Overview

Overhead shot of a white woman doing research on a library computer As burgeoning professionals, you will more than likely have to make recommendations intended to solve problems and/or help make decisions at some point during your careers. Recommendation reports are, therefore, an invaluable part of the problem-solving and decision-making process.

The readings from the textbook and the examples provided will provide you with the material needed to (a) identify, define, and research a problem or opportunity and (b) learn how to compose a recommendation report.

At the end of the next two weeks, you will understand more about the kinds of problems and decisions that recommendation reports are intended to address.

Objectives for this Module

After completing this module, you will be able to

Analyze the rhetorical situation and determine the appropriate audience or users of written communication, considering the needs of global audiences and people with disabilities. [CLO 1]
Conduct research appropriate to workplace problem solving, such as literature review, evaluation of online resources, interview, and site inspection. [CLO 2]
Interpret research findings with understanding of ethical and human implications. [CLO 3]
Use conventions of various workplace genres, such as proposals, instructions, correspondence, reports, and slide decks, with understanding of how the genre conventions can be used as heuristics and as principles of arrangement. [CLO 4]
Collaborate with classmates in planning, researching, writing, revising, and presenting information. [CLO 5]
Apply principles of effective visual design for print and electronic presentation, including hierarchical, chronological, and spatial arrangements. [CLO 6]
Identify and apply the principles of effective style in the composing of usable, reader-centered written communications. [CLO 7]

Note that you can find the full text of the Course Learning Objectives on the Syllabus.

Activities for the Week of July 27 & August 3

Time Required: 24–30 hours, including reading time
Available Points: 320

Due Dates:

- Friday, July 31 at 11:59 PM: Rough Draft due.
- Friday, August 7 at 11:59 PM: All other activities due
- Monday, August 10 at 11:59 PM: Grace period ends for all work.

Reading Activities

Read the following (60 points):

Writing Activities

Complete the following activities (120 points):

Piazza Discussion Activities

Complete the following (60 points):

Read the instructions and related information linked below. Note that the instructions are the same each week. What changes is the project you are focusing on.
- Feedback Discussions Overview
- Feedback Discussions Instructions
- Feedback Discussions FAQ
Post a passage from your Recommendation Report and your related question in Piazza. Since we have two weeks for this project, ask a substantial question or post two passages and ask two questions .
Provide feedback to the passages and questions posted by others in Piazza.
(Optional) If you have questions about anything in the course, post those in Piazza for a response as well.

Other Activities

Complete activities that go beyond the basic expectations of the course (20 points). Include complete details on this work in your Work Log. See the Other Activities information in the Course Manual for more information.

Tracking & Reflecting Activities

Complete the following (60 points):

Click Class Notebook in the Canvas sidebar to go to the Weekly Work Log in OneNote.
Click the Weekly Work Logs tab at the top of your notebook.
Choose the “Week of July 27” or the “Week of August 3” page from the right sidebar, depending upon which week it is.
Track and reflect on the work you have done for the week.
- Add specific details for all the work you have done this week.
- Add summary comments and reflections once the week is over and all your work is recorded.

Self-Assessment

Claim the points for the work you have done during the two weeks in the 08/07 Self-Assessment .
- Your points will be recorded automatically when you submit your quiz.

Photo credit: Photo credit: All She’s Armed With Is Research. by Markus Binzegger on Flickr, used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.