Distance Education
Instructor: Victoria Austin
Email: (**please identify the assignment in the subject line of any email, and include your name in the contents of the message)
Office Hour: Wednesday 9:00-10:00 AM in 803
Instructor Website: http://lpc1.clpccd.cc.ca.us/lpc/vaustin/
Blackboard Website: http://clpccd.blackboard.com/
Textbook Website: Please read the note on books for this course below before you buy anything.
Course Description: This course is designed to help students develop and refine the written and oral communication skills necessary to communicate effectively in a business environment. This will be accomplished through the planning, composing, and evaluating of written communication; report writing; and oral presentations. Additional focus will be placed on developing interpersonal skills, mastering the mechanics of writing, developing team participation skills, and demonstrating professionalism.
Required In Person Meetings:
Three required on-campus meetings:
1. Saturday January 21: orientation, 10 AM - 1 PM, Room 2460
2. Saturday March 17: oral presentations, 10 AM - 1 PM, Room 2460
3. and your choice of one of the two following dates:
1. Saturday May 5: final project presentations, 10 AM - 1 PM, Room 2460
2. Saturday May 12: final project presentations, 10 AM - 1 PM, Room 2460
Please note: for the required on campus meetings, please keep in mind that you cannot pass the class without attending these meetings and there are no makeup dates. Please do not register for the class if you cannot attend these meetings.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
upon completion of this course, student should know how to
· use oral and written communication effectively
· communicate across cultural barriers
· write meeting minutes and agendas
· present material in front of a group of people
· create and present a formal business presentation
· use word processing software to create a variety of business documents
· use presentation software to create an effective business presentation
· identify, explain, and demonstrate different types of business communications
· demonstrate interpersonal skills including conflict resolution, business etiquette, active listening, team participation, and leadership skills
Required Text/Materials:
Excellence in Business Communication 9th edition by John V. Thill and Courtland Bovee, ISBN 978-0-13-610376-9. This ISBN is for the book only. The book can be purchased at the bookstore or from any other source. Please note that the student value edition featured in the bookstore is loose leaf, and therefore cannot be resold. If you buy the soft cover edition elsewhere, please note that a new edition of this book is due out this year, so it may not be resellable. Please be sure you get the 9th edition - we will be using some assignments from the book and the older editions won't necessarily contain what you need, plus there is new content especially in the area of social media. The publisher offers a variety of choices, including several formats of textbook for purchase, and an electronic version of the book. You do not need the other items (DVD, Study Guide, etc.) listed on the publisher's web site.
The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint by Tufte, ISBN 0961392169, available from http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint - be sure to order the essay, not the poster. We read this monograph in the 13th week of class. If you are on a budget, you may wish to read the copy on reserve in the library instead.
A suite of business applications, either MSOffice 2000 Professional or better, with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; or the Open Office suite available for free from openoffice.org or libreoffice.org; or Google Docs available, also for free, at docs.google.com. In the fifth week of class and after, we will spend some time on learning word processing and presentation software, and the instruction provided is for the Microsoft Office Suite.
Course Format
For a typical 17 week semester, this class will meet for the equivalent of four lecture hours per week. Students are expected to log into the class at least three or four times per week. This class includes weekly quizzes, weekly assignments, class discussions, oral presentations, and a final exam. For every hour of class time, students should expect 2 hours of preparation. There will be weekly assignments with a penalty for late work, weekly quizzes, and no makeups for missed quizzes. Ask anyone who has already taken this class - it's a lot of work and will require a regular, significant time commitment.
Attendance Policy
Active participation is the key to your success in an online class. Students are expected to participate in weekly discussions, to keep up with deadlines for assignments, and to check email regularly. Students must log into the class at least once a week, though more often is preferable, and students who do not log in regularly may be dropped from the class. The instructor can use course management tools to establish whether a student has met the attendance requirement.
Drop Policy
The instructor may
drop students who miss the first meeting of a
course. The first meeting of online or hybrid Distance Education
courses is the
first day of the class as specified in the class schedule
listing. For
these courses, instructors may drop students who do not log into their
Blackboard course and/or complete indicated activities by the third day
of
classes.
Assignments:
The best way to improve your communication skills is to practice. In this class, there will be practice of various kinds assigned weekly. There will be a variety of different types of communication assignments this semester. Some will be awarded a numeric grade and some will be on a credit/no credit basis; you will get full credit for turning in or participating in the credit/no credit assignments.
Some of the assignments will be:
· Writing a persuasive letter
Evaluation/Grading:
There are weekly quizzes during the term. Missed quizzes cannot be made up under any circumstances. Two quizzes (lowest scores) will be dropped at the end of the semester.
