Announcements

	jmucci@lbcc.edu

Course Description

This course will introduce you to the world of International Business. It provides a view of the forces that affect international business and an explanation of the international business environment and the critical role of Southern California.

Objectives of the Course

To provide you with an understanding of the theory, purposes and specific practices of international business.
To provide you with an understanding and appreciation of the relationship between government (international, foreign, and domestic) and international businesses.
To provide you with the ability to recognize the impact of international trade in the Southern California basin and give you information about careers in this exciting field.
To provide participants with specific strategies for selecting the most cost effective highly reliable Southern Californian Logistics alternatives for import/export products dependent on the Southern California transportation infrastructure
To expand your knowledge of skills essentials to success in the field of international business.
To show you the impact of physical, cultural, political, legal and financial forces on international business.
To challenge you to develop tolerance and respect for cultures other than your own.
To show you the relationship between international trade and the quality of life.
To stimulate in you an interest in global matters.
To provide an opportunity to work in an dependent organization for a common goal (Optional)

International Business: Environments and Operations, Eleventh Edition, John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh. The course relies very heavily on the textbook. Note that there is a reserve copy in the library in the library for emergencies.

Purchase Textbook	LBCC Book Store International Business: Environments and Operations, Eleventh Edition, John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh
Access Course	Course Access Information http://coursepages.lbcc.edu/ibusjm/ibus1oljm User ID: ibus1j Password: 12007

Register Email	Update your email address on OLE Student Self Service at http://www.lbcc.edu/ole.html
Join Yahoo Group
Email Instructor	jmucci@lbcc.edu
LBCC On Site Orientation	Orientation meeting from 6 to 7:30 pm either Tuesday, August 22nd or Thursday, August 24th in the Open Access Computer Lab on the top floor of the LAC library
On Line Orientation
Computer Requirements	Hardware and Software Requirements
Preparation	Preparing for Your Distance Learning course
Study Tips	How to Study Online
e-Learning	Overview of the e-Learning Environment and Course Features
Access Maps	Google Maps
Forum	Discussion Forum
Access The Economist	The Economist
Access S.I.D.E. Road	S.I.D.E. Road
Grades	Graded Assignments
Resources	Electronic Resources at LBCC
Help Desk	Technical Support (HelpDesk)
Course Help	Content Support
Access Syllabus	Syllabus
Access Calendar	Calendar

_______________________________________

Course Access Information

1. Launch your browser (e.g., Internet Explorer)

2. Access the following URL: http://coursepages.lbcc.edu/ibusjm/ibus1oljm
The first time that you access the URL, add it to your Bookmarks (or Favorites) so that you don’t have to retype the URL every time you want to access the course.

3. Your User ID and Password to enter the course are as following:
User ID: ibus1j
Password: 12007

If you lost your course bookmark or forgot the URL, you can always find the courses listed on the e-Courses Directory at the LBCC Distance Learning Home page ( http://de.lbcc.edu and select the e-courses directory link)

e-Mail & Yahoo

4. Use your Internet Service Provider’s e-mail account (e.g., AOL, Earthlink) to e-mail messages to your instructor and your fellow students. If you don’t have an ISP e-mail account, get a free e-mail box at Yahoo.com You will also need to join the IBUS1 Spring07 Yahoo Group.
Instructions for getting an e-mail account are available on “S.I.D.E.Road” at: http://de.lbcc.edu/resources_tools/techhowtos.html
5. You may also come to the LBCC Open Access Lab (L-135 or GG113) and get assistance in obtaining a free e-mail account with Yahoo.
6. To send practices / assignments with your e-mail, attach the documents to your e-mail message using the interface of the e-mail program you use. Make sure you put your name & assignment description in the Subject line to assist with proper credit. For proper delivery, make sure you add an extension after the file’s name when naming it (for Word documents use .doc and for Excel documents use .xls extensions).
Instructions for attaching a file to an e-mail account are available on “S.I.D.E.Road” at: http://de.lbcc.edu/resources_tools/techhowtos.html
7. If you need technical help with your e-mail, contact the DL Student HelpDesk at (562) 938-4818.
(See Technical Support below for details).

Hardware and Software Requirements

8. Computer:
Pentium PC with at least 128 MB of ram, 56.6k modem and Internet access OR
Power Mac with at least 128 MB of ram, 56.6k modem and Internet access
On either platform, more memory and a fast line (DSL, or cable) are highly recommended.
9. Internet browser. The preferred browser for this course site is MS Internet Explorer. It is recommended that you download the latest version of the browser before you start working on this course.
10. To view the instructional movies included in this course, you will initially need to use media software to view "wmv". Windows Media Player is bundled with MS Windows.
11. For best viewing, set your monitor resolution to 800 X 600, 72Hz or higher.
12. If you need technical assistance with any of the above, contact the HelpDesk at (562) 938-4818. HelpDesk technologists are available Monday - Thursday 8 A.M. – 7 P.M. and Friday 8 A.M. – 4 P.M.

