Purcom M3 & M4
Purcom M3 & M4
Purcom M3 & M4
A. Multiple Choice
Direction: Choose the word or phrase that will best complete each of the following statement. Write the
letter of your answer.
6. It is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide making programs
such as PowerPoint. It makes use of one large canvas that allows user to pan and zoom to various parts of
the canvas and emphasize the ideas presented.
A. Prezi B. Multimedia presentation
C. Powtoon D. The Cloud
9. Text messaging is one of the common example of the ways on how to communicate
effectively in a business or company.
11. Below are the reasons for writing business letters except one:
A. To persuade B. To inform
C. To request D. To reprimand
13. The word ______ is derived from the Latin “memorare” changed to “memorandus”, and
means “to state” or “to tell”.
A. Memo B. Letter
C. Meme D. Memory
14. ________________ is a kind of communication that relies heavily on sound proof and
reasoning.
A. Persuasive B. Argumentative
15. Organizing ones thoughts is the first step in preparing an effective presentation.
A. True B. False C. Maybe
Module 3
Communication Aids and Strategies
Communication for Work Purposes
Module Outcomes:
1. Convey ideas through oral, audio-visual, and/or web-based presentations for different
audiences in local and global settings using appropriate registers
2. Create clear, coherent, and effective communication materials
3. Present ideas persuasively using appropriate language registers, tone, facial expressions, and
gestures
4. Adopt awareness of audience and context in presenting ideas in communicating ideas.
Introduction:
Achieving effective workplace communication is something that does not happen overnight. It
requires whole-hearted commitment and strong collaboration of management and employees to
make it a part of the business culture.
The following words are workplace-related. Look up the meaning of or description for each of them by
using appropriate sources of information.
1. HR - _______________________________________________
2. Memo - _______________________________________
3. Workspace - ______________________________________
4. Annual Leave - ___________________________________
5. Email - _____________________________________________
6. Overtime - ________________________________________
7. Daily Time Record - ______________________________
8. Itinerary- ________________________________________
9. Video Conference - ______________________________
10. Tourism - ________________________________________
Lesson 1 :
Create a poster or infographic promoting the course they are into or about the university using
the digital multimedia discussed
1. ___________ 4. _______________
2. _______________ 5. _________________
3. ______________ 6. _________________
While the development of multimodal literacy is strongly associated with the growth of digital
communication technologies, multimodal is not synonymous with digital. The choice of media for
multimodal text creation is therefore always an important consideration.
A multimodal text can be digital – from slide presentations, e-books, blogs, e-posters, web
pages, and social media, through to animation, film and video games.
And, a multimodal text can be transmedia– where the story is told using ‘multiple delivery
channels’ through a combination of media platforms, for example, book, comic, magazine, film, web
series, and video game mediums all working as part of the same story. Transmedia is a contested term
and Henry Jenkins is worth reading for more background. Jenkins argues that transmedia is more
than just multiple media platforms, it is about the logical relations between these media extensions
which seek to add something to the story as it moves from one medium to another, not just adaptation
or retelling. Transmedia enables the further development of the story world through each new
medium; for example offering a back story, a prequel, additional ‘episodes’, or further insight into
characters and plot elements. (Jenkins, 2011). It also can require a more complex production process.
Creating is defined in the Australian Curriculum as ‘the development and/or production of spoken,
written or multimodal texts in print or digital forms’ and is an embedded literacy expectation across
all disciplines.
Multimodal is defined in the Australian Curriculum as the strategic use of ‘two or more
communication modes to make meaning, for example, image, gesture, music, spoken language, and
written language.
Skilled multimodal composition requires new literacy design skills and knowledge to enable
students to make informed choices within and across the available communication modes to
effectively construct meaning.
Creating a multimodal text, a digital animation, for example, is a complex meaning design
process requiring the strategic orchestration of a combination of modes such as image, movement,
sound, spatial design, gesture, and language. The process of constructing such texts is also truly
a cross-disciplinary literacy process, drawing on digital information technologies and The Arts
(media, music, drama, visual arts, and design) to bring meaning to life.
The multimodal text examples here describe different media possibilities – both digital and
on paper and provide links to examples of student work and production guides.
Digital multimodal texts include slide presentations, animation, book trailers, digital
storytelling, live-action filmmaking, music videos, ‘born digital’ storytelling, and various web texts and
social media. The level of digital technology requirements range from very simple options such as
slide presentations through to complex, sophisticated forms requiring a higher level of technical and
digital media skills. The choice is yours depending on your skill and experience, level of confidence,
and the resources and tools available to you.
Preparing Multi-Media Presentation
a. Text
b. Graphics
c. Photographs
d. Audio
e. Animation
f. Video
3. Gather information.
a. Textbooks
b. Digital resources
*photographs
c. Internet
5. Do not forget the cite sources.
a. Write the author’s name, title of the work and date of publication.
a. Contrast
b. Use only one design and color scheme throughout the slide
presentation.
c. Avoid clutter
f. Use fonts that are easy to read. Don’t use fancy fonts.
h. Avoid too much text. Don’t use the presentation as your notes.
8. Be Creative
Use transitions and animations to add interest. But don’t overdo it!
