Memo
You’ll do a digital version (email) and a printed version of some sort of professional communication. The purpose of this assignment is to practice the conventions of the genre (so you know how to write a memo) and to provide yourself with a template you can build on in the future.
- Find a purpose. Ideally, you’ll write a memo you’d really use—perhaps to a professor. You might also find a memo you’ve sent in the past and update and revise it. Find a way to make this purpose clear to me so I can give adequate feedback.
- Find an example of a memo (so you know how to format it). The best way is to talk to a professional, colleague, or professor who can give you a real-world example. The quick and easy path is to find a sample on Google. Make sure you attach this to the email you submit for grading.
- Write it. Keep in mind that you’re writing to a real person—is it personal enough? You’re also writing for a purpose—is your purpose crystal clear?
I love this project because it’s so practical. You’re going to use this as soon as you graduate.
- Find a purpose. Again, the more practical you can make this the better. If you don’t know what schools or jobs you’re applying to when you graduate, now’s the perfect time to figure that out. A resume, to be good, needs to be customized for a specific venue. You’ll want to include a description of this purpose and venue when you submit the assignment to me. (P.S. If your schools require a letter of intent instead of a cover letter, then do one of those.)
- Find an example. Ideally, you’ll talk to a friend of yours who got into grad school or who works in the field you’re applying to. Ask them to send you their cover letter and resume. (HINT: Any young faculty member at BYU is likely to be a good lead.) We’ll share the resume examples in class, so we can talk about the pros and cons of each design.
- Write it. Remember to be clear. Remember to be concise. Remember to not sound like a robot. And, most of all, remember the abstraction ladder (like we discussed in class). And when you’re copying the layout, make sure you copy a well-designed resume meticulously. This means copying even the smallest of details.
Tips
- Use a real job listing or grad application. Then tailor your message to this audience.
- Follow the conventions. This means you closely follow an example of someone who walked this road before you.
- Make sure it’s mechanically perfect.
- Remember—you’re making an argument! (So make a claim, e.g., “My experience in x, y, and z make me a strong unique candidate for this position.”) Make sure each body paragraph strengthens your claim.
- Use a more personal greeting than “To Whom it May Concern.”
- Know your audience! Get in your audience’s head and figure out what they really want. Then give it to them. It’s not about talking yourself up; it’s about explaining needs and how you’ll fulfill them (their needs, not yours. And you can never be too clear on this.
- Show. Don’t tell. (E.g., think like a novelist.) This means you don’t say, “I’m hardworking” (which is telling). Instead you say something like, “Consistently worked 5:00 am custodial shift for 3 years to finance college education” (which is showing).
- The visual appeal is crucial. If you were hired just on that, how would you fare?
- Leave out your high-school experience.
- On the resume, quantify your experience (use numbers): How many? How often? How much?
- On the resume, list things in reverse chronological order, like a blog.
For this assignment you’re going to analyze a published journal article within your field (or some other professional skill you’d like to learn). Your objective is to see how it’s put together—to see what’s working well and what isn’t.
Then you lay these attributes out on the operating table and dissect them—getting down to the nitty gritty so you know how they work. When you’re all finished, you’ll explain how you can apply these same strategies in your own profession.
In short, you’re mining for tips (or rhetorical strategies).
- Your purpose is to find a heroic example of good rhetoric and learn from that person. Personally, I want to write like C.S. Lewis or give presentations like Steve Jobs. Who do you want to emulate? (SIDE NOTE: Here are three questions that might get you thinking: Why does a video go viral? What makes writing well written? What makes a speaker persuasive?)
- Find an example by that person that you can analyze. (By the way, Stephen Hawking is an amazing writer and thinker. So was Einstein.)
- Write it. Make sure it’s personal, interesting, and clear. Make sure it’s concise. Make sure it’s mechanically perfect too.
