MEDAILLE COLLEGE
AGASSIZ CIRCLE
BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14214

COURSE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
Eng 260  Business Writing

3 Credits, Fall 2006 Section 21- M-W-F 2:50-3:50  h,   

prerequisites WRT 200; CIS 110 or 115

instructor, Walt Kolt
physical office, 85 Humboldt Parkway
hours,  M-W 4 -6 With Appointment, call   863-3798  or
email, wkolt@adelphia.net

course web, http://RicciStreet.net/dwares/lane/wrt250/
course discussion forum,

http://RicciStreet.net/cgi-bin/bistro/Ultimate.cgi

please note

Grades on your papers will reflect standard English usage. The Modern Language Association's (MLA) bibliographic style is generally used at Medaille.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION OF COURSE

This course emphasizes the long, formal analytical business report. The course integrates the computer as an analytical tool for research and statistical interpretation and documentation. The student writes a series of business letters and inter-office memorandums. The course, which includes a grammar and usage review, teaches practical skills to those who write on-the-job for businesses: industry, agencies, and organizations.

OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you will be better able to control the content, structure, language, and mechanics of the research, writing, and presenting that professionals do on computer networks.

* keep current with changes in business communication, especially digital
* compare theories and models of information design
* use email and a browser to find, acquire, and exchange information on the Internet
* evaluate information, especially for problem-solving and decision-making
* use database and charting software to analyse and display data
* use webmaking software to organize and present information
* use presentation software to supplement oral presentations
* explore and discover visual language to supplement written and spoken language

COURSE CONTENT

What's old: ENG 260 is a writing course, so you will write a lot. What's new: 1) ENG 260 will be as paperless as possible. 2) The definition of writing includes visual information.

Rather than structure the course around a textbook, I'm structuring the course around a project. I've found it works better if everyone writes on the same general theme. Because you have access to some terrific software and to the Internet, I would like you to research the markets for new information appliances.

Such research is usually done by the marketing department. However, the information retrieval, analysis, evaluation, and presentation skills are used throughout organizations. They are transferable skills. You can take them from the marketing department, to production, to finance, to personnel and use the same skills and software.

New Media Ventures, Inc.

You are working for New Media Ventures, Inc., a venture capital firm, in the marketing department. You report to me, the director of market research. New Media Ventures is entertaining proposals from start-ups in the exciting new field of information appliances. The proposals all come with hefty market research, but we want to have independently conducted our own research so that we can make better decisions about an uncertain future in a volatile new industry.

You will produce the following deliverables:

1) proposal report

What is the information appliance (IA)?
How does it work?
What technology underlies it or enables it?
Is any of that technology at risk of becoming obsolete?
Who owns that technology?
Who is researching this technology and IA?
Who is or could be prototyping or marketing it? (potential competitors)
What will the IA be used for?
What will it be used with?
How was the information made and communicated before? Will those continue?
Is this IA a transitional product (to what?) or a final product?

2) research report

Further answer the questions from the proposal report, plus tell us about your research:
What did you find?
This will be an annotated list of all the resources on the Internet that relate to your IA.
What didn't you find?
Where did you find it?
How valid, reliable, and credible is it?

3) final report

Further answer the questions from the proposal and research reports, plus:
Who will use / buy the IA?
Why?
Where is this market?
What else do you know about this market? (demographics)
What drives this market?
What restrains this market?
What is the future of this market?

If you do your job well, this site will be the definitive site on the Internet for information about your IA.

4) presentation (PowerPoint)

same content as the reports

After a review of the basic concepts and skills, we'll spend our class time developing them as needed. We'll also discuss the evaluation criteria for your written and oral work

Basic concepts

information: technology, networks, documents
information appliances

data-based decision making processes
problem solving process
writing / development / design process

document design
usable interfaces

Basic digital skills

email style and netiquette
organized email (newsgroups and discussion lists)
web browsing
information retrieval (searching)
information evaluation (evidence and logic)
information analysis (databases)
information display (charts, images, 2D design)
document construction (presentation slides and web pages)

TEXTBOOK

This is a learn-by-doing course, so your "textbook" is your experience taking this course and the materials on the course web site and its links.

Reference Books

dictionary American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

grammar Harbrace College Handbook

usage Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage

EVALUATION

I expect you to participate in both our physical classroom and our digital classroom. At a minimum, you should email me a dozen times and post at least that many messages to the online discussion forum.

Your course grade will come from the three reports and presentation.

September   -- proposal report (web pages)
October- research report (email)
November-- final report (web pages)
December -- self-assessment (email) (no points)

My grading system for written and oral work asks four questions.

content -- Is it logical, insightful, and visually interesting?
structure -- Is it easy to follow and learn from?
language -- Is it written, designed, and presented in an appropriate business tone?
mechanics -- Is it free of error and attractive to look at?

In short, does your work exhibit a command of business communications and its conventions, especially digital?

It comes down to this: If I were your boss, I would want to see paper and screen documents that are attractive and accessible. Having your work available when I need it affects the "quality" component of my assessment. The quality of your writing can be important at raise and promotion time.

10 points. You did it with enthusiasm and flair. Your boss could show the document or presentation to a client or to the big boss as is. Your boss would remember the document when discussing a promotion.

8 points. You did it with enthusiasm or flair. It needs another draft. Your boss would be satisfied but not impressed.

6 points. You did it. It needs a total revision. Your boss would not want those outside the department to see it. However, this is a 200-level undergraduate course, so it's still pretty good.

4 points. You did it, but it doesn't look good and is too hard to understand, especially because of distracting mechanical errors or decisions you made about design. Your boss might start to think about looking for someone to replace you.

2 points. You did only part of it.

0 points. You didn't do it at all or so little it doesn't really matter.

- 2 points. It was late.

The odd-numbered points will indicate shades of gray.

The point descriptions are loaded with ambiguous and subjective terms: good, hard, flair, enthusiasm. Such holistic characterizations come from observations colored by assumptions and prejudices. However, there are some generally agreed upon professional standards. We will discuss them in class before your proposal report is due.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS OF COURSE

In order to prosper in business, you must be able to do many things other than write. These four also apply to meeting the course objectives listed above.

manage digital information
explore and discover
tolerate ambiguity
think big

Statement on Disabilities

Any student with a disability who believes he/she needs accommodation(s) in order to complete this course should contact the Office of Disability Services as soon as possible. The staff in the Office of Disability Services will determine what accommodations are appropriate and reasonable under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Office of Disability Services is located in the Main Building, room 021 and can be reached by phone at (716) 884-3281, extension 280.