I have taught this course both online and in person, and I have included both syllabi here. For the online course, the content is designed to be delivered both synchronously and asynchronously, maximizing accessibility. I have recreated Unit 3, which contains the Collaborative Analysis Prompt, below as it would be on a course management tool like Moodle or Canvas. The Prompt is designed to imitate the interaction that would be required of students with the Book tool on Moodle. I invite you to click through it.
Because the online course is so short, however, there is a template we all must follow. As such, I have also included an assignment from my in person course that asks students to think about not only what they must write but also how they will learn to write in new genres or settings.
Business writing is problem solving. Although it is often formulaic and practical in its structure, it is also creative and passionate in its expression of a writer’s desire to make change, imagine a new project, or communicate with others about anything from the daily goings on of an organization to a new idea that only they understand. In this class, we will do this work by exploring a number of different genres that might help us accomplish these goals and learning to both imitate and reimagine those genres. This work will also ask us to attend to audiences who think differently than we do but might have an important say in whether or not a project is funded. As we complete each major writing assignment, we will also consider how we can both take responsibility and collaborate effectively to reach our goals. You will have to write a lot in this class, but I challenge you to find ways to make the writing work for you and your goals.
This course teaches students to apply the principles of successful professional communication to workplace writing tasks. Students will also practice editing and supervising the writing of others. Assignments replicate typical business cases and situations, including a report that requires students to compile and interpret research.
Erin Cheslow 