BCOM 275 Entire Class (Individual and Team Assignments and DQs)
BCOM 275 (Business Communications & Critical Thinking)
BCOM 275 Week 1 Individual Exercise 1.1
Complete exercise 1.1 from Ch. 1 of Communicating in the Workplace.
Choose two misunderstandings you experienced and fill out the chart for these.
Respond to questions 1 and 2 shown under the chart for each example of a misunderstanding. In your response, include the following:
Cite a meaningful misunderstanding rather than a general or less material misunderstanding.
Use business- or work-related examples rather than personal ones.
Identify the roles of the sender and receiver, such as manager, peer, subordinate, client, vendor, and so forth.
BCOM 275 week 2 Individual Assignment: Demonstrative Communication Paper
Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper describing demonstrative communication. Demonstrative communication includes nonverbal and unwritten communication and involves such things as facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, and so forth. Include the following elements in your paper:
Provide examples showing how demonstrative communication can be effective and ineffective, positive and negative, for the sender and receiver.
Explain how demonstrative communication involves listening and responding.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
BCOM 275 week 3 Individual Assignment: Article Rebuttal
Locate an article on a controversial subject where the author makes an argument you do not agree with.
Write a 350- to 700-word rebuttal to the article using valid arguments and supporting data. In the rebuttal, offer an analysis in which you do the following:
Analyze the reliability, credibility, and validity of the data used by the author.
Identify any logical fallacies in the argument.
Format your rebuttal consistent with APA guidelines.
BCOM 275 week 3 Team Assignment Learning Team: Debate Paper Outline
Resources: Debate Paper assignment requirements located in Week Five.
Create an outline for the Debate Paper that will be used to write the paper. Include all references to be used in the paper.
Resource: Over 30 Workers Trapped After Chilean Copper Mine Collapse article found in the Electronic Reserve Readings.
Research additional articles and information about the Chilean mine collapse.
BCOM 275 week 4 Individual Assignment: Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release
Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper using this and other articles as a resource. Because communications must be designed with the audience in mind, answer the following questions:
What are some considerations to remember given the different roles and people in the audience?
What would be the potential needs of the families of the miners in receiving a message about this incident?
What would be the potential needs of the companys employees when receiving a message about this incident?
What actions must you take before and after the message is delivered to ensure that it was received as intended?
Format the paper consistent with APA guidelines.
Draft two communications from the mining company announcing the accident, using what you have learned about the audience and effective messages. One communication should be directed to the families of the trapped miners and the other as an internal news release to employees in the company. For both, identify the most appropriate channelface-to-face, e-mail, video, memo, and so on.
BCOM 275 Week 5 Learning Team Assignment Debate Paper
Resource: Learning Team Debate Paper Outline
Write a 1,750- to 2,100-word debate paper in which the team creates a debate of a current event or other controversial topic and provides an analysis of arguments presented for both sides. Complete the following in the paper:
Introduction: Introduce the issue that is the subject of the debate
Body
Include a minimum of two but no more than four arguments for the pro and con sides of the debate.
Evaluate any potential ethical, moral, or legal issues.
Conclusion
Identify the teams determination of the more persuasive argument.
Reflect on the arguments presented and reveal the teams consensus.
Base the conclusion solely on the pro and con arguments.
Include a rebuttal of weaker arguments.
Explain why the selected arguments were more persuasive.
Format the paper consistent with APA guidelines.
Cite at least three sources.
Select one of the following countries:
India
Japan
Brazil
Create a 350- to 500-word cultural evaluation in which you identify the ways that arguments or presentation of the arguments would need to be changed as the result of cultural differences in the country.
Format the evaluation consistent with APA guidelines
Discussion Questions
Week 1
DQ 1: How has technology changed the communication process? Has technology changed the way people communicate in business? Provide examples
DQ 2: Which step in the communication process do you consider to be the most important? Why do you think this? Which of these steps is the most uncomfortable for you? Why is this? How might you work to change this?
DQ 3: What are some ways in which senders might receive feedback from their messages? How might this feedback affect the sender and the message? Why is this important?
DQ 4: What are some ways in which receivers of messages provide feedback when listening to or reading a message? What effect does this have on the message? Provide examples.
Week 2
DQ 1: Consider the following statement: Most disagreements or differences of opinion are more often a result of faulty, misunderstood, or confusing premises, rather than faulty reason from a valid premise. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer.
DQ 2: What are some reasons you might consider data or information to lack validity, credibility, or reliability? Explain your answer by using examples.
DQ 3: What are some methods you might use to determine the reliability of the data you gather? Why is it important to analyze your data to determine if it is reliable?
DQ 4: Ch. 5 & 6 of Critical Thinking cover fallacies and rhetoric. What are two examples of persuasion that are not valid arguments according to the text? Why are these invalid arguments?
Week 3
DQ 1: You are preparing to write a formal report to be presented to the management at your workplace. What are some potential needs for the audience that you should be aware of when writing the report? What are the risks of not considering the needs of the audience?
DQ 2: What would be the most effective channel to communicate with your boss? Why is this? Why are other channels less effective?
DQ 3: What suggestions would you offer a new employee to help them effectively communicate in your workplace when meeting face-to-face, sending an e-mail, and during a meeting?
DQ 4: What do you consider to be the most important features of an effective communication? Explain your choices?
Week 4
DQ 1: What is the difference between persuasion and manipulation? How do arguments and language affect the difference?
DQ 2: What keys or tips can raise suspicion about the validity of arguments, presented verbally and in writing? Cite specific example.
DQ 3: Consider the list titled In Depth: Critical Thinking, The Long Version in Ch.1 of Critical Thinking. What do you consider to be the most important points? Why do you think this?
DQ 4: What different persuasive approaches would you use on the following audiences: a boss, a peer, a challenging person, or an open-minded person? Why would your approach differ?
