Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This course guide contains all of the materials for this class. To see all of the contents of this guide on one page, click
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Course Description
Dr. David Blakesley (blakesle@purdue.edu) ENTR 200
Office: Heavilon 302; Phone: 4-3772 Fall 2007
Office Hours: T/Th 12-1, 3-4, and by appt. T-Th 1:30-2:45
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~blakesle/index.html Civil Engr 2123
Course Website
http://www.digitalparlor.org/fa07/blakesley2/
Course Texts
Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures, 2nd edition. Bruce R. Barringer and R. Duane Ireland.
Prentice-Hall. 2007. ISBN: 978-0-13-224057-4.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell. Back Bay Books.
2002. ISBN: 978-0-31-634662-7
These texts should be available at local bookstores and online. A few additional readings will be posted to the course
website.
Course Description
The course introduces students to the basics of starting their own business ventures. It can be taken as a stand-alone
course, or as the first requirement for the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Topics covered include the
following:
Coursework
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
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.
Resources
Our class website will be filled with resources, guidelines, and more to help you with your coursework and readings.
Grading
Your final course grade will be based on a percentage of your final total, as follows: A=100-90%, B=89-80%.
Attendance is required at all scheduled meetings. More than three unexcused absences may result in a lower grade for
the course. Excused absences may be granted only for religious holidays or university-sponsored events, provided you
make a written request to me no less than one week in advance and that you complete any required work before the due
date. Being excessively or regularly late for class meetings can be counted as an absence.
Class participation in all respects and venues (in class, online) is essential for everyone, so you're expected to be
actively engaged in class and online. If you fall behind on quizzes, readings, responses, and teamwork, you won't learn
much and your course grade will suffer.
Collaborative Work
Teamwork is a required component of the course. You and your project team members are responsible for updating one
another and me about assignment development and progress. In addition, you also are responsible for negotiating
together all aspects of your work, including planning, drafting, revising, file managing, and scheduling of assignments.
When a collaborative project is assigned, you will receive explicit guidelines for successful collaboration. Individual
group members will complete Collaborative Evaluation Forms. For more information about good principles of
collaboration, see the brochure, Group Work and Collaborative Writing <http://dhc.ucdavis.edu/vohs/>.
Technology Responsibilities
Familiarity with certain technologies is crucial for participation and success in the course. If you need any assistance
now or at any point during the semester, please do not hesitate to ask.
During the semester, you'll need regular access to the Internet and email. Because the course home page is the main
locus of the class community, you are responsible for reading and keeping current with all content posted there,
including what has been submitted by both the instructor and your fellow students. You'll be responsible for
configuring your system to access course materials, to read course email and participate in online discussions, and to
submit your work. Very early in the semester, you will be asked to demonstrate that you can meet these
responsibilities:
Register for the course website and complete your profile information.
Post a message about yourself and your interests
Read the course description and calendar, then ask questions when you are uncertain about requirements or
activities.
Set up your @purdue.edu email or an alternative that you can access regularly and reliably
Become proficient sending and receiving attachments via email or blog, resolving file compatibility issues, and
following email and online decorum.
Check the course calendar regularly for updates and explanations..
Become more proficient with unfamiliar computer technologies and applications, including a content
management system like Drupal (the open-source software running our class site)..
Maintain back-up copies of all assignments via your home directory, disks, USB drives, CDs, or DVDs
If at any time you have problems accessing the Internet from home, you'll need to find a public lab or connection point.
Problems with computers will not be an excuse
for falling behind or failing to complete required assignments. If your Internet service goes down, use another
computer. If your computer breaks, use another computer. In other words, find a way to complete the assignments on
time. Because computer problems are a fact of life, always work to complete your assignments early and make frequent
backups to multiple media.
Academic Integrity
Purdue students and their instructors are expected to adhere to guidelines set forth by the Dean of Students in
"Academic Integrity: A Guide for Students," which students are encouraged to read here:
The preamble of this guide states the following: "Purdue University values intellectual integrity and the highest
standards of academic conduct. To be prepared to meet societal needs as leaders and role models, students must be
educated in an ethical learning environment that promotes a high standard of honor in scholastic work. Academic
dishonesty undermines institutional integrity and threatens the academic fabric of Purdue University. Dishonesty is not
an acceptable avenue to success. It diminishes the quality of a Purdue education, which is valued because of Purdue's
high academic standards."
Academic dishonesty is defined as follows: "Purdue prohibits "dishonesty in connection with any University activity.
Cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University are examples of dishonesty."
[University Regulations, Part V, Section III, B, 2, a] Furthermore, the University Senate has stipulated that "the
commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms (such as the use of substitutes for taking
examinations, the use of illegal cribs, plagiarism, and copying during examinations) is dishonest and must not be
tolerated. Moreover, knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in committing dishonest acts is in
itself dishonest." [University Senate Document 72-18, December 15, 1972]"
In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to
changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances. You can acquire updated
information from the course website, by emailing me, or by contacting me through the English Department at
765-494-3740.
Calendar
Follow the links at the bottom of this page for a schedule of assignments for each week this semester. Within each
week, you will find daily listings of assignments. Each bullet point for the day is a different task for you to complete.
Unless specifically noted otherwise, all assignments are to be completed before class on the day listed.
This course calendar may be updated throughout the semester. I'll notify you about any major changes, but you are still
responsible for keeping up with the current schedule.
IMPORTANT: You must visit all of the links provided within the course calendar. There are many links to follow
and read. Make sure you visit all of them. Some links provide easy access to other parts of the class site which will help
you in your assignments. Some links are to required readings. Others provide you with detailed instructions on
completing the assignments. Eventually, you may come to know the instructions which supplement assignments that
are repeated throughout the course, but it's still a good idea to continue to revisit the instructions to make sure that you
are satisfying all of the requirements.
Week 1
Aug 21: Introduction to the Course
On your own . . .
Complete Getting Started 2: Logging in for the First Time and Getting Started 3: Editing Your Account for the
First Time
Review How to Post to Your Individual Weblog and then "How to Post Comments and Replies"
The instructor will create a post on the course home page inviting everyone to introduce themselves. Post a
comment to that post in which you
describe where you are from
give your course of study and year
talk about your professional and entrepreneurial goals
tell what you would like to get out of this course
share at least one thing personal about yourself (a hobby, your favorite sport, a favorite activity, etc.)
Purchase the course texts and begin reading The Tipping Point. Note that all readings for the course are due on
the day listed on the calendar.
Week 2
Aug 28
Review Web 2.0 Technologies, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation to begin your search for a disruptive innovation for
presentation. Bear in mind also that the innovation needn't be software or Web-related, but it can also be a product of
technology (iPod, mp3 player, Walkman, Flash drive, digital (video) cameras, cell phones, pagers, Blackberry, and
hundreds more).
From the Course Description: 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.
What's a disruptive technology and why do they matter? Read about the "Disruptive Innovation Model" here. No
reading response is required, but be prepared to discuss the model in class so that you know what's expected for the
ad-hoc presentations.
Aug 30
Preparing to Read: Introduction to "Anticipation Guides"; please bring your copy of The Tipping Point to class for
discussion and exploration.
Week 3
Sept 4
Reading Response: Using Gladwell's descriptions of connectors, mavens, and salesmen, post a blog message in which
you identify which category (or categories) seem to apply to you. Be sure to explain what the category means (e.g.,
what is a connector?) and then explain what qualities or experience you have that seems to fit it. Tag your blog
message (in the "categories" field) with the phrase Tipping Point 1
Sept 6
Discussion of midterm project, reading responses and comments, and reading quizes. The midterm project is defined in
our course description as follows:
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. The project and all deliverables are due on October 16.
During this project, you'll keep a "Project Log" in your blog, search for an interview subject and learn
about proper ethical approaches to interviewing, develop interview questions and plan the interview,
conduct and film the interview, and premiere the video to the rest of class. Here's a sample that's more
involved than you need to be, but it will give you a good target to shoot for: "Computer Friendly Stuff"
(8:25)
Teams will be formed on Tuesday, Sept. 11, so be here and ready to go.
Please note that the first reading quiz on Chapter 1 from the textbook is due before class on next Tuesday. The quiz will
be posted by Saturday, with the link appearing on the calendar. It will disappear at the start of class on Tuesday.
Week 4
Sept 11
Sept 13
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
In-Class: Ad-Hoc Presentations on Disruptive Technologies and Innovations.
Netflix: Chad and Adam; Blu-Ray Disc: Ben and Patrick
Discussion and assignment of Success/Failure Case Presentations. These are described on the course description as
For next Tuesday, look through the textbook to see which chapter's success and failure cases interest you. We will form
teams by interest on Tuesday.
Week 5
Sept 18
Sept 20
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
In-Class: Ad-Hoc Presentations on Disruptive Technologies and Innovations.
