Welcome to Business Communication Skills
This course is organized as a "flipped classroom," which means that you are expected to prepare for classes beforehand by watching input videos and reading input materials.
During the course, you will find all necessary materials and information in MyCourses. Please make sure you receive emails from "Announcements", as all course messages will be sent through that forum.
The information in these MyCourses pages is organized as follows:
Schedule
You can find the schedule on the course homepage, below this information. In it, you can see what you are expected to do before coming to each class and what we will do in class.
Assignment instructions and submissions
You can find all assignment instructions and submission boxes in the "Assignments" folder (see left-hand side panel). The only exception is A3a quiz that you can find from the left-hand side panel itself. Please submit all assignments by the given deadline, as late assignments will not be accepted.
Materials that you need to study
You can find all the materials that you are expected to study in the "Materials" folder (see left-hand side panel).
The materials are organized by week. Always study the materials for any given date before coming to class that day. We will not cover the information as such in class, as you will be expected to have studied it beforehand.
If you have any questions at any point, remember to ask!
Christa
MARCH 3 (Week 1)
Before class (individual preparation):
- Read Reading input 1 (Communicating strategically)
- Watch course videos 1 and 2 (Communicating strategically 1 and 2)
- Read Assignment 1 instructions
In class:
- Introductions (including sharing your best life hack with others)
- Exercise on communicating strategically
- Discussion on grading principles
- Exercise on A1
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MARCH 10 (Week 2)
Before class (individual / pair preparation):
- Read Reading inputs 2 and 3 (Persuasive techniques and Reader-focused business writing)
- Watch course videos 3a, 3b and 4 (Effective business writing)
- Prepare A1 version 1 with your pair, and bring it to class on your laptop
In class:
- Writing exercises (e.g. choosing appropriate style and tone
when writing; written request analysis)
- Comments on another pair’s A1
- Presentations - practice session 1
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MARCH 17 (Week 3)
Before class (individual and pair preparation):- Read Reading input 4: Impactful presentations
- Watch videos number 5-8 by Paul Savage, https://vimeo.com/showcase/5978020
- Watch course videos number 5 and 6 (Preparing impactful presentations 1 and 2)
- Write and submit A2a outline to MyCourses before 9.00 am on the day of class
- Prepare and rehearse your A2b presentation
- Finalize A1 with your pair and upload to
A1 submission box by 9.00 am on the day of class
In class:
- Practice presentation openings
- A2b presentations
- A3 instructions
MARCH 24 (Week 4)
Before class:
- Study for A3 quiz and written task (review reading inputs 1-4 and videos 2-8)
In class:
- A3 quiz and written task
- A4 team presentation instructions
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MARCH 31 (Week 5)
Before class (individual and team preparation):- Watch course videos 7 and 8 (Visual design), as well as 9 (Nonverbal communication)
- Prepare
your team’s A4 presentation and visuals. Bring them to class on your laptop.
In class:
- Comments on another team's A4 visuals
- Presentations - practice session 2
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APRIL 7 (Week 6)
Before class (team preparation):
Finalize A4 team presentation based on feedback on visuals
In class:
A4 team presentations
Afterwards (individual work):
A5 Individual reflection on presentations (to MyCourses by 11 pm on April 13)