You are responsible for completing the following deliverables this semester.
Attendance, Preparation & Participation
Success in this course will require you to do more than simply appear in class twice a week and answer an occasional question. I expect that all of my students will be prepared to actively participate in our in class discussions since that is a key way to take as much away from the course as possible. Please review the Class Participation Rubric in the Attendance, Preparation & Participation section of this site.
POVs
You will complete this assignment by visiting the POVs folder in Blackboard.
Point of view is defined as a “the particular attitude or opinion that somebody has about something” and “a particular way of considering or judging a situation”. You will prepare several POVs over the next weeks. Your response is simply a reflection on the issues that flow from the question, with included materials, posed. It is not an exercise that requires academic sourcing, MLA formatting, etc. It is your thoughts on the issues, no more or less. If you think that linking to additional materials that help explain or support your point of view then it is appropriate to do that.
No more guidance than that … except that you know what my expectations of performance entail. As I noted in the Assessment section of this site …
I have very high expectations for performance for my students. I expect that you will bring your best efforts to all of your interactions with your classmates, your course and with me. I presume that you are attending college, and my course, because you are interested in your future success.
- Phase 1: I will post the question and materials sometime after we meet on Wednesdays. This particular deliverable will be due every Sunday no later than 5:12a. Don’t be late … you know how I feel about missing deadlines! You will complete Phase 1 individually. Assessment will be based on the clarity of your writing, spelling and grammar, document appearance and satisfaction of form requirements; articulation of all potential issues presented and the quality and depth of analysis.
- Phase 2: Each student will be assigned to a team that will pick one POV, prepare a summary of the team’s POV submissions and present their perspective on the results. Team membership will be identified in class on Monday, November 9th. Each team will identify their preferred POV no later than Sunday, November 15th at 5:12a. The presentation schedule is TBA. Assessment will be based on your mastery of the issues under consideration, contribution to the preparatory work of your team and participation in the give and take of the in-class discussion.
Simulations
You will complete this assignment by visiting the Simulations folder in Blackboard.
We will complete two simulations this semester, Employment Discrimination and Trademarks in Cyberspace. Each simulation requires two phases.
The first phase will require you to review materials in the text. You will also study a case that examines issues related to the simulation topic, focusing on facts, a statutory excerpt and case law. Based on your knowledge of the particular area of law as a whole, you will then compose a neutral memorandum (not to exceed 750 words) that outlines each legal issue present with a short explanation of the applicable legal rules or doctrine. The sources of law for this memorandum are the text’s chapter on the area of law as well as the statutory excerpt and the case law. Your perspective is not that of an advocate. Rather, your analysis is as objective as possible in spotting any and all potential issues that could arise in the case and opine as to the likelihood of success on each point. You will complete this phase of the assignment individually.
During the second phase you will prepare for an in-class Q & A discussion of the issues presented by the materials included in the first phase. You will be assigned to a team that will advocate for one side or the other during the discussion.
I will evaluate the following factors when I assess your contributions to the simulations:
- Phase 1: Assessment will be based on the clarity of your writing, spelling and grammar, document appearance and satisfaction of form requirements; articulation of all potential issues presented and the quality and depth of analysis. You will complete Phase 1 individually. Your issues memorandum should reflect a thoughtful, substantive and well-reasoned summary; and
- Phase 2: Assessment will be based on your mastery of the issues under consideration, contribution to the preparatory work of your team and participation in the give and take of the in-class discussion.
Grading
The following weights will be assigned to each component of your final grade:
- Attendance, Preparation & Participation (25%)
- POVs (25%)
- Simulation: Employment Discrimination (25%)
- Simulation: Trademarks in Cyberspace (25%)