Introductions

In this discussion students will research professional communication and evaluate the effectiveness of professional writing.  This activity is designed to generate constructive discourse regarding quality information, the use of plain language and careful evaluation in written communication.

Directions

Respond to the topics listed below while keeping the requirements in mind.

Requirements

• See Assignments and Grading for general discussion requirements.
• Response posts for this discussion should provide additional insight regarding quality of the information presented, the use of plain language and additional evaluation.
• Please note that you should not be providing opinion based statements regarding the content of the professional communication example.

Deadlines

• First post due 11:59 p.m., Thursday, CT.
• Respond to two or more classmates by 11:59p.m., Sunday, CT.

---

Discussion topics for the week:

Part 1: Locate an example of professional communication from a reputable online source.  Examples include major news publication, a university blog or publication, an online magazine or trade journals.  The communication selected must state the name of the author.  Do not use information from Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, Encyclopedia.com or any other secondary source.   Select a paragraph from the chosen source with at least five sentences.    Provide the paragraph and the source in the first part of your discussion post.

Part 2: Share an evaluation of the paragraph that you selected.  Address the following information in your post:

– Does the paragraph provide a clear topic sentence?

– Is the paragraph unified and cohesive?

– Are the sentences easy to read and understand?

– Are the sentence lengths varied to produce a natural flow?

– Is the most important idea presented prominently in each sentence?

– Does the paragraph use active and passive voices correctly?

Part 3: Select at least five words used in the paragraph. List each word and address if the writer used these words correctly and effectively. 

Example:

1- Conspicuously – This word was used correctly.  When focusing attention on plain language, a different word may have been more effective.