Communications Part 3 Homework Preliminaries Begin Discussion The Formal Report Project

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ANALYTICAL REPORT GROUP ACTIVITIES

Because collaborative analytical reports vary considerably in content, length, and complexity, the

following list of activities can serve as a guideline for planning the sequence of activities

involved in the report-writing process. These activities should appear on the report case students

receive, along with due dates.

1. Preliminary approval of report topic. This step can be done informally since the goal is to

ensure that in general the topic is all right and that another group has not already selected the

topic. Having students write you a brief note about their topic should be sufficient. Consider

requiring students to attach three current articles on the topic so that you can evaluate the

feasibility of the topic.

2. Proposal due, addressing report topic, research methods, work plan, and preliminary

outline.

6. Introduction section of report and visual aids for discussion section of report. Requiring

these items before students write the discussion section helps to ensure that the group has a

well-defined purpose and problem definition. In addition, requiring the tables and graphs at

this time forces them to consider carefully which information should be written in text format

and which should be in visual-aid format. Return these items with suggestions for revisions,

if necessary.

7. Revised draft of introduction and draft of discussion, conclusions, and recommendations.

Ask group members to write their names by the sections they researched and wrote. This

enables you to evaluate the performance of group members and encourages timely

completion of the research and writing tasks. You can make some general comments about

the draft and return it, but avoid extensive feedback on content, writing style, writing

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9. Oral presentation of the report; each group member should use at least one visual aid. You

can grade the presentation on a group or individual basis. Peer evaluations are also very

helpful but do not need to be used to calculate the group or individual grade. Videotaping the

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Business communication instructors want to give students a grade that reflects their writing

ability, their contributions to the group’s writing process, and their contribution to the group

processes during the collaborative project. While no method guarantees this, some methods of

Assessing Individual Performance

Several methods of gathering information about individual work are used by communication

teachers. At least two or three methods should be used from the following list:

1. Confidential peer evaluations. These evaluations are an incentive to individuals to perform

2. Leader’s or chairperson’s report. This report should detail the tasks or responsibilities

3. Student logs or journals. Ask students to keep a log or journal about the group’s activities,

the group’s small–group processes, and their feelings about other members’ behavior and

4. Class attendance record. Take attendance on class days when instruction is being given on

group processes, writing processes, and the report project, as students who are absent miss

valuable information that helps them contribute effectively to the group project. Also, if

Assigning Group Grades

Using a combination of group and individual grades increases the likelihood that the grade a

student receives is an accurate reflection of his/her writing ability and contribution to the group

and the assignment. Thus, a student’s grade should be based on the score assigned to the written

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report and one or more of the evaluation processes described previously. Using a combination of

evaluations helps provide you with a defensible and objective basis for assigning grades.

Some suggestions for using the combined evaluations follow:

1. Score the written report and give each group member the same grade. In addition, give a

separate grade for each student’s contribution to the report and to the group process based on

the four evaluations discussed previously. For example, the written report may be worth 100

3. Score the written report and deduct points (no limit) for individual members according to the

evaluations they receive on the four evaluations discussed previously. You should have some

guidelines for deducting the points so that there is consistency in the deductions. For

example, each low rating on the peer evaluation is –5 points; each missed meeting is –3; each

missed class period is –3, and so on.

To minimize having to adjust grades for nonperformers, encourage groups to confront these

students early in the project and set some guidelines for what the group expects from them, along

with deadlines for completing tasks. If they do not meet the expectations or deadlines, the groups

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CONFIDENTIAL GROUP PROJECT

PEER EVALUATION

NAME ________________________________ GROUP # ________ SECTION # __________

Rate each person in your group (including yourself) on the criteria indicated using

the following scale: Excellent 4, Above Average 3, Average 2, Poor 1.

Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4

_______________________________________________

Quality of contribution _______________________________________________

Quantity of contribution _______________________________________________

Creativity _______________________________________________

Turntaking (allowing all _______________________________________________

members to actively

participate)

Leadership _______________________________________________

Effort (time spent on project) _______________________________________________

Attitude toward group

(cooperation, dependability,

willingness to help others) _______________________________________________

Logistics (clerical-type duties) _______________________________________________

Attendance at meetings _______________________________________________

Preparation for group meetings _______________________________________________

Willingness to accept and

complete tasks _______________________________________________

Completion of tasks on time _______________________________________________

Overall rating _______________________________________________

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TEACHING BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

Many of today’s students have little knowledge of what business etiquette involves and even

less sense about how their manners affect their success on the job. To make it easier for

How to Use the Business Etiquette Teaching/Learning Module

Our module is made up of three parts: (a) a preview quiz, (b) a 17-topic etiquette guide, and

Preview Quiz. At the premium student website, we provide an interactive 17-point preview

quiz made up of fairly challenging True-False questions regarding workplace situations that

Etiquette Topics. After taking the preview quiz, students should read all 17 etiquette topics.

