Assignment Set 1
When completing assignments, be as thorough as you believe necessary. A strong demonstration of
effort is very important.
Either complete all parts of the assignment on a single document, or paste all parts onto a single
document before submitting them for a grade.
When composing essay-style assignments, always use 12 Times New Roman font. Always double space
your text.
When composing technical and business documents, follow the guidelines that are appropriate for the
particular document.
Part 1
A ‘memorandum’ (or memo) is an ‘in-house’ document. To say that it is ‘in-house’, we say that memos
should only be written and distributed within an organization—never to outside recipients.
Look at the following link:
https://www.dummies.com/careers/business-communication/business-writing/how-to-format-a-
business-memorandum/
Notice the format of a memorandum is very similar to a basic email message. 1) At the top of the
document, the word “Memorandum” is centered and in bold font. 2) The heading is left justified and
double-spaced. 3) The heading consists of {TO:, FROM:, CC:, DATE:, and SUBJECT:}. Then, the message is
single spaced with spaces between parts of the message.
In technical writing, we refer to sections of documents as “blocks”, instead of ‘paragraphs’.
Question: What does CC: stand for?
I’ll bet many students reply ‘Carbon Copy’. If you do, that’s okay.
But, CC: really means ‘Courtesy Copy’, meaning that the person or people named in the CC: block are not
primary recipients of the memo, but a copy of the memo was sent to them as a courtesy.
Compose your own perfectly formatted memorandum on a topic of your choice. Use the link as a guide.
Your memo should be about the same length as the example.
Part 2
Visit the class ‘discussion board’. Under the appropriate prompt, introduce yourself to the class and me.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Why are you taking this class? What is your major,
and what are your career goals? . . .and anything else you want us to know. Do not post anything too
personal.
Later in the semester, all students will be assigned to smaller groups for some team assignments.
Part 3
Understandably, business writing has a higher level of formality than casual writing. Therefore, there are
some rules we must follow when writing for business.
Now—I could write a page about the etiquette of business and technical writing, but, instead, I want you
to compose a thorough list of ways business writing differs from casual communication. I am confident
that you already know many things you will list, and you may use online or other sources to gather more
information. Use bullets or numbers when creating your list. If you take something directly from a
source, include the URL.
Part 4
When using Microsoft Office Word in a composition class, have you ever wondered why we have to do
so much additional formatting to prepare the page for a college essay—double spacing, font size,
hanging indentations, page numbering, etc.? Well, the reason is in the name of the program: Microsoft
“OFFICE”. The ‘Word’ program along with many of the other features are designed for the office—not
essays.
Visit the following link:
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/word2016/
I want you to explore all 32 short tutorials listed there. When you are done, take the ‘Word 2016 Quiz”.
Tell me what score you receive.
Using bullets or numbers, list 15 helpful hints that you learned while completing the tutorials.
Follow the instructions at the top of this assignment set for submission.
Student learning objectives covered in this lesson set
GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES
H. Communication Skills – Students will communicate ideas, express feelings, and support
conclusions effectively in written, oral, and visual formats.
I. Critical Thinking Skills – Students will develop habits of mind, allowing them to appreciate the
processes by which scholars in various disciplines organize and evaluate data and use the
methodologies of each discipline to understand the human experience.
J. Teamwork – Students will consider different points of view and work interdependently to
achieve a shared purpose or goal. K. Personal Responsibility – Students will develop habits of
intellectual exploration, personal responsibility and physical well-being.