All presentations, the midterm in March, and the final presentation in May, are mandatory. Do not sign up for the class unless you can attend on the presentation dates and present your work. You cannot pass the class without presenting on these dates, and there are no makeup dates.
Extra credit may be offered later in the semester, but the expectation is that you will use your regular coursework as the basis for your grade. In any event, extra credit is not enough to raise your grade from one letter grade to another, such as a B to an A. If extra credit is offered, you will see it posted in Blackboard.
A word about incomplete work: the incomplete grade was never intended for students who simply get behind in their work; it is intended to accommodate a student with an unforeseen disastrous event that makes it impossible to finish classwork on time. Do not request an incomplete unless you are (1) doing passing work at the time of the request and (2) able to document the reason for the request.
Grade Components
· Short writing assignments 25%
· Research project 20%
· Quizzes 15%
· Participation in discussions 20%
· Oral text presentation 10%
· Employment assignment 10%
Grading Scale
· A = 90% or higher
· B = 80-89%
· C = 70-79%
· D = 60-69%
· F = less than 59%
Dropping the class:
If you choose to drop the class, please go to Admissions and Records and drop the class yourself. Do not assume you will be dropped if you stop participating in the class.
Cheating and plagiarism:
If you are caught cheating, a report will be submitted to the Dean of Students Services for investigation and disciplinary action. Examples of cheating: copying test answers, copying work off the Internet, turning in work that is copied from another student, copying material in written assignments without giving credit to the author. Please understand that I take this issue very seriously. If you have questions about what that means, please refer to the college's academic honesty statement at http://www.laspositascollege.edu/facultystaff/honesty.php
You must use your own words and your own sentence structure to avoid plagiarism, and you must credit any sources you use for ideas. We will do a unit on plagiarism later in the semester to make sure you understand the concept. I do use automated tools to detect plagiarism in student work. Please note that I will fail your research project or any other assignment if it is not your own work; don't test me on this because I am absolutely serious and have caught and failed students for this in the past.
Things you need to do to succeed in this class:
· Participate in the class
· Practice, practice, practice - I can teach you all the theory of communications, but you will not be a good communicator unless you practice writing and speaking
· Read the textbook and assigned materials
Weekly Assignments:
Assignments are due on Friday unless otherwise stated. Assignments will be submitted via email to cnt43class@gmail.com. Please put your name and the number of the assignment (such as HW1) into the subject line; I will not attempt to guess whose work it is based on the email address from which it was sent.
Late assignments will only be accepted within one week of the due date. 50% of the maximum possible score will be subtracted for all late assignments. Assignments submitted more than one week late will not be graded. Class syllabus and assignment dates are approximate and subject to change.
Weekly outline and assignments
Additional detail on the weekly discussion topics will be posted at the beginning of the week in which a discussion is assigned.
|
Date |
Reading |
Assignments |
Discussion Topic |
Quiz |
|
Week 1:
ending January 27 |
Chapter
1 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Section 1.1 (in the back of your
textbook) |
Email Ettiquette HW1:
Search Engine Techniques |
Write
an introduction to you and why you are taking this class |
Practice
Quiz on Chapter 1 |
|
January 21 |
Mandatory Meeting in Room
2460, 10 AM to 1 PM |
|||
|
Week 2:
ending February 3 |
Chapter
2 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Section 1.2 |
HW2:
Social Media |
Conducting
a Meeting |
Chapter
1, Handbook 1.1 |
|
Week 3:
ending February 10 |
Chapter
3 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Section 1.3 |
HW3:
Intercultural Exercise, Topic for Research Paper due |
Active
Listening Listening
Skills |
Chapter
2, Handbook 1.2 |
|
Week 4: ending February 16 (February 17 is Presidents Day
holiday) |
Chapter
4 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Section 1.4 |
HW4:
Meeting Minutes |
Business
Networking |
Chapter
3, Handbook 1.3 |
|
Week 5:
ending February 24 |
Chapter
5 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Section 1.5 |
HW5:
Microsoft Word |
Ethical
Communication |
Chapter
4, Handbook 1.4 |
|
Week 6:
ending March 2 |
Chapter
6 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Section 1.6 |
HW6:
Presentation Self Assessment,
Introductions and Conclusions, Prepare for Oral Presentation List of
sources for research paper due |
Public
Speaking Tips Giving
a Formal Presentation |
Chapter
5, Handbook 1.5 |
|
Week 7:
ending March 9 |
Chapter