Posttests. Instructors may use the three posttests for assessment, motivation, and/or

• Posttest 1 – Professional Image, Introductions, Networking, Workplace Manners,

Coping with Cubicles, and Interacting With Superiors

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TEACHING FORMAL REPORTS

By Salvatore N. Safina

Lecturer, Department of English

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

in conjunction with Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey, Cengage Learning

In a meeting of business and technical communication instructors at the University of

Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the following question was raised: “Do we need to teach the long

report?” The question was tabled for further review. But my answer to the question is an

unequivocal “yes.” The formal report is, in my view, one of the most valuable learning

Unlike many business communication instructors, I require each student to complete the formal

report project individually. Additionally, students are allowed to choose from an updated list of

Report Topics (available at the premium student website) divided into majors and/or areas of

specialization; or, they may choose an analytical topic (yardstick, feasibility, justification/

Preliminaries

I begin my discussion of the formal report project the very first day of class. I first point out to

students that, because the project constitutes 25 percent of their final grade, they should begin

thinking about it immediately. Then, I direct them to the three pages of the syllabus (on color-

coded paper so they stand out) devoted to the following: (1) a set of detailed instructions for the

project proposal assignment, which is students’ first formal presentation of their chosen topic and

preliminary research; (2) a set of detailed instructions for the formal report project itself,

including the due date; and (3) a short list of possible topics from which to choose—in order for

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their projects. I tell them how important communicating with me will be if their project is to be

successful. And it’s true. I can’t stress enough how important it is to talk to students about this

project. Face-to-face communication often alleviates potential problems in the future.

Before the first formal project related assignment (the proposal) is due, once or twice a week I

will remind or ask students about their projects. At first, I’ll make light of my reminders; as the

semester draws on, though, I tend to make these reminders more serious. As I tell students:

Students generally begin making appointments to see me after the first four weeks of the

semester. Others, however, need to be politely reminded. When students meet with me to present

their topic ideas, I often ask a number of questions: “Why did you choose this topic?” or “Why is

this topic meaningful or important to you?” or “How does this topic relate to your future career?”

These are important questions because, believe it or not, even business-oriented students often

have a tendency to choose topics that seem more geared toward research papers than formal

In-Class Assignments and Discussion

Class discussion of the formal report project begins with students reading Chapter 11 of BC:PP.

Two weeks are spent on this chapter alone because it helps to build a solid foundation for the rest

of the report-writing process.

Project Proposal

The first formal report assignment students must complete is the project proposal, which allows

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In the “Overview” section of the proposal, students are asked to explain the following:

1. Essential background information about the topic.

In class, I tell students (and show them) that I will be asking the following questions about their

report topics when I read the “Overview.”

• Will the topic you’ve chosen be interesting or useful to you outside of the context of this

course?

In the “Preliminary Research” section of the proposal, students are asked to consider possible

primary and secondary sources. For primary sources, students must locate two “experts” in their

research areas. Then, they must record these experts’ contact information and explain why each

expert would be an appropriate source of information for their reports. Additionally, students are

asked to consider two more ways of collecting primary data (other than interviews) and explain

why these methods might contribute to their reports.

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Work Plan

After I’ve returned their proposals to them, with advice about refining their topics, I then help

students to prepare a work plan for the project. First, we look at sample work plans and discuss

how they are organized and presented, and determine what their purposes are. Students almost

Organization and Visual Aids

I try to combine these two difficult and time-consuming parts of the report project through a

series of assignments taken from BC:PP, Chapters 11, 12, and 13. Consequently, each

assignment not only requires students to evaluate, organize, and present data or information, but

also to draw conclusions—and perhaps offer recommendations—based on an analysis of the

audience and purpose. All of these assignments are completed in the computer lab. This is

important—and necessary—so that I have the opportunity to help students create visual aids.

After every assignment is completed, we discuss possible ways of presenting data or

information, and discuss possible conclusions and/or recommendations. I also spend two weeks

on this part of the process.

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Documentation

Experience has taught me that this is also an aspect of the report project that needs to be

emphasized. Too often in the past I’ve seen examples of what could be considered plagiarism

because I assumed students had learned proper documentation, citation, etc., in previous courses.

To rectify this problem, I spend most of an entire 50-minute class period explaining the finer

points of documentation. Surprisingly, business students are generally interested in these details.

In the computer lab, students are given random portions of articles from recent publications.

Then, they are required to do the following:

Putting It All Together: Completing the Project

Although the syllabus contains detailed instructions for putting the report project together, I

revisit it in class. I point out especially the submission requirements, and what must be included

in the project packet. Of these, two are essential: (1) photocopies or originals of sources, and (2)

a “dirty” rough draft of the report. I emphasize how important these items are for me to evaluate

their projects fairly.