Things you may be wondering
about on the first day
What's This Course?
Monday May 1 is our first day of class; be sure
not to miss it. We only have six weeks, so on this first night,
groups are assigned, you start work, and the first assignment is
due on Wednesday. If you are reading this after the first day of
class, without having been in class on the first day of class, read the
course syllabus , particularly about deadlines and group work, and be sure
that this is right kind of course for you.
Note that what is provided here are outlines to
facilitate your taking notes in class. If you are accustomed to
the Learning Units for Intro Marketing or Gender Issues taken as
an Internet course with me, you
will find these not nearly so extensive.
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A walk through the course and the materials we'll
use
We meet
twice a week for three hours each night, for six weeks
in the new TEL building, just east of Atkinson,
Room 0005, from 7 to 10 pm |
Your assigned readings for the first day of
class are the course
materials on the web site (this page you are reading is part of
it). You are responsible for
everything that's on or linked to from the Course Syllabus. Be sure
to read your Course Syllabus thoroughly; it contains just about everything you
have to know and are responsible for knowing with respect to the
course.
| Your
first assignment is due on Wednesday May 5, with an assignment
due at 7:15 pm in the classroom, on every Wednesday but one after that for a total of six assignments (you have a bit
of breathing space around Victoria Day). There are
no
extensions for any assignment for any reason and I
will deduct points for papers submitted after
7:15. You can
go see The
Six Wednesdays Project, but then come back and read the rest
of this page. |
The Six Wednesdays Project
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Who's This Professor?
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Some things you should know about me
I come from a feminist school of pedagogy that
believes it matters who is teaching you. I'm not your typical
business professor, but I am a fairly typical consumer, just as
susceptible as anyone else to marketing ploys. I'll tell you a little more
about me, and you can
also browse through the web and
get some idea of who I am, how I teach, what my biases are likely to
be, what I look for in assignments.
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What are these Groups?
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You will be assigned to a group with which you will work
during this very short six-week course, the
shortness of the term being why you can't change
groups, period - don't even ask. I know groups can
be dreadful, but they don't have to be. Part
of your learning experience in this course will be
figuring out ways to get group members to work together.
It may mean getting someone who's not working to
pull their weight; it may mean getting someone
who's too bossy to back down... it's
not easy, but it's done every day in business.
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You will be given time in almost every class to meet together
and work, with me there to consult with. Don't miss this
opportunity; it's not intended as a time to skip out to
the "library" (yeah I know, I used to go to the
"library" when I was a student too). Stay and
work with your group. If you work together in the time
allotted in class, you should be able to quickly finish up
the rest of the group work by email. In the brand
new TEL classroom, which is large and airy, you will have
no excuse for taking your group to meet "elsewhere." You
are free to go get coffee, etc., but plan to meet with
your group in the classroom so that I can visit with each
group and assist you.
Who are These Students?
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Out of the discussions you'll have with your new group
members this evening, I'll ask you to come back
and introduce each other to the group as a whole,
in terms of our consumer
behaviour.
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This isn't just a mindless party game; come
with some idea of what you will tell the person who will introduce
you about yourself as a consumer. How do you shop? When and where
and why? Do you shop best alone or with a friend? Do you buy particular items only in the company of
others? How do you make buying decisions? If
you've begun the readings, does your behaviour seem to coincide with any of the consumer
behaviour theory? |
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