COMM 212: COMM 212 COURSE SUMMARY SHEET, 2010

Please Note:

Individual Final Presentation grades are now available on Moodle, via your MyPortal page.

For detailed feedback, please contact me to make an appointment, and I will confirm with you.

Final Individual Written Report grades will be up by this weekend.

Final Exam is set for Saturday, April 24, from 14:00 to 16:00 in room H411.

Instructor: John Connolly

e-mail: johnemc@gmail.com
(Office hours by appointment only)

Textbook: Guffey, Rhodes, and Rogin. Business Communication: Process and Product, Third Brief Canadian Edition. Toronto: Nelson Publishing, 2008

Week 1 Introduction/ course overview. Chapter 1, 3, 4
Week 2 Planning to communicate: preliminary concepts. Chapter 5, Organizing and Writing. Chapters 6 and 7.
Week 3 Writing reports. Chapters 12. 13, and 14.
Week 4 Persuasive messages. Chapter 10. Proposals. Chapter 14 PROPOSAL DUE (MEMO FORMAT, ONE PAGE) (5%).
Week 5 Memos, Letters, Negative Messages. Chapters 8, 9, and 11.
Week 6 Preparing oral presentations. Speaking with Confidence. Chapter 15. Group issues. Chapter 2.
Week 7 GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS (25%).
Week 8 GROUP PROJECTS (cont’d).
Week 9 FINAL INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATIONS (25%).
Week 10 FINAL INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATIONS (cont’d)
Week 11 FINAL INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATIONS (cont’d)
Week 12 Communicating for Employment. Chapter 16. FINAL INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN REPORTS DUE (20%).
Week 13 Advanced Topics for Further Study

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADE VALUES:

WRITTEN INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL (1-PAGE MEMO, 5%)
FINAL INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATION (4 MINUTES, 25%)
FINAL INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN REPORT (6 PAGES, 20%)
GROUP PROJECT (10 MINUTES, 25%)
FINAL EXAM (3 HOURS, 25%)

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND:

1/ The lectures and in-class exercises will augment, not repeat, material from the textbook. Complete all readings on your own, and before class. I will not lecture on material from the textbook, but will assume that you have read and understood it. Please ask questions if anything from the textbook is unclear to you

2/ The final exam (which accounts for 25% of your grade) will be multiple-choice, based entirely and exclusively on the course textbook.

3/ Plagiarism, as defined in the Concordia Calendar, will result in a final grade of 0.

4/ This is not a remedial English course; university-level writing and speaking skills are assumed.

5/ In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the University's
control, the content and/or evaluation scheme in this course is subject
to change.

COURSE OVERVIEW, PHILOSOPHY AND STRUCTURE

For the first half of the term, classroom time will primarily be spent informally work-shopping individual and group assignments related to that week's material. I will not lecture on specific material from the textbook, but rather will provide opportunities for students to clarify anything that is unclear to them, and to deepen their understanding of key course concepts through these practical workshops and exercises.

More specifically, during the first half of the term, the beginning of each class will be given over to any questions that you may have regarding that week's material from the text, or the specific assignments that are due, or the course requirements or structure in general. Once these questions have been addressed, we will undertake a series of optional, unmarked, in-class individual and group assignments designed to reinforce key course concepts for those people who are either unsure of the material, or for those who prefer to learn in more hands-on, collaborative and participatory environments. If you understand the assignment(s) and the material in the textbook for that week, you may work independently.

Given that we have nearly 60 students, the second half of the term will be given over completely to oral presentations, both group and individual, and these will involve both peer review and formal marking by the instructor. You will obviously have to attend on those days when you are scheduled to present your individual and Group oral presentations, and to help with peer review.

In practical terms, this means that, as with most university courses, much of the course work should be done independently; furthermore, since the Faculty stipulates that there be no grade for class participation and attendance, EXCEPT FOR THOSE DAYS WHEN YOU ARE SUBMITTING A WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT, OR PRESENTING EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATION, OR A GROUP ORAL PRESENTATION, you are not strictly speaking required to attend class. Of course, YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME, and obviously, there will be classes and class activities each week, and you are encouraged to attend. I will also be available to meet before or after class or at other times depending on our respective schedules.

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT TOPICS (FOR YOUR MEMO, FINAL ORAL AND WRITTEN REPORT)
As indicated on the course outline, and as was explained in class, in this course you will undertake a series of individual assignments (a memo, a written report, and an oral presentation) on a topic of your choosing related to creating a new product or service in the area of green businesses, sustainable development, recycling, or ecology.

You are responsible for choosing the specific topic, but I will help you get started by discussing creativity and idea-generating techniques in class three.

If you cannot develop an idea on your own, you can also consult the business idea generator link at the top left of the blog. Remember, I am mostly interested in how well you communicate your ideas, not so much in the underlying ideas themselves. I will not critique the efficacy of your ideas, in other words, but I will be looking to ensure that they are conveyed in a concise, professional manner.

GROUP ASSIGNMENT TOPICS
Your group project is unrelated to your individual projects. For your group project, you must prepare a 10 minute, group oral presentation on a topic related to starting your own ebusiness, or examining an online technology, or some aspect of online culture (social networking, identity theft, new or emerging trends). You can start your own company and pitch the idea to the class, for example, or profile an existing ebusiness (in this case, you will need to gather some financial and sales data, so be sure that these are available), or propose an online marketing campaign for some local small business, non-profit or charity. Again, I am mostly interested in how well you communicate your ideas via your presentation, not so much in the ideas themselves.

INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN PROPOSAL (MEMO)

Your first written assignment is due at the beginning of class in week four of the course (January 28). It is a proposal, typewritten in MEMO FORMAT, and will be a maximum of 250 words (three paragraphs) in length. It is “To” your instructor, and the “From” field will include your name and student ID. NO ELECTRONIC (E-MAIL) SUBMISSIONS PLEASE. BRING A HARD COPY TO CLASS.

In your proposal you must explain:

(1) What general topic you will undertake? Then, narrow the range of possibilities by giving a specific statement of purpose: For example, your general area might be sustainable development, and your specific statement of purpose might be "how can I make automobile usage more sustainable?". The more specific your statement of purpose, the easier is will be to do your work.

(2) In general terms, how will you begin to actually do the work to answer your question or address your topic? Will you start with Web research? Will you visit stores? Interview people? Brainstorm on your own? Think of this as a mini work plan.

(3) Why did you select this particular topic to work on in this course? Why does this topic interest you, in other words.

Each of the three sections above is to be roughly one paragraph in length.

FINAL INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATION

As outlined on the class schedule, your final oral presentation will take place during one of four classes, beginning on October 28th (week 8).

The material that you present is based on research you have done on your overall topic of interest. Your memo stated what topic you would look at, and what specific question you would be answering. Your final oral presentation (and your final written report) will give your answer to this question, along with an explanation and justification for your findings. Remember that it is a persuasive presentation – you must try to convince us that, whatever your findings or conclusions, you are right!

For example, if your original statement of purpose as stated in your memo was "will electric automobiles reduce the need for fossil fuels in Canada over the next ten years?", your final oral presentation and your final written report will examine this question in some detail, and then provide an answer along with your explanation for that answer.

As with all presentations in this class, it should follow the introduction – body (in several sections) – conclusion model, and have a definite structure (which you preview at the beginning). Try to integrate what you have read and learned in class about keeping the audience engaged and oriented.

Presentation order will be alphabetical, starting with the “a”’s. Missed presentations cannot be re-scheduled owing to extreme time constraints. Again, try to follow the guidelines that were discussed in class, and detailed further in your course textbook. At the very least, always begin by trying to engage your audience, and previewing your structure. Your audience is both the instructor and the class – peer review will play a part in your grading, so make it interesting and show some enthusiasm.

You must use Powerpoint, Keynote, Google Presentation, or some other computer-based slide show program. You are responsible for ensuring that your files work with our technology, and you must always bring your slides on transparencies as a back up (black and white slides are fine for backup purposes).

Length: 4 minutes (plus or minus 30 seconds – please stay within the allotted time or you will be penalized).

FINAL INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN REPORT

Your final written project will be in the form of an informal business report. Remember that this is an analytical report – you are doing research and then answering the question or addressing the issue that you posed in your Individual Memo.

Make sure that the format and structure are befitting that of a written document, and are not just a typed-out, verbatim version of your oral presentation. The audience, topic and general findings will be the same, but the channel and medium (written report) lend themselves to more detailed information, for example, and you have less need to engage your audience’s attention initially, and keep them focused as they read.

Your report's basic requirements will include a cover page, a table of contents, executive summary, at least one visual element (e.g. a graph or chart), a list of sources, and appendices (if applicable). The core of the report should be five to six pages in length (1,250 – 1,500 words).

1,250 to 1,500 words (approximately) includes the written report itself - the intro, main body (however it is structured), conclusions, and recommendations (if any). It does NOT include the Cover page, Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Appendices (if any), visual elements, etc.

If this is still unclear to you, please refer to your course textbook for more guidance.

This document should be up to professional standards both in terms of content and in terms of format and design – it is not simply another essay, so make it look like something you would do if you had been hired as a consultant. A proper, permanent cover and good quality paper stock is expected. An "A" paper will be up to professional standards, that is, a very clearly written, well structured document that addresses your original statement of purpose, and has no spelling, grammar, logic or design errors (the latter could include tiny fonts, or unusually wide or narrow margins, for example).

Due: at the end of our last class. Given the volume of material and the importance of respecting deadlines, no late papers can be accepted, nor can any papers be emailed to me. In-class submission only.

OVERVIEW
As explained above, your group will prepare and present a 10-minute presentation to the class, and create a simple blog to contain your list of online resources and to provide a semi-permanent record of your findings and approach. YOUR MAIN FOCUS IS ON THE PRESENTATION OF YOUR CAMPAIGN, NOT ON THE UNDERLYING PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT YOU SELECT. I AM MOST INTERESTED IN YOUR PRESENTATION, IN OTHER WORDS, NOT THE UNDERLYING PRODUCT OR SERVICE.

SUMMARY OF GROUP PROJECT REQUIREMENTS:
Topic: Ebusiness, or online business culture. For example, you can create a new ebusiness, or profile an existing online business, or develop an online promotion/marketing campaign for a local company or non-profit, or look at some negative aspect of online commerce like identity theft. The topic is up to your group, but be sure to pick something that really interests you.

Audience: Classmates, acting as management (unless you specify another audience when you begin your presentation).
Group Members: 5
Length: 10 minutes (maximum, timed, plus or minus one minute)
Format: formal business presentation; everyone speaks
A/V: Google Presentations, or Powerpoint or Keynote.

See my short presentation that gives tips about how to start your project, and how to prepare an excellent presentation. At the most basic level, be very clear about what you intend to do (have a clear statement of purpose, in other words), give us a clear structure to follow, and and be sure that the material you present actually accomplishes the task you described in your statement of purpose.

Each group must create a simple web page or blog to contain their online marketing materials and links to their research resources, and add these to the course blog in a posting. Go to blogspot.com and register if you do not know how to create a blog/webpage. All necessary instructions are there.

All members must present one section of the presentation.

All members who are present receive the same grade.

No re-scheduling of presentations is possible.