WCU CIS304 G. Jones

CIS304 Business Communication

Essential Links:

Assignments Described, Spring 2008

Syllabus
Monday Night (-70); PDF, with hotlinks
Tuesday Night (-71); PDF, with hotlinks

2014, What Happened to the News? (scary video)

Other Important Links:
Writing Resources
Business News
Business Careers/Resumes
Professional Associations
Web Page Construction and Design

Online Resources from a textbook publisher (Ober): Outlines, Quizzes...

Course Objectives Matrix (PDF file)
Grading Criteria and Standards for Written Work (PDF file)
Mutual Expectations/Responsibilities (PDF file)

Final Paper (Optional Individual Project)
Description
Organization

Examples of Reports

Exercises:

NEWSLETTER
Newsletter example: Feb. 2005 (in PDF)
Newsletter EXERCISE (Feb. 2005, in Publisher) -- Puzzle: put the pieces back together.

Newsletter example #2: April, 2005 (PDF)

►GOOD EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW FOR NEWSLETTER ASSIGNMENT

Newsletter example #2 (April 2005, in Publisher)

Example #2 above is a good example to follow, generally, for the newsletter assignment.

For this assignment, please read carefully all related material and instructions

on the "ASSIGNMENTS DESCRIBED" page, under 'Newsletter.'

Newsletter exercise (backup plan only; rename .txt to .pub)

GRAPH EXERCISE (EXCEL)
1. Chart exercise, spreadsheet (SAVE to your local drive to work on this file)
2. Chart exercise (hints) [from here, highlight all data & headings, then use the Excel Chart Wizard]

3. Bar chart exercise, one possible (pretty good) solution (PDF) [Suggest you use this title for your bar chart]

Helpful Guidelines When Creating Graphs

Summary: A graph (continuous variable on the X axis) or chart should be able to stand alone--to be self-explanatory. Provide a clear, descriptive title; if their meaning is not obvious, label your axes. With a few exceptions, axes should typically represent only one metric, one unit of measure. Text should be readable, with no inappropriate overlap of visual elements. Contrast and color selection should be easy on the eyes (e.g., no red against blue). The meaning of a graph or chart should be very clear to your audience; the graphic should aid your explanation, simplify your message, not complicate it. See Ober, Chapter 11, and below:

Graphing, Charting, and Presenting Data

Using Graphs (good basic information; note "Four Guidelines" at the bottom)

Gallery of Data Visualization (historical milestones; examples of good and bad graphs)

NOTE: I am only asking for your graph; I don't need the Excel datasheet. Due as discussed in class (beginning of class). You may want to emulate my solution, or devise one of your own. If you try something along the lines of what I did, you need to make sure the "Drawing Toolbar" is visible so you can make use of the 'textbox' feature. Otherwise, learning the graph function of Excel involves right-clicking on various graph elements (once created by the wizard) and examining your options.

Use of Graphs and Tables in Technical Writing

PowerPoint Guidelines:

Read through the information provided on these Websites.

Avoid violation of basic guidelines in your own presentation.

►Simply put, failure to adhere to the guidelines discussed in class and provided by the links

below will result in a grade significantly lower than you might otherwise have earned.

PowerPoint Assignment	READ the instructions and directions for this assignment
Grading Template	STUDY the template by which you will be graded
"Death by PowerPoint"	READ this short article by communication consultant Anne Miller (no excessive text!)
PowerPoint Guidelines	READ these two screens on basic PPt tips
Ten Tips for Using PowerPoint	READ these ten tips

Basic PowerPoint Guidelines	Recommend: Nine slides

Getting Your Point Across (in PowerPoint)	Recommended: Harvard Medical (PDF, 7 pages)

Using PowerPoint	Tutorials and links, provided by Harvard University
PowerPoint Tutorial

PowerPoint is Evil	Interesting counter-view, by Edward Tufte ["Tuff-Te"]
Gettysburg Address	Gettysburg Address on PowerPoint

Related_Links of Interest:

The Communication Model
Shared Meaning (Diagram and discussion)
The basic Shannon-Weaver model
"Transmission Models", criticism of...