Business and Professional Communication
C223: Overview
Welcome to C223 – Business and Professional Communication. This course will introduce you to the fundamentals of business and professional communication in the American corporate world. It has been designed emulating some of the latest computer technology that business people are using today – the same technology you will encounter once you enter the workforce.
The June 2007 report entitled Diplomas Count: Ready for What? Preparing Students for College, Careers, and Life After High School states that “Employers complain more about a lack of ‘soft’ or ‘applied’ skills among high school graduates than they do about inadequate academic skills. For example, young people must be able to work comfortably with people from other cultures, solve problems creatively, write and speak well, think in a multidisciplinary way, and evaluate information critically. And, like the workers of previous generations, they need to be punctual, dependable, and industrious. Yet few schools have explicitly focused on developing soft skills as part of their core mission”1.
This course is designed to help you develop the “soft skills” employers are looking for in an electronic setting. Some of the highlights of this course include:
- Working in virtual teams on different projects throughout the semester.
- Working with the Macromedia Breeze Meeting computer program with your virtual teams to learn how to use group meeting software and its features, including Live Audio, File Sharing, Whiteboards, Chat, and Note.
- Working with Microsoft PowerPoint and Macromedia Breeze Presenter to create slide presentations that incorporate voice-over technology for “virtual oral presentations”.
- Working with different assignments designed to familiarize you with domestic and international business communication practices.
The course is divided into 4 main modules: Overview of Business and Professional Communication, Elements of Business and Professional Communication, Interpersonal Components of Business and Professional Communication, and Group Components of Business and Professional Communication. Each module is further divided into 3 units exploring different subcomponents, including the Strategic Model of Communication, Workplace Diversity, Listening, Verbal and Nonverbal Communication, Public Speaking, Leadership, Workplace Relationships, Interviewing, Working in Groups, Meetings, and Conflict Management. A 5th module will conclude the course.
Syllabus
The course syllabus is available under the “Syllabus” link.
System Requirements
In order to be able to participate fully in this course, your will need to make sure you have the necessary equipment and technology available throughout the entire semester. To do so, click on the “System Requirements” link to see what you will need for this course.
Oncourse Information
This course will use Indiana University’s course management system called Oncourse. Similar to WebCT and Blackboard, this course management system allows us to interact with each other in a variety of ways. Oncourse has been recently updated. By clicking on the “Oncourse Information” link you can learn more about the new and update features this course management system offers.
Oncourse Discussion Forum Assignment
As a means of introducing you to the Oncourse system and its Discussion Forum feature, your first assignment will be to introduce yourself to your instructor and classmates. Go to the “Assignments” tab and look under the “Meet and Greet Your Classmates Using the Oncourse Discussion Forum” assignment to get more information.
A description of the assignment is also available in your syllabus and in the Discussion Forum.
-
1 Editorial Projects in Education Research Center. “Diplomas Count: Ready for What? Preparing Students for College, Careers, and Life After High School.” 2007. Education Week. 13 June 2007
<http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/06/12/40exec.h26.html>.