We’re going to be writing research papers in groups. You’ll each write a proposal individually. Then you’ll be given 3 minutes to present it to the class. (We’ll share the written proposals online too, to help people decide.)
Your purpose is to convince your classmates that they should join you in your proposed research project. If you can get at least 4 people to join your group, then your proposal will become a reality. The proposals that are not selected (by your peers) will lose 10 points, so it’s important to be persuasive. What will intrigue your peers to drop their own ideas and join your group?
As always, make sure it’s personal, interesting, and clear; concise; and mechanically perfect too.
Research paper
150 points. 8-12 pages. Group project.
This is the biggest project of the semester. You’ll be recruiting your peers or joining forces with a winning proposal. You’ll then work together to create an extended, well-researched argument.
Tips
- You should have some expertise on your topic even without doing any research.
- Find an expert on your topic—whether it be a professor, a friend, a parent, or a subject librarian—and use them as an aid.
- Start with a specific topic, and expand as you go (if need be). This works much better than starting broad and trying to narrow it as you write.
- Make sure you follow the formatting of the example given on the class blog.
Your group will be presenting your research to the class. (Remember your audience.)
You will be given 15 minutes for the presentation plus 5 minutes to take questions at the end.
Make sure you practice a lot. Make sure you give a presentation as a group and not just as separate people (basketball, not baton).
As a group, you’re making a set of instructions to teach your classmates (or another audience) how to do something cool. (I can’t overemphasize the importance of awesomeness in this project.) Your instructions will simplify a process into foolproof steps.
- Find a purpose. As with our other assignments, the more real your application, the more successful you’re likely to be. Choose a topic you care about.
- Find an example. Again, you want to find a well-made example and copy it closely, applying the strong design to your new content. (HINT: Have you ever built a LEGO set?)
- Write it. Usability is key. If it can’t be followed, it’s not finished. Test it with some friends outside of class. Once it’s polished, we’ll peer-review these in class, so you’ll have the chance to make sure it’s super clear.
You’ll be designing a poster that shows you know how to use the principles of visual design to communicate with an audience. Ideally, you’ll design this for a real audience—perhaps to go along with an article that you’ll present at an academic conference. The more real you can make it, the better. Whatever you end up doing, make sure you have a very specific audience in mind (like 5th-grade science students or gas-station cashiers).
Like the other assignments, you’ll need to find an example to emulate. And this is tricky, because you don’t want to copy a typical academic poster, as these are typically low quality. Instead, you want to find an example of really good art—done by a graphic designer—and try to follow it as closely as possible.
Requirements
- An example of what you’re copying
- A spreadsheet recording hours and type of work (basically a bill, as if you were keeping track of time for a client)
- A write-up:
- Explanation of your argument
- Justification of colors, fonts, graphics, etc.
- Description of your audience
- Your technical poster
This all must be delivered digitally (hosted online in one way or another).
- It has lasting value to you.
- It’s a project you can share with future employers to prove your skills.
- It teaches you software you’ll use in the future.
- It helps you become a better communicator.
Peer critique
50 points.
On each assignment, you’ll exchange rough drafts with your peers and give them written feedback on their work. This is due on Monday immediately following when the drafts are due. We’ll work out peer review groups in class. Here’s how you should do the critique:
On each assignment, you’ll exchange rough drafts with your peers and give them written feedback on their work. This is due on Monday immediately following when the drafts are due. We’ll work out peer review groups in class. Here’s how you should do the critique:
- Tell them what was good—the things you want to copy in your own writing.
- Tell them what didn’t click with you as a reader—what you would change if it were your paper.
You should make comments throughout, as you read, with some overarching comments at the end. And remember, that which ye do send out shall return unto you again and be restored.
Reflections
You will submit a reflections paper along with each assignment (worth 10%, so don’t forget). In several paragraphs, answer each of these three questions:
- What did you do well on?
- What did you struggle with?
- If you could do this whole assignment over again, what would you change?
