Business Information Mangement 12 - Business Communications

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

• choose and use communication methods and strategies appropriate to specific business situations including the proper use of telephone, fax, and e-mail
• design and produce electronic and print publications for specific audiences and purposes
• record and summarize information, instructions, and ideas to help solve business problems
• apply commonly accepted standards of legal and ethical behaviour when carrying out business communication
• explain the implications of ethical, unethical, and illegal use of electronic communications
• plan and prepare for a formal and an informal meeting

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Present various survey methods and show how they require complex communication skills. Ask the class to choose one method to survey the communications needs of local businesses. Then have them conduct a simple survey and analyse the results. Challenge the class to plan and present a multimedia summary of the survey.
• Assign a project in which groups of students analyse electronic communications used in business. Have groups hold meetings to decide on the roles of group members and the methods they will use to complete the project. Encourage them to interview local business managers about the advantages and disadvantages of electronic communications. Groups prepare and present tables to the class showing the results of their analyses.
• Ask each student to use current publishing software to create a personal business card, a personal brochure, and a multimedia résumé portfolio. Then discuss how well publishing software meets the communications needs of business.
• To demonstrate the need for effective communication, ask students to work in pairs, one student giving the other instructions for a simple business task (e.g., responding to a request for information). Have one student summarize the instructions in writing and the other verify the accuracy of the summary. Discuss how students could have exchanged instructions more accurately.
• Prepare questions on ethical and legal issues in communicating electronically that involve respect for copyright, acknowledgment of sources, and accurracy of information . Suggest that students search suitable web sites for answers, then discuss their findings. Invite students to create a home page on ethics in business communications or write a report.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• Work with students to develop criteria and rating scales for various kinds of communications. Review samples of various formats and ask questions such as:
  • Who is the audience? What do you know about these readers? What features will appeal to them? What special considerations do you need to give them?
  • What are you trying to accomplish with this communication? What is needed to achieve this purpose?
  • What are the key features and conventions of this format? Have students use the criteria to justify the communication methods and strategies they use for various projects.
• Gather a variety of business letters. Have students assess them for style, tone, language, and format. Engage students in a discussion to develop criteria for good business letters. Ask them to compose business letters and then trade them with partners to assess and provide suggestions for revision based on the criteria.
• Have students select one aspect of an office job and prepare a related training manual. Then ask students to assess one another's work and provide feedback (e.g., clarity, organization, vocabulary, indexing, accuracy of content, completeness, attention to detail, fit to audience).
• Create with students a questionnaire to use when investigating new communications systems. As students summarize their findings, observe their abilities to make comparisons, organize large amounts of data, draw conclusions, and make predictions.

• Business Communication: Strategies and Skills, Fourth Canadian Edition
• Business English and Communication, Fifth Canadian Edition
• The Canadian Office: Systems and Procedures, 2nd Edition
• Desktop Publishing Practical Exercises, Second Edition
• Exploring Desktop Publishing: A Projects Approach
• Pitman Office Handbook, Third Edition

• 10 Basics of Business Etiquette
• Be Prepared for Meetings
• Effective Presentation Skills
• Ideas Into Action
• Sharpening Your Business Writing Skills

• Business Desktop Publishing Applications
• Database Applications, Third Edition
• Desktop Publishing Activities
• Excursions International: A Computer Applications Simulation, Third Edition
• A Guide to Microsoft Office 97 Professional for Windows 95

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