Module Overview for Week of July 13: Correspondence

This is Week 02 of the course.

Regardless of format—from micro-blogs to traditional letters—you will communicate via the written word nearly everyday at your job. Regardless of the content being conveyed, your correspondence should be accurate, clear, and communicated with honesty and integrity. And regardless of audience, you want to leave a positive impression upon your reader. Remember that correspondence may be the client’s first impression of you. You want it to be a positive one!

Assessing the rhetorical situation will determine the type of correspondence to be used. Does the situation call for an inquiry letter, a complaint letter, a sales letter, a claim letter, a refusal letter or other type of letter? Knowing the patterns of each type will lead you to fulfill your purpose and satisfy your reader’s needs.

The tone and accuracy of correspondence can solidify positive working relationships and contribute to a successful, stable organization. Because the communication relies completely on the written word and does not involve verbal or facial cues, word choice becomes critical in establishing tone.

The reading material and examples will give you information to assist you in analyzing rhetorical situations and selecting the appropriate strategy to address the situation successfully.

At the end of this unit, you will be able to compose correspondence that serves the writer's purpose, satisfies the reader’s needs, presents accurate and organized content, and uses a positive tone.

Objectives for this Module

After completing this introductory 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]
• 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]
• 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 13

Reading Activities

Read the following (30 points):

• Markel & Selber, Ch. 5: “Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose”
  • Determining the Important Characteristics of Your Audience (extra summary of list from the chapter)
• Markel & Selber, Ch. 14: “Corresponding in Print and Online”
• Markel & Selber, Ch. 9: “Emphasizing Important Information”
• Strong Subject Lines
• Extras from The Muse to Save for Use in the Workplace
  • 27 Pre-Written Templates for Your Toughest Work Emails Links to an external site.
  • 8 Sticky Situations You'll Come Across in Your Career—and the Email Templates That’ll Resolve 'Em Links to an external site.

Writing Activities

Complete the following activities (60 points): 

• Correspondence Project: Choosing Your Fortune 500 Company
• Correspondence Project: Complete an Audience Profile Sheet
• Correspondence Project: Rough Draft
  • Aim to submit at least half of the content required by the assignment.
• Correspondence Project: Final Draft
  • Use the links in the assignment to revise and edit your draft before submission.
  • Check your project against the criteria listed in the assignment.

Piazza Discussion Activities

Complete the following (30 points):

• Read these instructions and related information:
  • Feedback Discussions Overview
  • Feedback Discussions Instructions
  • Feedback Discussions FAQ
• Post a passage from your Correspondence Project and your related question  in Piazza.
• 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 (10 points). Include complete details on this work in your Work Log. See the Other Activities information Links to an external site. in the Course Manual for more information.

Tracking & Reflecting Activities

Complete the following (30 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 13” page from the right sidebar.
• Track and reflect on the work you have done for the week (20 points).
  • 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 this week in the 07/17 Self-Assessment.
  • Your points will be recorded automatically when you submit your quiz.