ENGL301

Online

ENGL301 Online

ENGL301 Online

Unit II: Communicating to Multiple Audiences

OVERVIEW

This unit is specifically designed to help you develop the Four Cs: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, which are the 21st century skills (National Education Association, 2017). In particular, the ability to write collectively is one of the 21st century literacy skillset (NCTE, 2013).

NOTE: In this unit, you can work in a group of 2-5 or solo. While you may choose your own group, I reserve the right to make adjustments if necessary. If you work in a group, you are eligible for the opportunities of earning extra credits by completing the Group Contract (addition of up to 3 bonus points to your total score) and the Teamwork rubric (addition of up to 2 bonus points to your total score). The highest addition of 5 bonus points from these two will help you raise your letter grade (e.g., from a B+ to an A). An individual working alone is NOT eligible for the incentives.

Each team will be responsible for taking expert or technical information and translating that information for two different audiences: non-experts and professionals in the field. Teams will compose a total of four formal documents (see below). As in a prior Unit, assignments are sequenced so that each stage should assist you in completing the next!

By the end of this unit, you will have:

· Formed teams and formulated a clear plan for working together effectively;

· Researched a current issue in your field using library resources;

· Summarized and documented your research;

· Analyzed audiences and produced documents based on their needs and your research  Produced well-edited formal documents following clear format guidelines.

RESEARCH

In order to communicate expert information, you must first locate appropriate resources to provide that information. Each team will be required to use at least three sources for this assignment:

1. Articles published in scholarly (peer-reviewed) journals

2. Article from a reputable encyclopedia, credible website, or national news source

3. Wikipedia is NOT a reliable source

Note that teams are required to document all research for proposals, reports, and brochures. Therefore, you may want to limit your use of sources to make the project more manageable. Plagiarism will result in an F for the assignment and/or the course and possibly dismissal from the course or suspension from the college. Work you submit for this course must have been done by you for this course during this semester.

Documentation must follow APA style: refer to http://www.canton.edu/provost/pdf/Academic_Integrity http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_plagiarism_faq.html https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/1/ http://bowvalleycollege.libguides.com/apa-style/citation

Paraphrased words MUST be cited. See the link: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/

So, what is a scholarly journal? These are periodicals put together by experts in a particular field. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is a prime example. When an article is published in JAMA, readers know that the research described has been conducted according to rigorous standards and that the work has been double- and triple-checked by other experts. That doesn’t mean everyone agrees with the results, but that an agreed-upon process has been followed.

Southworth Library (

http://www.canton.edu/library/)

is the best way to locate an appropriate article. In addition to the online databases (which cover hundreds of full-text scholarly journals), the library offers 24-hour librarian assistance (see the “Ask Us 24/7” button on the right side of the homepage).

WORKING AS A TEAM

For group assignments, each task should be submitted only “once” by one of your group members. Be sure to include your name and the name(s) of all your teammates on all team assignments. If you have any conflicts with your teammate(s), you must contact me by April 13th. Otherwise teams will be evaluated as a group. In other words, each member of the team receives the same grade.

Each team will produce a series of working documents. In particular, group contract and proposal should take the form of a memo addressed to your target audience and me and should be at about 100-300 words, though longer is fine. (I have two reasons for having you write these memos. First, while students are often asked to work in groups, we rarely spend time on the process itself. By explicitly outlining and reflecting on this process, you will learn more about what makes for an effective team.

Second, keeping a written record of any working process is essential, both for “CYA” (look it up on Wikipedia!) but also to help organizations identify what does and doesn’t work. (Due dates: Refer to the Assignment Calendar on the Syllabus!). However, your informative brochure should take the form of a tri-fold format. Please feel free to use a MS tri-fold template.

Here are tips for collaborative writing below:

https://www.coastal.edu/writingcenter/wcdocs/business

https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/ws-group-essays-handout.original

Contract
(3 bonus points):

In this memo, identify communication information and preferences (at least two ways to reach each other and the team’s preferred method and schedule), designated roles, and specific plans for conflict resolution (see the sample contract on Blackboard). If you work solo, you are NOT eligible for this incentive, which simply means no extra credit.

Proposal
(10 points):

In this memo, identify the topic chosen by the group and the two audiences for the two formal documents: nonexperts for an informative brochure and professionals in the field for a report. Each of these documents will work with the same research; teams must decide how much information to give to each audience and how to frame that information so that it is useful for that audience.

In addition, please explain choice of articles and your plan to locate appropriate articles. The memo should be 400-600 words in length and addressed to your classmates and me.

Source: AAC&U rubric for Written Communication http://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/VALUE/WrittenCommunication

Research-based memo

(20 points):

Each team will compose a research-based memo of 1800-2500 words. Please use a memo format for your report. See Sample Report MEMO 1 & 2. This memo should be addressed to your target audience, not your teacher. Include at least three external academically credible sources. Cite sources appropriately using the APA style.

The purpose of the memo is to persuade your audience of professionals in the field that the topic the team has investigated is worth learning more about. The memo should explain the significance of the information, including why readers should learn more, where they can find further details, and suggestions for implementing this information in their work lives. Recommendations are the key element of the memo because your target audience are interested in recommendations/solutions rather than issues. Your recommendation section should include specific actions/changes based on the conclusion of the memo.

Criterion

Description

4

Excellent

3

Good

2

Fair

1

Poor

Tri-fold Informative Brochure
(10 points):

Each team will create an informative brochure that will translate technical information gained from your research for an audience of non-experts. Brochures are usually two pages in length with three columns on each page and are designed to impart information quickly, often including graphic elements such as charts.

Note: Cite sources appropriately using the APA style. Details are available at http://libraryguides.bennett.edu/home/library-tutorials/apa-style-presentations.

Tips for brochure design are available at: https://designschool.canva.com/blog/brochure-design/

Criterion

Description

4

Excellent

3

Good

2

Fair

1

Poor

1 Rhetorical context

Effectively responds to an assignment;
appropriately tailors rhetoric to a specific audience and purposes; demonstrates depth knowledge of subject matter

2 Organization/ Coherence

Presents clear main ideas and strong supporting details; sustains solid coherence throughout the document

3 Knowledge of Conventions

Contains few, if any, grammar/mechanics errors; appropriately documents source materials (i.e., APA format), if applicable

4 Originality/ Freshness

Demonstrates originality and creativity

Teamwork Rubric
(2 bonus points):

Each individual should fill out and submit the rubric individually. After reviewing the criteria on the Teamwork Rubric, reflect on the whole process of the group projects and evaluate teamwork skills of yourself AND your teammates. If you work solo, you are NOT eligible for this incentive, which simply means no extra credit.

© 2015 Eunjyu Yu: Reproduction of this material is prohibited without the author’s consent.