B.++COURSE+DESCRIPTION+OF+MY+ONLINE+COURSE



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COURSE DESCRIPTION OF MY ONLINE COURSE ** The online VHS course that I have been assigned to is Mrs. Diane Stelacio’s //MARKETING AND THE INTERNET.// The course description reads as follows:

//Marketing and the Internet is a study designed to couple the marketing and economic skills students have mastered in previous marketing and/or business courses with the latest technology in marketing, sales, mass media, research, and customer service presentation techniques. We will investigate the future of business on the Internet, study how e-business compares to traditional business, and find out more about the marketing strategies involved in promoting a business, and the laws affecting Internet businesses. We'll learn about the structure of the Internet and basic design strategies to develop “sticky” sites. We will also look at traditional businesses and their use of the Internet. Where is the future of e-commerce headed? We'll find out! Students will even get a chance to design their own virtual storefront!//

**Reflections on the Course Description:** This course is extremely well designed. So far, I have seen the first six weeks of this 15-week course. The material is very nicely laid out in “sizeable bites.” The activities are very interesting and the discussion questions generate quite a bit of student response. This course is designed for high school students in grades 11 or 12 who have taken a prerequisite business class.

Each week, the activities are presented with a check list for the students to print out to help them stay organized. There are discussion questions to post about, and there are assignments associated with each topic. Expectations for each discussion thread and assignment are very clear. How each assignment will be graded is given for each lesson. The clear and concise structure of this course is something I would expect from a business teacher (!) and it ensures success for the students who work their way through the course.

It is clear to me that students taking this course are enjoying it. And why wouldn’t they? This course is very contemporary and real. Everyone likes to shop, especially teenagers. To learn about how marketing influences our lives is an appealing topic. It is something everyone can relate to, and it is //relevant//. Students like learning about topics that are relevant to their lives. Throw in the Internet and technology, and the course becomes even better! It is a course about the future of marketing, the Internet, technology and business models all rolled into one. Students are interested in this topic. They want to know: What job will I have in the future? What types of technology will I be using? How can I //market myself// for future jobs or opportunities? Every topic in this course has relevance and appeal to teenagers….and they can learn while they surf the web!

The course description for this Marketing class makes me want to take the class! The description is inviting, exciting, and interesting. Being able to study a subject that has such relevance to people’s lives is a definite hook. The description is “learning-centered” in that students will be the ones //exploring// the course material and discovering new ideas. There is not a textbook or workbook to lean on. The course will serve as a //guide// for the students to research and develop their own ideas. The course points the students in the right direction with its discussions and assignments, but allows the students to explore the material and come up their own findings and conclusions. This type of strategy will help to promote life-long learning, as well. The //ability/desire to discover// new learnings is the key to life-long learning. I think this course description promotes the purpose of exploring the marketing and technology arena in a way that will pique student interests and prompt them to keep exploring the topic even when the class is over. It may serve as a stepping stone of interest for some students to pursue careers in the business field.