BUSN-220 COURSE SYLLABUS FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS. Carolyn Nelson Instructor

Transcription

1 Coffeyville Community College BUSN-220 COURSE SYLLABUS FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS Fall 2015 Carolyn Nelson Instructor

2 COURSE NUMBER: BUSN 220 COURSE TITLE: CREDIT HOURS: INSTRUCTOR: Business Communications 3 Hours Carolyn Nelson OFFICE HOURS: As posted on Room WH 121. TELEPHONE: PREREQUISITE: REQUIRED TEXT: COURSE DESCRIPTION: , ext.2063 [email protected] None Business Communication, Building Critical Skills, 6 th Ed., by Locker and Kaczmarek, McGraw-Hill, Irwin. This course covers how to communicate in writing as well as orally and nonverbally. The fundamentals of how to write the different types of business letters, memos, reports, and web writing will be covered. Resume writing and interviewing skills will also be covered. EXPECTED LEARNER OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of Business Communications, the student will be able to: 1. Explain the communicator skills. 2. Identify communication tools. 3. Write messages using courtesy. 4. Write messages with clarity. 5. Develop concise messages. 6. Makes messages concrete. 7. Write correct messages. 8. Check messages for completeness. 9. Plan and develop messages. 10. Use correct formats for business letters and memorandums. 11. Demonstrate how to use good news and neutral news messages. 12. Use the direct order for good news messages. 13. Use the indirect order in writing bad news messages. 14. Use the indirect order in writing persuasive messages. 15. Write effective employment messages.

3 16. Develop effective resumes and job application letters. 17. Practice job interviewing strategies. LEARNING TASKS AND ACTIVITIES: The class is based on lecture and practical application. Individual and group assignments will be given which reinforce the material discussed and provide for small group and large group learning. ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOMES: The criteria for a final grade is as follows: Unit Exams 40% Assignments 30% Projects 30% The grading scale is: % A 89-80% B 79-70% C 69-60% D Below 60% F COURSE OUTLINE: Unit One: Building Blocks for Effective Messages 1. Business Communication, Management, and Success 2. Adapting Your Message to Your Audience 3. Communicating Across Cultures 4. Planning, Writing, and Revising 5. Designing Documents, Slides, and Screens

4 Unit Two: Creating Goodwill 6. You-Attitude 7. Positive Emphasis 8. Reader Benefits Unit Three: Letters, Memos, , and Web Writing 9. Formats for Letters and Memos 10. Effective, Informative and Positive Messages 11. Negative Messages 12. Persuasive Messages 13. Messages and Web Writing Unit Four: Polishing Your Writing 14. Editing for Grammar and Punctuation 15. Choosing the Right Word 16. Revising Sentences and Paragraphs Unit Five: Interpersonal Communication 17. Listening 18. Working and Writing in Teams 19. Planning, Conducting, and Recording Meetings 20. Making Oral Presentations Unit Six: Job Hunting 21. Researching Jobs 22. Resumes 23. Job Application Letters 24. Job Interviews 25. Follow-Up Letters and Calls and Job Offers

5 BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS CORE COMPETENCIES 1.EXPLAIN THE COMMUNICATOR SKILLS 1. Explain each part of the communication cycle. 2. Discuss the responsibilities of the sender and the receiver in communicating effectively. 3. Identify and discuss how communication barriers may influence various communication situations. 4. Discuss the relationship of language skills to effective communication. 5. Identify and use helpful communication references. 2. IDENTIFY COMMUNICATION TOOLS 6. List and explain the uses of electronic technology (computers, electronic mail, teleconferencing, video conferencing, and voice messaging). 7. Discuss the effects of electronic technology on the communication process. 8. Compose messages that show the you attitude. 9. Change negative statements to positive statements. 10. Rewrite messages to change passive voice to active voice. 11. Verify spelling in messages. 12. Select correct work and phrase usage. 13. Compose messages that meet the criteria for the six basic qualities for business communication courtesy, clarity, conciseness, concreteness, correctness, and completeness. 3. WRITE MESSAGES USING COURTESY 14. Develop the you attitude. 15. Use positive words. 16. Select gender-free terms. 17. Respond to messages promptly.