Second Life: Emily and Jeff
Week 6
Sept 25
Sept 27
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
Success and Failure Case Presentations
Week 7
Oct 2
Reading: Chapter 4, "Writing a Business Plan" (Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Reading Response Prompt and Tag: What are some of the pitfalls of writing and presenting business plans? What
mistakes do entrepreneurs often make when they write or present them? If you've ever seen a business plan
presentation (or entered a competition yourself), what did you learn? Tag: business plans
Complete Reading Quiz 4 (for Chapter 4 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures).
Oct 4
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
Success and Failure Case Presentations
"Planet Hollywood": Kyle H, Cameron, and Kyle F.
Discussion of Final Projects. This project is described on the course description as follows:
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.
Week 8
Oct 9
October Break.
Oct 11
Reading: Chapter 5, "Industry and Competitor Analysis" (Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New
Ventures)
Reading Response Prompt and Tag: Drawing from the discussion of "barriers to entry" in Chapter 5 (pp.
136-140), think of one example of a new company, venture, product, or service that, once started, made it very
difficult for new competitors. What lessons can an entrepreneur learn from nontraditioanl barriers to entry (see p.
138 for the discussion)?
Complete Reading Quiz 5 (for Chapter 5 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures).
Week 9
Oct 16
Reading: Chapter 6, "Developing an Effective Business Model" (Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New
Ventures)
Complete Reading Quiz 6 (for Chapter 6 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Reading: The Tipping Point
(133-92). Reading Response Prompt: Some people will say that "context is all," meaning that pitches and other
persuasive moments in the life of an entrepreneur must be well timed and opportunistic (The Greek term for this
is kairotic, or kairos, meaning "in the right time and place"). Knowing that sometimes chance may be a factor,
entrepreneurs nevertheless are ready to go at any given moment and can recognize when the context is ripe for
ideas they have already developed.What is the power of context and why is it important to understand? Use this
tag in the categories field: Tipping Point 3
Watch the Amy's Ice Cream video.
What challenges did you face in finding an interview subject? How did you overcome them? What would you do
differently next time?
How did you prepare for the interview?
What technical challenges did you face with regard to the videotaping, and how did you meet them?
How did the interview go? How did you participate? Were there any awkward moments? Did the interviewee
provide any information that surprised you?
Describe the process of producing and editing the video. What did you do to try to make the interview engaging?
What did you learn about entrepreneurship from the interview?
What advice would you give to someone just setting out to tape an interview with an entrepreneur?
Oct 18
Update:
Midterm projects are due today. Your group should turn in your work on a CD or DVD. Individual members should
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
Success and Failure Case Presentations
"Red Bull": Devin, Melissa, and Willita
Week 10
Oct 23
Reading: Chapter 7, "Preparing the Proper Ethical and Legal Foundation" (Entreprenuership: Successfully
Launching New Ventures)
Reading Response Prompt: Why do you think it is so important that entrepreneurs model good ethical behavior?
What can happen when they don't? In what sorts of situations (management, communication, marketing, etc.) is
ethical behavior particularly important? Suggested tag: ethics
Complete Reading Quiz 7 (for Chapter 7 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Oct 25
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
In-Class: Ad-Hoc Presentations on Disruptive Technologies and Innovations.
Playstation 1: Nick and Alex
Week 11
Oct 30
Be sure to complete the Chapter 8 quiz before class.
In-Class: Ad-Hoc Presentations on Disruptive Technologies and Innovations.
Wii: Kyle and Erika
Nov 1
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
Success and Failure Case Presentations and In-Class: Ad-Hoc Presentations on Disruptive Technologies (2 teams
present).
Please note that the Chapter 9 Reading Quiz
is due before class on next Tuesday. The quiz will be posted by Saturday at 5 p.m., with the link appearing on the
calendar.
Week 12
Nov 6
"Old Masters" visit ENTR 200! Glenn Campbell and Mike Jackson will visit our class to talk to us about innovation.
Don't miss it!
Glenn Campbell - Chief Operating Officer for Lids and Co-Founder for Hat World, Inc.>/p>
Glenn Campbell is one of the co-founders of Hat World and is responsible for the company's operations, including
store operations, buying, merchandising and marketing. Prior to being named COO in October of 2005, Glenn was
responsible for Hat World's strategic product positioning and for managing the Hat World buying, merchandising and
marketing team as Vice President and General Merchandise Manager. Glenn was recognized as one of Ernst & Young's
"Indiana's Heartland's Entrepreneurs of the Year" in 1999 and 2002. He was also inducted into Indiana's 40 under 40 in
2002. Hat World was named to Inc. Magazine's "Inc. 500" and ranked 50th in 2002. Prior to co-founding Hat World in
1995, Campbell spent eight years as a Manager at Foot Locker, one of the nation's leading sports retailers. During that
successful career, Campbell was Manager of the Year for the Midwest Region in 1994. He is a graduate of Southeast
Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in Marketing. He is married and has four children.
