2277 Napa/Vallejo Highway, Napa, CA 94558 Business Skills Center Room 1436 (707) 256-7144 MACHINE TRANSCRIPTION BUSI 275 2 UNITS, 3 HOURS INTRODUCTION Information processing systems require knowledgeable employees who are skilled in processing, retrieving, and transmitting data. In addition to this technical expertise, mastery of oral and written communication is vital for successful performance. A preferred mode of office communication is machine transcription. Transcriptionists must be proficient in writing, listening, and decision-making skills. Instructors, therefore, must provide learning experiences that focus on language arts and problem-solving. CATALOG DESCRIPTION Machine Transcription is a specialized course that focuses on operating desktop transcriber machines to produce business correspondence. The focus is on transcribing documents and strengthening English language skills by practicing punctuation, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, editing, and proofreading. Special attention is given to typing manuscripts and reports in good form. RECOMMENDED PREPARATION Keyboarding 3 (BUSI 270) and Business English (BUSI 185). REQUIRED STUDENT MATERIALS Ballentine, Mitsy. Machine Transcription and Dictation, 5th ed. Cengage. 2005. Clark, James, and Lyn Clark. How 12, A Handbook for Office Professionals. 12th ed. South-Western/Cengage Learning. 2009. Headphones (recommended) USB Flash drive 1
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Upon completion of the course, you will be able to satisfactorily accomplish the following: Arrange the parts of a letter accurately and attractively on a sheet of paper. Understand the need for thorough proofreading. Be able to apply techniques of proofreading to the business letters you transcribe. Know how to properly punctuate sentences and to apply language usage principles in all transcription. Attain vocational competency in transcribing from dictation equipment. Gain knowledge of many kinds of business documents so that you understand the use of such documents and are able to apply your knowledge skillfully. Build fundamental knowledge of business vocabulary as well as the rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling so that these rules can be applied to any business document. Develop understanding of secretarial procedures and responsibilities in business. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES Demonstrate vocational competency in document transcribing and word-processing production utilizing dictation and transcribing equipment. GRADING Your final grade will be an average of all chapter grades and test grades. 90 100% = A 80 89% = B 70 79% = C 60 69% = D Below 60% = F TRANSCRIPTION CD A transcription CD accompanies the fifth edition. It contains data files with letterhead templates on which you will transcribe your dictation. The transcription CD also contains the transcription (audio) files that you will use to transcribe documents into mailable letters. For this course, you will be using either a mouse or keystrokes to start, stop, rewind and fast forward your dictation. Whenever you hear the instruction, release your foot pedal, you will use either your mouse or keystrokes to stop the dictation. 2
EXPRESS SCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS: When the CD is placed into the CD drive, it will automatically start. Select Express Scribe from the main menu each time the CD is used. 1. Plug in your headset into the computer. 2. Insert the Transcription CD and select Use Express Scribe from the main menu. 3. Select the Chapter and the Document you wish to open and click the Launch Lesson button. The program will automatically open Word and Express Scribe. 4. If you are using hot keys (function keys) to operate the dictation playback, here is a listing of some of the hot keys you will want to use to control the dictation: F4 F9 F7 F8 Stops the dictation Plays the dictation Rewinds the dictation Fast forwards the dictation PRACTICE TRANSCRIPTION EXERCISE Begin by reading the introductory pages 1-7 of your textbook. Complete the Transcription Practice Exercise as described on page 5. Refer to the proper format for reports from the reference manual in the back of the text workbook. Turn to page 21, the Transcription Practice Exercise, and read the directions carefully. Insert the CD that contains the Training Practice Exercise into your computer. Adjust the volume, speed, and tone on the dictation. Key the information you have just heard into your computer. Repeat the procedure of listening, stopping the CD if necessary, and transcribing until you have completely keyed the entire practice exercise. You may want to stop and replay the dictation whenever you need to listen to a group of words again. You may also want to fast forward whenever you need to proceed more quickly through the dictation. Proofread your document carefully and make all corrections. Print and place in your folder. Label the document Transcription Practice Exercise. 3
WEEKLY TEXTBOOK WORK Chapters are to be completed and letters transcribed according to the Recap Sheet schedule. Please be sure to stay on schedule as it is difficult to catch up in this course if you fall behind. Please label all your papers with your name, chapter number, and document number. Each chapter consists of Learning Objectives; Word Mastery Preview and Self-Check; Language Skills and Self-Check; Composition Reinforcement; and Transcription Exercises. It is your responsibility to have the written exercises and self-checks finished before arriving to class. You will NOT be responsible for the Collaborative Research exercises. TRANSCRIPTION EXERCISES The Transcription Exercises consist of four (4) letters and/or documents that will be graded for mailability. A letter with three or fewer errors will be considered mailable. Errors would include not following directions, format, grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Please key all documents in Times New Roman 12 font or equivalent, such as Cambria 12. 4 mailable letters A 3 mailable letters B 2 mailable letters C 1 mailable letters D 0 mailable letters F NOTE: Lesson parts will progress from simple transcription exercises to more challenging exercises. Part 1 transcription exercises will include all punctuation dictated on the CDs. Part 2 transcription exercises will have very little punctuation dictated and will be dictated by dictators with a variety of accents. COMPOSITION EXERCISES These exercises will be graded as acceptable or unacceptable rather than assigning a number or letter grade. Assignments may be returned to students until they complete the assignments in a manner that is acceptable to the instructor. At a minimum, these should include no errors in format, grammar, and punctuation. SELF CHECKS Answers for these assignments are provided at the end of each chapter. Instructors may randomly check to see if students are completing these activities. 4
PROOFREADING These exercises will be offered after chapters 7 and 12. Please refer to pages 312-313 for a listing of proofreading symbols. TESTING PROCEDURES There will be two tests. They are taken after Chapters 6 and 12. Each test consists of: Part 1: Written Part 2: Transcription from Dictation PART 1: WRITTEN TESTS Each test contains 20 sentences. Students will be allowed a maximum of 50 minutes to complete each test; no reference material can be used when taking the written tests. The written part of the test is graded with the transcribed documents. If you miss fewer than 6 questions, you will receive a mailable document on the test. You may review your graded copy with a staff member at his/her desk, but the test papers will not be returned for you to keep. PART 2: TRANSCRIPTION TESTS There are three documents on both transcription tests. Each test must be completed within 65 minutes. Each document will be either mailable or non-mailable. If you get 3 or fewer errors, your document will be mailable. Just like the daily chapter transcribed documents, if you get 4 mailable documents, you will receive an A for the test; 3 mailable documents is a B ; etc. You are allowed to use your textbook, dictionary, spelling dictionary, and a reference manual during the test tapes of dictation. NO NOTES OR OTHER PAPERS ARE ALLOWED ON YOUR DESK DURING THE TEST. Check out a Flash drive and the test CD when you are ready to take it. Inform a staff member when you are ready to begin and sign the testing log. You will be timed for 65 minutes. No questions will be allowed on the tests other than help to understand a dictated word. Proofreading and/or corrections are not allowed at the end of the 65 minutes. 5