13. Preparing for learning online can be tricky. While you might think that as long you have the technical skills / requirements the rest would be very easy, the truth is far from being so. In addition to the technical skills, you will need excellent time-management skills and goal-setting skills. You will need to learn how to independently control your studies so you don’t procrastinate and fall behind to a point that it is too late to complete the course successfully.
14. “S.I.D.E. Road: Success in Distance Education” (http://de.lbcc.edu/sideroad) includes Web-based resources to help prepare you for everything you need to achieve a successful online experience. “S.I.D.E.Road” assists you in acquiring the skills you need to be a successful Distance Learning student, as well as avoiding typical hurdles that many Distance Learning students experience such as procrastination and poor time management. This includes learning to be independent, taking responsibility for your own learning, and getting familiar with online resources available at LBCC. You will also learn about other types of Distance Learning courses offered at LBCC and their technical requirements. “S.I.D.E.Road” also includes interactive simulations in which you will meet students who are about to fail in their distance learning course and help them make better decisions throughout their course that ultimately will result in their success.
15. Technical “HOW TOs,” time management tools, and many other online resources are available in the Resources section of “S.I.D.E. Road.”
16. The LBCC Distance Learning program Home page (http://de.lbcc.edu) includes additional information and resources for you to use throughout your distance learning course experience.

17. Access this course FREQUENTLY (preferably every day or two). Expect to spend at least the same amount of time in a distance learning course as you would in an on-campus section of the same course. Schedule your “class time” the same as you would if you were physically coming to class.
18. Get familiar with your e-learning environment. Click on each feature to explore the content included in it, and to get used to learning in this environment.
19. Do your part in forming a solid community of learners. Upon entering the course for the first time, access the Student Bios page and follow the instructions to add your bios. This will enable you to communicate individually with other students throughout the course.
20. Check the Announcements section for updated course news.
22. Make sure you complete all the assignments in a timely manner based on the due dates for each assignment. For due dates, check the Calendar section of the course. Read the assignment instructions for each module carefully. Assignments need to be e-mailed to the instructor. There are also self-assessment practices -- these are for you only. There is no need to e-mail or share the results with anyone. If you have questions about these practices, e-mail the instructor. Always e-mail your assignment on time! It is very easy to procrastinate -- don’t fall behind.
23. Do the practices provided for each chapter in your course before you do the graded assignment for that chapter. It would be wrong to think that because practices are not graded, you don’t need to access them. The practices, sometimes referred to as Activities or Self-Assessments, are invaluable tools for you to see what you don’t know and learn from your mistakes without letting these mistakes affect your grade.
24. Be active! e-mail your instructor and your fellow students every time you need to obtain material, ask a question, or share thoughts and information. Participate actively in the discussion forum. Post your responses to the instructor’s topics and respond to other students' posts as well. The forum is another way of learning, and it is very important for your success in the course. If I do not hear from you on a regular basis, you will be dropped from the course.

Overview of the e-Learning Environment and Course Features

25. Your e-learning environment, called e-zteach©, is a student-centered, friendly e-learning environment. All the features available in the course are listed on the left frame. Using e-zteach©, you cannot be “lost” somewhere in cyberspace. If at any point, you are not sure where to find an activity or a practice, look for the appropriate feature on the left, click on it and start your way again from there. In some modules, content pages are opened as new windows (instead of in the main frame). When you finish working on these pages, close the window to return to the course (you will be prompted to do that at the end of such pages). The course features are arranged in three zones:
The Blue Zone includes Information features.
The Red Zone includes Learning features.
The Gold Zone includes Communication / Collaboration features.
26. When you click on a button, its content is displayed on the main frame (the larger area on the screen). The content of the first feature, Announcements, is displayed on your screen upon launching the course, so that you are able to get course news immediately. To prepare for your course, click on each feature and explore the content included in it. The features included in this course are as following:

Information Features (Blue Zone)	Learning Features (Red Zone)	Collaboration Features (Gold Zone)
• Course Information - General information about the course including course orientation and syllabus. • Instructor's Information - Instructors contact information. • Syllabus - Course Guidelines. • Calendar – Class schedule and important dates, including assignment due dates. • Grades – Check your current grade and performance.	• Graded Assignments – Summary of assignments • Tools & Resources – Links to “S.I.D.E.Road” useful DL technical and academic resources and tools.	• Discussion Forums - Weekly discussions . • Students' Work - Class project work • Announcements – Important messages for the entire class.

27. All graded assignments need to be e-mailed to the instructor by the specified due dates. Forum posts are required as well; due dates are posted on the calendar.

Discussion Forum

28. Access the Discussion Forum button and learn how to use Yahoo Groups

Electronic Resources at LBCC

30. Various LBCC online resources are available for you to access and use. Some of them include:

• S.I.D.E. Road: Success In Distance Education: - Tools and resources to use before and during your distance learning course http//de.lbcc.edu/sideroad

• Online Bookstore - LBCC Online Bookstore: Order your course material online at http//www.lbccbookstore.com/lbcc/main/
• Online Library - Visit LBCC Library online (http://lib.lbcc.edu/) to access electronic databases, online catalog and other useful tools and resources.
• Online Counseling - LBCC Online Counseling (http://onlinecounseling.lbcc.edu/) are available for you “anytime, anywhere”.
A complete list of LBCC online resources is available on S.I.D.E.Road at: http://de.lbcc.edu/sideroad

Technical Support - HelpDesk

31. For technical assistance or questions, call the LBCC Distance Learning HelpDesk line at (562) 938-4818. The HelpDesk is available Monday through Thursday 8 A.M. - 8 P.M. and Fridays 8 A.M. - 4 P.M. If the line is busy, the voicemail message will come up. However, DO NOT leave a message on this voicemail; hang up and call again a few minutes later. The HelpDesk staff will not be able to return your calls.

32. For all content-related questions, please contact the instructor at (562)598-8887 or by e-mail at jmucci@lbcc.edu