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Spring 2016
Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am-11:15am, Thornton 102
Announcements
Next offered spring 2016
EE204 now offered through SCPD as EE204S.
| I am... | Enroll in |
|---|---|
| A Stanford student | EE204 |
| An HCP student who would like to attend all classes in person | EE204 |
| An HCP student who would like take the class completely online | EE204S |
| An SCPD NDO student (including students enrolled in SCPD certificate program) | EE204S |
Overview
EE204 is designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn about the fundamental activities of businesses listed below. Learning about these activities is accomplished through case studies The class is highly interactive based on student discussion . Both large companies and start-up ventures are highlighted.
Identifying new markets
Developing strategy
Building successful products
Marketing
Selling
Managing teams
Measuring results
The Case Method of Instruction is used to present specific issues faced by real companies. Students are asked to analyze these issues, make decisions, plan future actions, and discuss their reasoning in class. The companies are chosen from the technology sector including consumer electronics, semiconductor, software, consulting services, and e-commerce. Case studies are supplemented by frameworks and tools (see marketing example) and background readings by thought leaders
Understanding the activities of business will provide engineers, scientists, and educators with a broader perspective on how to contribute to their organizations and achieve their personal career objectives. The course requires a high level of student commitment. It is fast paced and requires extensive reading, preparation, and participation (see Stanford University course review and student comments
Course Point of View
Cases are discussed from the perspectives of the decision maker and those responsible for implementing the decisions. Students are asked to gather all relevant case information, weigh the alternatives, make a decision, and explain “what they would do” to implement their decisions in the real world,
Team Focus
Each class is conducted as a business team meeting. Our objective is to determine the best course of action and its implementation for the assigned case study. Students are the team members and the instructor is the facilitator. The case method of learning is based upon the belief that management is a skill. The best way to learn this skill is to experience it through a team simulation as opposed to a traditional lecture format. The collective knowledge and reasoning of the team determines the outcome of each class. The students decide “the right decision and course of action” in the heat of their deliberations, debate, and discussion.
Communications skills
The class offers students an opportunity to develop communications skills and build confidence. Individuals present their points of view and their decisions through oral classroom participation. Students should expect to be challenged by their classmates to defend their analysis, decisions, and implementation plans. We recommended students form a study group for all classes but it is required for one written team paper. Students for whom English is a second language have had excellent success in this class.
For interested students, there are additional communication-skill-building opportunities in which they may participate for extra credit:
- Give a short in-class presentation on a current event related to the course
- Present five slides giving recommendations for one of the written assignments
Distance Learning EE204S
One of the objectives of EE204 is to share the learning experience with the broadest base of students possible. EE204 will be recorded and offered to distance-learning SCPD students as a separate parallel course, EE204S, which will incorporate online platform tools for collaboration and peer review. The course material is chosen to reflect the global interdependence of 21st-century business and enhance the relevance to our students around the world. Please contact the Stanford Center for Professional Development program for information on enrollment. In the future.
Continuing Education
The evolution of business activities and companies covered in EE204 are updated frequently on the class Twitter feed. Also included are interesting articles and news. Please continue to follow the class as a student, alumnus, or interested person on the class Twitter feed:
Subscribe
Twitter
EE204 Course Information
Classroom discussion guidelines
Stanford University course reviews
EE204S SCPD Additional Course Information
Class Participation and Online/Mobile Learning Platform Access
Faculty Background and Contact Information
Fred Gibbons fgibbons@stanford.edu
EE204S TA: Minmin Hou mmhou@stanford.edu
EE204 TA: Hanchel Cheng hanchel@stanford.edu
Administration
Resources
Business Association for Stanford Engineering Students (BASES)
Related Pages
Stanford EE
Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford
Stanford CS
Department of Computer Science at Stanford
