Writing for Business Success/Syllabus

Session	Dates
Getting started	Independent study before starting the course.
Session 0	Independent study (recommend 2 days)
Session 1	Independent study (recommend 2 days)
Session 2	Independent study (recommend 2 days)
Session 3	Independent study (recommend 3 days)
Session 4	Independent study (recommend 4 days)

Getting started

Course overview

Familiarise yourself with the course site and the course guide

• Dates: Independent study before starting the course.
• Consult these pages for the information you need.
  • About CCOM101
    1. Start here
    2. Course guide
• Key activities:
  1. Complete the OERu New Participant Survey
  2. Complete the 5 things you should do before starting the course

Session 0

Orientation

Establish your personal learning environment (PLE) and declare yourself.

• Dates: Independent study (recommend 2 days)
  
• Learning materials:
  1. Establish a personal learning environment
• Key activities:
  1. Work through the learning materials for this learning pathway
  2. Post a "Toot" using the course CCOM101 hashtag
  3. Create your forums account for CCOM101 and complete your profile page
  4. Practise annotating a web page with the CCOM101 course code
  5. Create your bookmarks account and search for links using CCOM101
  6. Create a learning journal blog for CCOM101
  7. Complete the "Declare yourself" challenge for CCOM101

Session 1

Introduction to business communication

These are the things you need to complete for this learning pathway.

• Dates: Independent study (recommend 2 days)
• Learning materials:
  1. Introduction to business communication
• Learning activities:
  1. Work through the learning materials for this learning pathway
  2. Introduction to communication and how it matters. Post a WENote with your response to the video
  3. Introductory ideas about effective communication. Reflection and exercises in your learning journal blog
  4. What is communication? Reflection and exercises in your learning journal blog
  5. How does communication work? Post a WENote with your thoughts about the video
  6. Communication contexts. Post a WENote
  7. Communicator's responsibilities Reflection in your learning journal blog
  8. Intercultural communication. Reflection in your learning journal blog
  9. Communications models challenge

Session 2

Understanding your audience

These are the things you need to complete for this learning pathway.

• Dates: Independent study (recommend 2 days)
• Learning materials:
  1. Understanding your audience
• Learning activities:
  1. Work through the learning materials for this learning pathway
  2. Perceptual positioning and the Pygmalion effect.WENote comment on videos
  3. Self-understanding.Reflection in your learning journal
  4. Perception. Reflections in your learning journal
  5. Finding out about your audience. Discussion forum
  6. Active listening and reading WENote
  7. Listening and reading habits challenge

Session 3

Effective business writing and legal considerations

These are the things you need to complete for this learning pathway.

• Dates: Independent study (recommend 3 days)
• Learning materials:
  1. Effective business writing and legal considerations
• Learning activities:
  1. Work through the learning materials for this learning pathway
  2. Plain language. WENote comment on video
  3. 'Interference' in written communication. Post an example in a WENote
  4. Exploring writing styles. Comparing writing styles and discussion forum
  5. Avoiding cliches and jargon. Find an example and comment in your learning journal
  6. Writing clearly. Writing travel instructions scenario - learning journal
  7. Using emphasis. Practice sentences - selecting emphasis
  8. Inclusive communication. Reflection in your learning journal
  9. Company blog challenge

Session 4

Business writing in action

These are the things you need to complete for this learning pathway.

• Dates: Independent study (recommend 4 days)
• Learning materials:
  1. Business writing in action
• Learning activities:
  1. Work through the learning materials for this learning pathway
  2. Communication preferences. Reflect on your preferences - learning journal blog
  3. Advantages and disadvantages of digital communication methods. Discussion forum
  4. Informative messages.Evaluate an informative message - learning journal blog
  5. Working with email.Improve an email and analyse different types of email
  6. Business letters. Analyse some business letters - WENote comment. Write a business letter
  7. Finding your way around reports. Analyse examples of reports and make notes in your learning journal
  8. Communicating with a team. Exercises: write an instant message and select communication channels
  9. Etiquette for instant messaging and chat tools. Find and share advice in the Resource Bank
  10. Choosing the right communication channel.Exercises on professional communications and choosing the right communication channel
  11. Working with reports challenge