Welcome to Business Law 211. This is a "late start" 100%
online class. It begins September 14 on an eleven-week schedule
and concludes December 5. That means we will be covering
material almost twice as quickly as in a traditional 16-week
semester. This is similar to a summer school pace. The course is
100% online, so all assignments will be completed over the
internet.
In this course, we will learn about the foundations of the
American legal system, and particularly how legal principles
affect the conduct of business. We will cover key legal areas,
such as contracts, banking transactions and business
organizations. As well, we will explore emerging areas of
business law, including e-commerce. Our goal is twofold: first,
we want to learn basic legal principles that affect business;
second, we want to understand how to identify potential legal
concerns as they affect business. In learning, we will use
objective assessments (multiple choice), discussion boards, case
problems and written research and analysis to measure success.
To participate in class, you will need:
Access to a computer with a minimum of 56 kbps
connection (Broadband recommended) with either Internet
Explorer 5.0 or Mozilla Firefox. Important note: IE
8.0, which is the newest version, is not compatible with
Blackboard and cannot be used. If you have installed
this version, it is recommended you use Firefox for this
course instead—go to Mozilla.com and download the
browser.
Microsoft Windows 95 or higher with Microsoft Word;
Access to Blackboard and PowerPoint;
Familiarity with the above programs (if not, please
consider enrolling in COUNS 070); and
Text—Contemporary Business and Online Commerce, 6th
Ed. By Henry R. Cheeseman (Pearson/Prentice Hall).
ISBN—9780136015000.
You will need to log in at least three times a week to keep
up with your assignments, announcements, discussions and other
postings. Subject to the time frames set in the Syllabus (e.g.,
you will have 72 hours to complete exams), you may log in at any
time you wish There are no group assignments, but you will
communicate asynchronously (not necessarily at the same time)
with your classmates.
Please note also that there is no final exam, but there will
be multiple chapter exams each week.
This class uses Blackboard, and you are required to take the
Blackboard orientation at
http://www.canyons.edu/offices/distance_learning/OnlineOrientation/
The course will be located at
http://bb.canyons.edu.
A Syllabus and other detailed information will be available
on the Blackboard site for the course on the first day of class.
As you will read on our course site, I encourage you to contact
me immediately with any questions or concerns. I will make every
effort to respond to your message within 24 hours. If you have a
question, please ask.
If you have a disability that may prevent you from fully
participating in this class, please let me know immediately. If
you are not sure whether an online class is right for you, call
me. All inquiries are confidential.
Finally, I have been teaching law courses online for six
years. In that time, I have seen a number of students do very
well in an online format, while others have struggled. Why do
students thrive, while others fall behind? There are two keys to
success beyond mastery of the subject. First, make a schedule
and stick with it. Since we do not meet as a class, you are
directly responsible for keeping yourself on track to complete
the work. I will prod you if you fall behind, but the
responsibility ultimately rests with you (students also tell me
the development of personal responsibility is one of benefits of
online courses). Second, ask questions. Do not get lost
in cyberspace. I cannot see a puzzled look on your face when you
are online. If you have a question or concern, you must
communicate it to me. I have tried to anticipate and answer many
of your potential concerns, but new questions arise. Ask me!
Good luck in class. I look forward to seeing you online.
Sincerely,
Robert K. Johnson, J.D.
Email—robert.Johnson@canyons.edu
Phone—317-506-7348
