jury #1 assignment

In the semester there will be posted on the Discussion Board a fact scenario that relates to the material in the textbook and the lectures. A series of questions will be posted with this scenario. Each student who participates in this discussion can receive up to 15 points per scenario for the answers and 5 points for the response. Participation is defined as posting one’s comments or answers to the questions in the assigned forum and responding in any forum. Have a discussion please. If you wish to respond in a different forum, you’ll first have to post a short introduction and then you can see the threads in that forum.

“Yes” or “No” or “I agree” is not an answer nor is it a response. I’m looking for developed answers that include an analysis of the scenario in relationship to the content of the textbook. A response is a comment to someone so please indicate whose post you are responding to and develop your answer. I don’t know the context for your response if I don’t know who, by name, you are responding to. The statement, “I agree with you”, doesn’t tell me who as all I see is a string of names.

There must be at least one reference to chapter/page/lecture note in a student’s discussion. If a student chooses not to participate, no points will be received. Minimal participation will yield partial points.

You may find that some student(s) who posted prior to you may have covered the points you wanted to cover. Explore the material to see if there isn’t something additional to add or a new perspective. Perhaps you can explore the “opposition” side. I’m looking for analysis using the scenario facts and the materials in the text and online – there is no right or wrong answer – it’s how you discuss and support your position that’s critical. However, an incorrect application of the material, e.g., a tort concept in a breach of contract action without adequate support will result in some point deductions.

Remember, there are always different ways of looking at things – You say goodbye and I say hello. There is a certain amount of vagueness in the facts of each scenario to allow for different perspectives.

Students will be divided into groups according to the first letters of their last names. (Jury 1 A-C for example). Each group will be assigned a different scenario. Please monitor Blackboard’s Discussion Board to see which Scenario/Group you have been assigned to. While a response can be posted in any forum following the directions above, the initial post must be submitted in the assigned forum. All forums are deliberately kept to a maximum of 5 members in order to allow each member enough new material to discuss. If the forum gets to large because students outside the forum post to the initial questions, it robs the forum members of an opportunity to demonstrate their analysis skills. If a non-forum member submits an initial post, not a response, in the incorrect forum, it will be treated as a response for purposes of grading and given no more than 3 points.

All discussions will be posted on the Discussion Board. That is also where the Scenario will be found. Each student’s analysis/discussion must also be posted on the Discussion Board.

When you respond to another’s post, please indicate the student(s) to whom you are responding. It can be difficult to follow your response if we don’t know the basis for that response. And please, remember to introduce yourself as a visitor to that forum as a matter of courtesy. This is important – you must create a new thread to introduce yourself before you can read the other students’ posts. You don’t need to do this in your own forum. In fact, do not do it. Creating a new thread in a forum to which you weren’t assigned and answering the scenario questions as though the answers are a response, won’t count as a 5 point response. That will result in -0- points towards the 5 points for a response.

DO NOT prepare your answers as an attachment. I won’t open it to grade it and I don’t expect another student to open an attachment from someone they don’t know.

Spelling and grammar are a part of the grading and deductions will be taken if there are errors in these areas. There are 15 points possible for the answers and analysis to the scenario questions and 5 points possible for the response.

There are NO MAKEUPS for this assignment if missed. You will have a minimum of 4 days in which to complete the scenario you are assigned to. No late work will be accepted. This is intended to be a group discussion and not a report to the instructor containing answers to questions.

This new version of Blackboard requires a student to create a thread and post something before being able to view the other students’ posts. I have observed that some students attempt to “scam” the forum by posting a sentence in their assigned forum as their initial answers. That enables them to view the other posts. Then they will be able to continue their answers with another post having the benefit of seeing what others have written. I’m on to this so don’t attempt it. If I believe you’ve done that, you’ll receive points only for the first post which is generally -0-. I can tell if you’ve done this due to the lapse of time between your “introduction” post and then the actual answers to the scenario. If you accidentally click “submit” before you are finished, then email me immediately and tell me what you’ve done so I can keep that in mind when I grade your initial post.