6 4. WRITE MESSAGES WITH CLARITY 18. Select appropriate words. 19. Place words in an orderly sequence. 20. Position phrases correctly. 21. Position clauses correctly. 22. Keep sentences short. 5. DEVELOP CONCISE MESSAGES 23. Eliminate unnecessary words. 24. Select action verbs and efficient words. 25. Use necessary modifiers. 26. Write using the active voice. 6. MAKE MESSAGES CONCRETE 27. Identify the reader. 28. Use precise modifiers. 29. Avoid opinions or generalizations. 30. Provide specific details. 7. WRITE CORRECT MESSAGES 31. Verify spelling. 32. Select correct words or phrases. 33. Check names, places, dates, times, and amounts. 34. Evaluate appearance. 8. CHECK MESSAGES FOR COMPLETENESS 35. Write a complete message that can answer the questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how. 36. Write messages that maintain goodwill.

7 37. Discuss the direct and indirect patterns of organization and the message applications for each pattern. 38. Generate message ideas and organize the ideas in a traditional or an indented outline format. 39. Write correctly structured sentences and paragraphs and organize them within a message to achieve coherence and appropriate emphasis. 40. Prepare the final message by editing, revising, and proofreading the message draft using suggested proofreader s marks. 9. PLAN AND DEVELOP THE MESSAGES 41. Determine the objective of the message of the letter or memo. 42. Identify the audience to whom the message will be sent. 43. List supporting information explaining the objective of the letter. 44. Prepare an outline of the message. 45. Construct a draft of the message. 46. Examine and refine the draft of the message using the following steps: edit and revise, proofread, use proofreader s marks, and then prepare the final message. 10. USE CORRECT FORMATS FOR BUSINESS LETTERS AND MEMORANDUMS 47. Identify letter parts. 48. Arrange letter parts in the correct positions in three letter formats: block, modified block, and simplified block. 49. Arrange interoffice messages in standard and simplified memorandum formats. 11. DEMONSTRATE HOW TO USE GOOD NEWS AND NEUTRAL NEWS MESSAGES 50. Identify situations for which good news and neutral news messages are appropriate. 51. Discuss how to build and maintain goodwill in good news and neutral news messages. 52. Analyze messages to verify that they reflect the basic qualities of messages, acceptable business message formats, and the good news strategy. 12. USE THE DIRECT ORDER FOR GOOD NEWS MESSAGES 53. State the Good or Neutral news at the beginning of the message.

8 54. Give enough supporting information to ensure clarity. 55. Use a closing that will build goodwill. 56. List examples of good and neutral news messages. 13. USE THE INDIRECT ORDER IN WRITING BAD NEWS MESSAGES 57. Use passive voice to promote diplomacy and to maintain goodwill in bad news messages. 58. Emphasize the positive rather than the negative when writing bad news messages. 59. Use the indirect order in writing bad news messages. 14. USE THE INDIRECT ORDER IN WRITING PERSUASIVE MESSAGES 60. Define and discuss each part of the persuasive strategy AIDA: attention, interest, desire, and action. 61. Discuss emotional and logical appeals and how they are used effectively in persuasive messages. 62. Discuss the appropriate use of negative words in persuasive messages. 63. Identify and discuss situations for which the persuasive strategy AIDA is recommended. 64. Discuss unique characteristics of sales messages and some charitable request messages. 15. WRITE EFFECTIVE EMPLOYMENT MESSAGES 65. Discuss the various aspects of the employment search. 66. Match personal characteristics and skills to job requirements. 67. Use available references to research employment opportunities. 68. Develop an effective resume that accurately presents your qualifications. 69. Prepare an effective cover letter. 70. Identify and use successful interview techniques. 71. Discuss other employment messages.