7 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Section 1.7 |
HW7:
Informative Memo Presentations
Saturday the 17th - practice for your presentation! |
Resolving
Conflict |
Chapter
6, Handbook 1.6 |
|
Week 8:
ending March 16 |
Chapter
8 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Sections 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 |
HW8:
Positive Message |
Written
Communication the Traditional Way |
Chapter
7, Handbook 1.7 |
| March 17 | Midterm Presentations Mandatory Room 2460, 10 AM - 1 PM |
|||
|
Week 9:
ending March 23 |
Chapter
9 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Sections 2.4 and 2.5 |
HW9:
Negative Message |
Writing
Persuasive Messages |
Chapter
8, Handbook 2.1 through 2.3 |
|
Week
10: ending March 30 |
Chapter
10 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Sections 2.7 and 2.8 |
HW10:
Persuasive Message |
Analytical
Reports |
Chapter
9, Handbook 2.4 & 2.5 |
|
Week
11: ending April 6 |
Chapter
11 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Sections 2.9 - 2.12 |
HW 11:
Identifying Your Audience |
Visual
Aids |
Chapter
10, Handbook 2.6 |
| April 7 - 13 | Spring Break | |||
|
Week
12: ending April 20 |
Chapter
12 Handbook
of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage Section 3.1 |
HW12: Microsoft PowerPoint, rough draft of research project due |
Rules
for New Media and the "death" of privacy |
Chapter
11, Handbook 2.9-2.12 |
|
Week
13: ending April 27 |
Chapter
13 Tufte
essay: The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint |
HW13:
Using plagiarism prevention
software, citing your sources and writing
your bibliography for your research paper |
Verbal
and Non-verbal Communication |
Chapter
12, Handbook 3.1 |
|
Week
14: ending May 4 |
Chapter
14: Designing and Delivering Oral and Online Presentations Appendix
B |
HW14: Locate an employment ad in your profession, negotiation exercise Practice
your presentation and finish your paper - due May 5! |
PowerPoint
and Effective Meetings |
Chapter
13 |
|
Saturday
May 5 10 AM -
1 PM |
First
of two dates for research paper presentations |
Mandatory
Meeting - attend this one or the 12th Research
paper due by this date regardless of when you present your talk. |
Room 2460 |
|
|
Week
15: ending May 11 |
Chapter 15: |
Start
HW 16, due on May 18 |
Job Interview Questions |
Chapter
14 |
|
Saturday May 12 |
Second of two dates for
research paper presentations |
Mandatory Meeting |
Room 2460 |
|
|
Week 16: ending May 18 |
Chapter 16: Applying and
Interviewing for Employment |
HW16: Write your resume and
an application cover letter |
First Impressions |
Chapter 15 |
Technical Support
For more information on how to log into Blackboard and other technical support issues, visit http://www.laspositascollege.edu/onlinelearning/ or call 925 424 1142. Support hours and details are listed here.
ADA Accommodations
Students with documented disabilities needing accommodations are encouraged to discuss their needs with the instructor either by email or by making an appointment during office hours. More information may be obtained through the Disability Resource Center at 925 424 1510 or online at http://www.laspositascollege.edu/DSPS/index.php . Confidentiality of student's disability is maintained in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.
Confidentiality of Email and Online Materials
All students' email addresses may be available to other students in class. Although some assignments in an online course may require peer communication, the instructor will make every effort to protect the confidentiality of any personal communication. However, students should recognize that email and other electronic media are never totally secure. The use of Las Positas's website, email, and Blackboard software for the creation and/or distribution of material not pertaining to course participation is prohibited and may be grounds for disciplinary actions according to College Policy. Such actions include, but are not limited to, the inappropriate use of email and discussion boards for harassment, unlawful solicitation, spamming, and use of Blackboard to link to inappropriate materials.
Spring 2012 Important Dates
INSTRUCTION |
|
| Jan 16 |
HOLIDAY* - Martin Lither King, Jr. (no instruction) |
| Jan 17 | INSTRUCTION BEGINS - Spring 2012 (full term classes) |
| Jan 21 |
Instruction Begins - Saturday Classes |
| Feb 3 |
Last Day to ADD/DROP with No-Grade-of-Record (NGR), in person (A&R) (Full-term classes) |
| Feb 5 | Last Day to ADD/DROP with NGR online via Class-Web (Full-term classes) |
| Feb 6 | CENSUS DAY (Full-term classes) |
| Feb 16 | Last day to Apply for Pass/No Pass |
| Feb 17-20 | HOLIDAY* - Presidents' Day (no instruction) |
| Mar 31 |
60% Point for Financial Aid |
| Apr 4 | Last Day to Apply for Degree/Certificate |
| Apr 6 |
Last
Day to Withdraw with a “W” in person and online |
| Apr 7 | Saturday classes meet |
| Apr 9-14 | SPRING BREAK (no instruction) |
| May 12 | Last day of Saturday Classes |
| May 18 | Last day of Instruction (Full-term classes) |
| May 19 -25 |
Final Exam Period (Full-term classes) |
| May 19 |
Final Exams for Saturday Classes |
| May 25 |
Commencement |