team; 5) complete the midterm video interview project in teams and the written analysis; and 6) complete and present a comprehensive concept statement as part of a group.

All coursework will be supported by the website via our calendar and in class as needed.