Mike Jackson - President & CEO of ABG, Inc. & Adayana, Inc.
Mike Jackson currently serves as CEO and President of ABG, Inc. and its parent company, Adayana, Inc. In this role,
he is responsible for all of the company's business which includes consulting practices in defense, government, and
automotive. Additionally, he led ABG, Inc. to becoming the leading vertical market management consulting company
focusing on the food, agribusiness and life sciences industries. Outside of his Adayana company duties, Mr. Jackson is
an internationally known management and marketing consultant, speaker, and author. He received the Alpha Zeta
Centennial Honor Roll in 1997, the Indiana FFA/Ag Education Distinguished Service Award in 2003, the National
Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity "Brother of the Century" designation in 2004, and the Honorary American FFA Degree
from the National FFA Organization in 2005. Mike Jackson received a B.S. degree in Agriculture Economics with
highest distinction from Purdue in 1979. At Purdue, he was very involved in Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, traveled the
U.S. and abroad as National FFA Secretary, and served in the Student Senate. He was also selected as a Host for the
Old Masters Program and later served on its Central Committee. Mr. Jackson was the Purdue Student Body President in
1977. His scholastic and leadership honoraries include Phi Eta Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa, Gimlet, Phi Kappa Phi,
Mortar Board, and Iron Key. Upon graduation, he received the Outstanding Senior Award from the Ag Econ
Department and the Grand Prix Foundation and also received the G.A. Ross Award as the Outstanding Senior Man in
the Purdue class of 1979.
Reading: Chapter 9, "Building a New-Venture Team" (Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Reading Response Prompt: What are some of the qualities that you would look for in your new venture team?
Why? Would it be a homogeneous or heterogeneous team? Why? Suggested Tag: new venture team
Complete Reading Quiz 9 (for Chapter 9 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
Please note that the Chapter 10 Reading Quiz
is due before class on next Tuesday. The quiz will be posted by Saturday at 5 p.m., with the link appearing on the
calendar.
Week 13
Nov 13
Reading: Chapter 10, "Getting Financing or Funding" (Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Reading Response Prompt: There are obviously many reasons why adequate funding and financing are important
for new ventures. What are some possible disadvantages or dangers of outside funding and financing for a
start-up? How would you avoid them? Suggested tag: funding
Complete Reading Quiz 10 (for Chapter 10 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Nov 15
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
In-Class: Ad-Hoc Presentations on Disruptive Technologies and Innovations.
WiFi: Kyle and William
Week 14
Nov 20
Reading: Chapter 11, "Unique Marketing Issues" (Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Complete Reading Quiz 11 (for Chapter 11 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Nov 22
Thanksgiving Holiday
Reading: Chapter 12, "The Importance of Intellectual Property" (Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New
Ventures)
Complete Reading Quiz 12 (for Chapter 12 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Nov 29
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
Success and Failure Case Presentations and In-Class: Ad-Hoc Presentations on Disruptive Technologies (2 teams
present).
Week 16
Dec 4
Complete Reading Quiz 13 (for Chapter 13 from Entreprenuership: Successfully Launching New Ventures)
Suggestion!: Read Chapters 14 and 15 in our textbook now, while you have your book in front of you. We don't have
time to cover it in class, but the information may come in very handy for you later in your career as an entrpreneur.
Dec 6
The answer key for the last reading quiz is now posted as a PDF attachment to the quiz.
Success and Failure Case Presentations and In-Class: Ad-Hoc Presentations on Disruptive Technologies (2 teams
present).
3. Create a username that will identify you in the system and that you will use for logging in. Because this site is
public on the Internet, your username should not include your last name. You are welcome to use any
username (e.g., your IM screenname) that would not be offensive to others or otherwise inappropriate for a
course website. Capitalize your username as you intend to use it; usernames are case sensitive.
1. You should have received an email from the system that includes your new password. With that email handy,
return to the course website.
2. Enter your username and password in the "User login" box. Your initial password can be retyped or
cut-and-pasted into the password box. If you cut-and-paste it, make sure you don't include any extra spaces
before or after the password characters. The password and user name are case sensitive.
