Final Course ReflectionBy: Jaime Gluesing

Module 5

5 guidelines when designing documents

Use white space.

Use headings.

Limit use of words in all caps.

Use no more than two fonts

Decide whether to justify margins

What I’ve What I’ve LearnedLearned

Module 5

White space= empty space on page

Create by: using headings, using lists

Used for emphasis of material

Module 5

Headings should be specific

ALL CAPS, slows readers down

No descenders or ascenders

Justified margins

Type is evenly lined on both sides

Professional Look

Ragged Right margins

Justified only on left

Less formal

Module 23

Informative/closure reports

summarize completed work

don’t result in action or recommendation

include introductory paragraph, chronological account, and concluding paragraph

Module 23

Feasibility report

Evaluates several alternatives

Recommends one

Justification report

Recommends a purchase, investment, hiring, or change in policy

Module 23

7 patterns of organization

Compare/Contrast

Problem-solution

Elimination of Alternatives

General to Particular, Particular to General

Geographic or Spatial

Functional

Chronological

Module 22

Primary research

Gather new information

Secondary research

Information someone else gathered

Module 22

Keyword Searches

Terms the computer searches for in a database

Boolean search

Gives fewer, more useful hits

Module 22

Be specific when surveying/interviewing

Closed questions

Limited number of responses

Use for potentially embarrassing topics

Open questions

Do not lock subject into any sort of response

Module 22

Types of survey samples

Random

Convenience

Judgement

Look for patters in collected data

Similarities, differences, surprises.

Module 12

Persuasive Messages have several purposes

4 basic strategies

Direct Request

Problem-solving persuasion

Sales

Reward and punishment

Module 12

Direct Request

Use when audience is resistant

Useful when responses are needed from people who are willing to act

Ask for information immediately

Give reader all necessary details

Module 12

Problem-solving

Use when audience is likely to do what you ask

Use when action from everyone is needed

Describe the problem in detail

Explain a solution with advantages outweighing the disadvantages

Module 12

Directed subject line makes your stance on the issue clear

Credibility is the audience’s response to you as the source

Build emotional appeal

Tell a story

Trigger emotions

Module 21

Reports come in various kinds

Finish 1/4th of research before starting proposal

Proposals

Suggest method for finding information or solving problems

End with a call to action

Module 21

Progress reports

Used to show progress

Address potential problems

Different types

Chronological

Task

Recommendation

How I learned

Reading the chapters

Unit tests

Helped learn definitions

Showed examples of writing styles

Writing assignments

Chance to practice

Apply in real world situations

Why this matters

Communicating non-verbally has taken over

More emailing, reporting and writing letters than face to face

Vital to learn proper and effective way to communicate this way

How I will use this

Helped me learn how to design documents

I can use this in the workforce

Help me be professional when communicating with my coworkers

Open doors for me

By communicating effectively I can make change and create great opportunities for myself.