BOSS 4510: Business Communications
Stage 5
Shirley Orille
Basic Information
| Number of Outcomes | 7 |
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| Number of Outcomes Assessed | 7 |
| Assessment Frequency | Every semester |
| Analysis Frequency | Every year |
| Detail Link | Link |
Course Information
| Number of Course Sections | 6 |
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| Number of Instructors | 5 |
Improvement Details
| Details | All instructors used the book "Write for Work" by Henning, Meyer, et all and found the material to be beneficial for their classes. In all cases, having a set of the books to borrow during class was appreciated by students. Additional copies of the book were made available on reserve at the library. Useful activities included the use of many writing assignments taken from Chapters 1-10 in the "Write for Work" textbook. Changes in activities are constantly modified depending on strengths and weaknesses of each class. The process of composing email messages, letters, and memos on the computer using MS-Word was very useful in improving students' understanding of business communications. This method enabled them to prewrite, edit, proofread and rewrite their work more effectively. Finished student work was printed and reviewed by the instructor. The final documents were intended to be used by students as samples of correspondence they can refer to in the future. Review of grammar concepts was implemented by most instructors during each class meeting and was a helpful warm up to writing exercises. Integrating oral communication with learning to fill out typical business forms was also used this semester for practical experience. In addition to completing business forms, students learned how to create event summaries and how to write instructions for performing a task. |
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Assessment Methods
| Methods | For all student learning outcomes, the assessment methods used this semester were as follows: Analysis of exams, quizzes, in-class assignments, and homework items (business documents composed at home) Direct observation of performances (oral expression), practical exams, group work |
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Assessment Data Discussion and Analysis
| Term | Spring 2014 |
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| How and With Whom | Faculty in the same program |
| Number Assessed | 120 |
| Data Summary | Approximately 75% of students passed with grade of A, B or C on all rubric elements required for written assignments. Since our goal was to have at least 70% of our students meet the outcomes, we feel we are doing fine in all areas. Other students who did not pass either received a grade of SP or NP. Those who attended class but who failed to create viable communications received an SP and were encouraged to take the class again. Students who did well, but do not meet the 80% attendance requirement also got an SP. |
| Planned Improvements | The current SLOs are very limited. Each outcome is too compartmentalized, and it seems that an instructor could work intensively on each one and only end up having students write one business letter for the whole class. The majority of the instructors who taught the course felt that "writing sentences" should basically be covered in a Business English course. Once the skills in Business English are attained, then a course in Business Communications can be taken so that students can create a portfolio of business correspondence (examples) to help them in their work life. A future improvement would be to make revisions to the current Course SLOs to make them more practical. Recommend that above improvements be implemented by next academic year starting Fall 2014. |
| Program Review Link | No answer |
Future Plans
| Term | Fall 2014 |
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| Activities | Revision of outcomes and assessment methods (measurements), Assessment (measurement) of outcomes, Analysis and discussion of assessment data and next steps, Implementation of planned changes and reassessment |
| Details | Business Communications course can be improved with the following changes to the current SLOs: A. Complete typical business forms. B. Compose and edit a 1-3 paragraph business email. C. Compose and edit a 2-3 paragraph memo. D. Write and edit a three paragraph positive message letter. E. Write and edit a three paragraph negative information letter. F. Compose clear instructions for performing a task. G. Use correct grammar and punctuation in business writing. Implementation of planned changes and reassessment can be done after the Fall 2014 or Spring 2015 semester. |
| Highlights | Students who are employed have commented on how helpful the course is for them when writing in the workplace. |