Once you've logged in successfully, you need to edit your account and provide some additional information about
yourself.
4. Change your password by entering a new one into the password boxes. Choose a password that you can
remember but that is secure. Remember that passwords are case sensitive.
5. Scroll to the Picture area.
6. Upload a picture of yourself or avatar (an image that represents you well) that you would use in a public context.
You may have to find one and edit in an image editor, so you just try to have this step completed by the end of
The following steps ask you to complete information for your profile. This will enable the instructor and fellow
students to learn a little more about you and help the instructor tailor this class to your background and goals, as well as
arrange collaborative projects, if any.
1. Click on the edit tab again, then on the Personal Information link at the top of the next page.
That's it! You have completed all the steps of the Getting Started process. If you ever need to change any of the
information, you can always edit these pages again.
If you have any trouble along the way, please be sure to let your instructor know.
An avatar is just an image that "stands-in" for your picture and can be an object, artwork, a photo, or something else
that might convey some aspect of your identity, personality, or interests. So, for example, someone interested in biking
might use an image of a bike as an avatar rather than a personal picture. The image works best if it's in jpg, gif, or png
format, and the dimensions should be (about) 85x85 so that it displays correctly (and doesn't get squished when
displayed, for example).
To find an existing avatar to use for free, you could look at a site like these. If you have a Yahoo! ID (free to get, if
not), you can get some nice ones:
http://avatars.yahoo.com/
or try
http://www.avatarity.com/
You could also take an existing image of yourself and then create a picture by cropping out the part you don't want. If
you haven't used an image editing program before, that can be a bit tricky. But if you have, just use the crop tool to
draw a box around the part of the image you want to use, crop it, and then resize it so that it's about 85x85 pixels.
If you have a larger photo and would like help to make it into an avatar, send it to your instructor as an email
attachment. Your instructor can help you from there.
Creating Hyperlinks
For this class, you'll have to learn at least one HTML tag, the one for making hyperlinks.
1. Make sure that your rich-text editor is enabled. Click on enable rich-text below the Body box.
2. Highlight the text you want to turn into a link.
3. In the buttons below the Body box, click on the chain link button.
4. This box should appear.
Here is how you make links in traditional HTML coding. Still easy, but it doesn't show up with our rich-text settings
and input format.
<a href=""></a>
is the tag itself without any information in it. Within the quotes, you'll put the url, or web address, for the site which
you want to link to. In between the ><, you'll put the text you want displayed on the screen.
For example, the url for slashdot is http://slashdot.org/. And if you want to make the word Slashdot a link in a sentence
to the website in a blog post, type in,
To get
HTML is picky and it's easy to make a careless mistake. Don't include any extra spaces in the HTML tag. Make sure
that you include "http://" as a part of your web address. In fact, one of the easiest ways to make sure that you get the
URL correct is to copy and paste it from the address bar of a browser window currently displaying the page.
http://slashdot.org
Notice how this doesn't convey much information. Better to have put the page title (often found either on the page or in
the window bar at the top) or link to part of your text (think of the examples in this site). At the same time, really long
URL's won't word wrap at the end of a line. They may cause problems with the way that text is displayed on web
pages.
PDFs are typically viewed using Adobe Reader (which is free to download). However, Adobe Reader will not produce
PDFs. As you will soon be submitting drafts of cover letters, resumes, and other documents in PDF format, make sure
that you can successfully generate a PDF using one of the following means:
Adobe Acrobat Professional, Standard, or Elements are three versions of Adobe's productivity program for
producing PDF files. These programs are not free and do not generally come installed when purchasing a
computer. However, some public computer labs (i.e., most of Purdue University's main campus labs) may have
Acrobat Professional installed. When Acrobat Professional is available, from your word processor or browser (or
any screen that can be printed), select File -> Print. On a PC, you will be able to select, under Printer Name,
"Adobe PDF" instead of sending your file to a printer. (See the figure below.) On a Mac, you will see a button
"Save as PDF" on the print dialog box. In both cases, you will be asked where you want the created PDF to be
stored.
You have a great idea for a project for your department at work. Because it will require significant
resources and funding, the senior manager in your department has asked you to prepare a ten-page
proposal.
After working on the proposal for a while, the senior manager sends you an email requesting to see your
draft in progress. The proposal is far from complete, but you fire off a reply saying "Here is my working
draft," and attach it. The next day, you receive another email from the senior manager full of feedback
which you are obligated to take. However, the feedback asks you to revise your proposal in new directions,
quite contrary to what you had planned, effectively taking over the direction of the proposal. You now
have to discard many good ideas you had for development. Those sections where you knew you needed the
most help--they were not addressed at all.
This happens all the time in getting response to our writing. We get proofreading corrections when we need ideas; we
get heavy revision suggestions when the draft needs to be proofread to meet a deadline.
To elicit useful and focused responses from readers (during peer review, for example), we must solicit good response.
In the above scenario, if the writer had explained to the senior manager where she needed help in the draft and what her
your concerns about the current state of the draft (i.e., where, specifically, you need help)
where you are in the process of drafting (i.e., ready to polish to meet a deadline, planning to do more revision)
your target audience
any plans you might have for further development of the text
Once you've defined your needs, your reviewer is more likely to shape their feedback effectively for you. As a
reviewer, it's much easier to address the writer's concerns than to try to guess what might or might not be useful to the
writer.
Adapted from Lisa Ede’s Work in Progress, 4 th Edition. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998.
The information is used to help the instructor determine individual grades for a team project.
1. Your presentation should be well-rehearsed, engaging, and well-focused, with a clear beginning, middle, and
end. Address key questions/issues in the assignment prompt and relate your analysis/discussion to course
readings.
2. Each team member should be involved in the presentation.
3. Your content should be accurate and well researched.
4. Multimedia components should complement the presentation, not substitute for the team's delivery (i.e., don't let
the slides do all the talking for you).
5. You can bring demos (products) to enhance the presentation.
6. Be prepared to answer questions and engage in follow-up discussion.
7. Be creative! Think of yourself as entrepreneurs selling an idea.
If you don't see an add new comment link, you are most likely not logged in.
3. The first time you visit the create content page, read the descriptions under personal blog entry and story.
4. To post to your individual weblog, choose blog entry. This will bring you to the Submit blog entry page.
Notes:
The system will not offer you a Submit button if you do not give your post a title.
Choose story on the create content
page to post to the course home page. The rest of the procedure is the same as for creating a personal blog entry.
Navigation
In the header visible at the top of every page, you'll find one row of links:
The first five take you to important sections of the course guide.
The others take you to useful resource sites at Purdue.
Once you've logged in to the site, directly beneath the header on the left, you'll find the main navigation block,
accessible from every page:
The navigation block is your gateway to many areas of the site useful for creating and viewing content and managing
your work. For example,
Book Navigation
All of our course materials on the site are integrated into the course guide:
You can use the book navigation links that show previous and next pages below the main text or use the
breadcrumb navigation at the top.
Use the printer-friendly version link beneath any page to get a text-only version of that page and all of its
subpages collated into one. For example, if you go to the top page of the guide and click on printer-friendly
version, you will see the entire course guide, including the calendar, on one screen (a very long one).
All comments and replies to another's blog post should follow effective rhetorical strategies for networking with others
on the Web. (Readings from the course text or handouts may provide additional guidelines to follow.)
When commenting and replying to blog posts on the course's front page, you are required to
Read through the posts on the course home page referred to by the assignment.
Before using the comment and reply features for the first time, you might want to consider reviewing How to
Post Comments and Replies .
Strive to be thoughtful and analytical in your comments.
Try to find something new to say instead of saying what has already been said in the original post and in other
comments already posted.
Feel free to share personal experiences which shape your views on the topic discussed.
Provide links to additional resources on the web which would better inform the discussion. You should always
link to any other texts on the Web you mention, even those on the course website.
Contend with and/or support the original blog post. If you are criticizing what the blogger has said, remember to
do so respectfully, which encourages further dialogue. "This sucks" would not be an appropriate response.
Neither would "That's great!" if you don't explain what you mean.
Direct attention to related and relevant issues. You may find that none of the posts on the class website about a
particular set of readings confront what you feel is an important issue on the assigned texts. As long as it is
related to the general topic of the readings or the topic of this class, feel free to post a comment which turns the
conversation in a new direction (use the subject line to clearly specify this new direction).
Occasionally post to blog posts not on our front page. If you like, you may choose to post three of your
comments or replies to any other recently submitted blog posting on the class site from the instructors and/or
other students, whether or not those posts focus on the topic up for discussion.
Use emoticons and acronyms to convey additional information (such as tone and intonation).
For those of you wishing to do more than the minimum requirements of the course, you might visit the class website
additional times per week and post new comments and/or replies to any of the blog posts.
One way to think of a weblog or blog is as a journal. However, unlike a journal that you might keep at home (as well as
most if not all of the writing you have done in school before), your blog space is public. Your fellow class members
will be invited to read your blog. Classmates will respond to your posts with comments and replies. Group members
will review notes you take when doing research. And, of course, since it's on the Internet, other Web readers may
encounter your writing and take a look at what you have to say.
There are many uses for weblogs, but we'll only use them for a few things here. During this class, you'll be asked to use
your course weblog to
In addition to the individual weblog space that everyone has, the home page of our course website is a community blog
space where anyone can post. While most of your blog writing will be posted to your individual weblog, we'll use the
home page as a place to promote discussion among all class members. For example,
When there is a reading response assignment, your instructors may promote someone's post to the front page for
community discussion.
Groups may be asked to lead discussion by posting their reading responses or blog posts to the course home page
instead of to their individual weblogs.
Groups may be asked to share proposals and progress reports with the entire class.
Titles for blog posts should reflect the context of what you have written, not merely restate the name of the title
of the assignment or reading. Interesting and informative titles draw more interesting responses from others.
Blogs should demonstrate the principles of writing for the Web as they are covered in this course.
Bloggers link. Use hyperlinks when referring to another post on the public Internet and follow good attribution
practices. Hyperlinks mean converting text to a link, not merely cutting and pasting in an URL. To do so, you'll
have to know a little HTML for creating hyperlinks.
People visiting the course website from the Internet won't know what you mean if you just mention "the reading
assignment for today." Since PW Online is password protected, others on the Internet cannot access it. Treat it
like a printed text. At minimum, you should mention the name of the text and the title of the chapter or section
you are referencing.
Good bloggers always keep in mind that they are writing for a public audience.
To Learn More
To receive credit for your work, be sure to follow the course requirements for reading responses and project logs.
Optional: Read Meg Hourihan's What We're Doing When We Blog for a brief description of weblogs. For further
reading on weblogs, take a look at The Weblog Webliography on Kairosnews.
Sometimes, you and each of your group members will be assigned to post your reading response to the course home
page by submitting a story. The posts on the course home page will then be the focus of full class discussion. Selected
reading responses will also be promoted to the front page for more lively community discussion.
Because you will have a weekly record at the end of the project, your project log will help you to complete the Peer
Collaboration Evaluation Form due at the end of each project. Project logs also provide evidence of each group
member's contribution to the project. And detailed project logs lend more credibility to your evaluation of others in
your Peer Collaboration Evaluation Form.
After college, you may find keeping a project log useful in your professional career:
In the busy life of a professional, it can often be difficult to remember all aspects of a project when compiling
monthly or quarterly progress reports.
Consultants can use project logs to provide supporting evidence of work done on a project in preparing invoices
or in case a client questions billable hours.
Once a project is completed, a project log can be useful as a record for planning similar, future projects that will
be completed by others.
Requirements
At least once a week, post a short report to your weblog covering all of the following:
Use informative titles (e.g., Project Log for Week 5: Project 2 Takes Shape)
Tag your post with "Project Log"
Report on the status of the project: Is it in early drafting? Is it production ready? Is your group conducting
research? Etc.
Record your contributions to the project that week.
Record the contributions of others in your group.
Record the time and date of group meetings and communication and describe briefly what was accomplished.
Did the group have a large email discussion? Did you IM with another group member? Etc.
Report on any scheduled plans for completing specific tasks in the project. What group members have taken on
which specific tasks? What are the prospective deadlines?
Plan out ideas for completing the project, including ways to collaborate and communicate more effectively with
your group.
Reflect on any lessons you have learned about collaboration and electronic communication.
Remember. Your project logs are public and can be read by other group members. Be diplomatic. Do not write about
what other group members failed to do or negatively evaluate their participation. Simply record what others have
agreed to do and the tasks which they have completed. You will have ample opportunity to assess the work of others at
the end of the project.
Because this is an online class, each week, one of the instructors will blog about the following week's assignments,
inviting open discussion. If you have any questions or concerns, check out the most recent blog posting about
Know that all class members are encouraged to respond to questions--not just the teachers--so that we can discuss the
assignments. If you can help clarify or answer any concerns of your classmates, please do so. Plus, participating in
these discussions is one way to demonstrate more effort than just the minimum requirements of the class.
While some of you might think, "I'd rather just email the teacher directly," sharing your concerns on the class website
can benefit everyone. Each blog post and comments on the next week's assignments will be a resource that everyone
can use. The question you ask might help someone later, someone who hasn't thought about the assignment in the way
that you have. Yet, they still might arrive at the same question later on. They need only read through the blog and
comments to find the question that you already posted, as well as an answer.
If you feel you need a more immediate response, still post your question or concerns, then email your instructor, who
will be sure to respond to your email by replying to your comment ASAP.
If you have something personal to discuss, something not to be shared with the rest of the class, you are, of course,
welcome to email your instructor privately.
These first few may help you keep track of all the sites you explore and also help you start building your network.
del.icio.us
social bookmarking
Advertising
Blog Search
Blogging
Bookmarks
Calendar
Community
Enterprise
Events
Financial
Government
Internet
Job Search
Mapping
Messaging
Music
News
Office
Photos
Recommendations
Reference
Shopping
Storage
Video
Widgets
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.
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, etc.), and then assessing the group’s effort at the end in a
Collaborative Project Evaluation Form.
Deliverables
Collaboration
Teamwork is a key component of the project. Because a major part of the project will involve producing a polished
document, you’ll want to manage the project carefully. Here’s one method of producing a collaboratively written
document that you might find useful (the divide and conquer method):
1. Elect or appoint a project manager who will make sure to keep people on task, collect work from members, and
submit the work to a project editor.
2. Assign each member of the team to research and draft a particular section that matches their expertise and
interests.
3. Elect or appoint a project editor who will a) assemble all the parts of the document into a first draft, edit it, check
all sources, and then distribute a draft to team members for review.
4. Team members are responsible for sending corrections to the project editor promptly. Please pay particular
attention to the integrity of source documentation. (All uses of outside material must be documented in the text
and at the end in References or Works Cited section.)
5. The team leader should submit the printed document on behalf of the team and should email an electronic copy
to the instructor and all team members.
Executive Summary
Context
Description and Elaboration of Product
Feasibility Analysis
Start-Up Procedures and Timeline
Funding Plan
Possible Strategic Partners
The team’s presentation should last 7-10 minutes (including Q & A), maximum.
Your Comprehensive Concept Statement should include all the necessary ingredients, sufficiently developed, to
be persuasive and informative to potential investors and strategic partners. For length, that means (not including
images, sketches, etc.) about a 5-7 page (single-spaced) document, plus a sources cited page.
Your final document should be professionally designed, readable, and presentable in printed format.
Executive Summary
An executive summary should be at most two paragraphs and should list the key points of the document,
presented in a top-down manner (most important ideas first).
The writing has to be clear and concise, capable of standing in for the entire document.
Context
Your document (and thus your research) should account for the context in which your product will be launched.
Cultural, social, and economic factors should be addressed, as needed to show the value of the product or
concept.
Target Market should be discussed in some detail to show the timeliness and value of the concept or product
In this section (a major component of the document), you should describe the product or concept and all of its
features. You might include drawings or images for illustration.
Feasibility Analysis
Your document should include a detailed feasibility analysis, drawing from the guidelines in the textbook. At
minimum, you should research and discuss issues of product development, suppliers, manufacturers, delivery,
and barriers to entry.
Your discussion of start-up procedures and the timeline should address (at minimum) these questions:
What must happen first for the product or concept to be brought into the world?
What legal or institutional issues would need to be resolved?
What are the key events in the launch of the product (timeline)?
Funding Plan
Strategic Partners
Are there any key partners that might help make the venture successful?
When will they be brought on board?
What incentives will there be?
Documentation
All sources must be fully documented in the text and listed in a Works Cited or Bibliography or Resources
section at the end of the document.
It’s strongly advised that each team appoint one member to review all citation and documentation issues.
For reference help, see The Thomson Handbook
(Blakesley & Hoogeveen; available in Purdue’s Writing Lab, Heavilon 226) or Purdue’s OWL:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
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, samples, or other handouts), and then assessing the group's
effort at the end in a Collaborative Project Evaluation Form.
Phase 2 of the project will begin on Tuesday, November 8, with discussion of the feasibility report, start-up issues, and
more.
Team 8 Team 9
Team 7
Anwar Abdul-Khaali William Parsons
Sarah Hession
Kyle Nashert Justin Dian
William Langdon
Michael Conran Anoumou Amewou-Atiss
Michelle Drury
Nicholas Burrow Willita Lewis
Team 10 Team 11
Michael Mosher Jeffrey Osburn
Chad Richeson Erika Earl
Flavius Burbulea Kyle Hanna
Melissa Michels Andrew Schulenburg