Preparing a Prezi Presentation
Prezi is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide making
programs such as PowerPoint. Instead of slides, Prezi makes use of one large canvas that allows you to
pan and zoom to various parts of the canvas and emphasize the ideas presented there. Prezi supports
the use of text, images, and videos and also provides a collection of templates to choose from to help
new users get accustomed to the interface.
Prezi is a cloud based presentation software based on a software as a service model. The
product employs a zooming using interface (ZUI) which allows users to zoom in and out of their
presentation media, and allows users to display and navigate through information within a 2.5D
parallax 3D space on the Z-axis.
Prezi (or Prezi.com) was created by the support of Kitchen Budapest and Magyar Telekom in
2008 in order to replace ordinary slide- based presentations. The Prezi online and offline ZUI editors
employ a common tool palette, allowing users to pan and zoom, and to size, rotate, or edit an object.
The user places objects on a canvas and navigates between videos, images, texts and other
presentation media.
Frames allow grouping of presentation media together as a single presentation object. Paths
are navigational sequences that connect presentation objects for the purposes of structuring a linear
presentation.
You might be wondering what makes Prezi different from other presentation software,
like PowerPoint or Keynote. For one thing, Prezi is completely free to use. There are upgrades you can
pay for to unlock additional features, but everything you need to create and share a dynamic prezi is
available free of cost.
Another great reason to use Prezi is that it is run entirely through your web browser, meaning
there will be fewer compatibility issues than with other programs like PowerPoint. Your prezi
will always look the same, no matter what computer you're viewing it on.
Because of its unique presentation style, Prezi can use movement and metaphor to help
communicate a point you're trying to make. If you want your audience to really feel a sense of space
and distance between locations, you could use a map template.
You may browse the following sites that can help you how to start making your own Prezi
presentation.
https://www.uis.edu/informationtechnologyservices/wp-content/uploads/sites/106/2013/04/
Introduction-to-Prezi-2014.pdf
https://is.oregonstate.edu/executive-summary/prezi
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/prezi/what-is-prezi/1/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEqbJ1su1WA&t=746s for tutorial
PowToon was founded in 2012 in London, UK by Ilya Spitalink, Daniel Zaturansky, Sven
Hoffman and Oren Mashkovski. The friends thought of an animation software that everyone can use to
create engaging yet professional looking animated videos. For personal use, PowToon is an effective
venue for interacting with friends and family members during special occasions. In school, with your
presentation coming to life, PowToon can grab and maintain the attention of students and help in
overcoming distractions in class. It is great for school projects, too. At the workplace, it can likewise
help in getting the interest of your bosses and colleagues, so don’t get ignored during business
meetings. PowToon has also reduced high cost of animated video paid to professionals and studios.
PowToon boasts of its done-for-you templates that feature drag-and-drop interface designed
and scripted to create presentations fast and easy. Guided by its mission “So Everyone can Animate!”it
claims to be the world’s leading, mist user-friendly and intuitive animations software-can create
engaging animated videos with PowToon.
After 7 years since its establishment, there have been over 16 million PowToon users
worldwide. A PowToon is created every second of the day, and it only takes 20 minutes to make it.
20,000 new PowToon users signup every single day. As of the last count, over 45 million PowToons
have been created and shared around the world.
(https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/10-specific-examples-of-emerging-
educational-technologies/)
For over a decade, the New Media Consortium (NMC) has been charting the landscape of
emerging technologies in teaching, learning, and creative inquiry on a global scale. The NMC’s
advisory board includes 750 technology experts and faculty members from colleges and universities
in 40 countries, and is supported by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and the
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The NMC’s latest research efforts, the NMC
Horizon Report: 2013 K-12 Edition and the NMC Horizon Report: 201 Higher Education Edition, were
released this spring, and together highlight ten emerging technologies that will impact education over
the course of the next five years: cloud computing, mobile learning, learning analytics, open content,
3D printing, MOOCs, virtual and remote laboratories, games and gamification, and tablet computing.
1. The Cloud
In 2011, cloud computing was listed in the 12-month-or-less category of the report, primarily
because of the way it had become an essential part of collaboration in both schools and the workplace.
This year, the placement of cloud computing on the near-term horizon for a second time underscores
the fact that the impact of this technology continues to unfold in new and expanding ways.
2. Mobile Learning
By the end of this year, the mobile market is expected to consist of over 7 billion accounts
(equating to about 3.4 billion users, or one in every two people on the planet); mobile traffic on the
Internet is expected to surpass desktop traffic; and mobile users will have downloaded 70 billion apps
across smartphones and tablets. Educational apps are the second-most downloaded in iTunes of all
categories, surpassing both entertainment and business apps in popularity.
3. Tablet Computing
It is so easy for students to carry tablets from class to class, using them to seamlessly access
textbook and other course material as needed, that schools and universities are rethinking the need
for computer labs or even personal laptops. A student’s choice of apps makes it easy to build a
personalized learning environment, with all the resources and tools they need on a single device. With
their growing number of features, tablets give traction to other educational technologies— from
facilitating the real-time data mining needed to support learning analytics to offering a plethora of
game-based learning apps.
4. MOOCs
A number of respected thought leaders believe that the current MOOC model has deviated
significantly from the initial premise outlined by George Siemens and Stephen Downes in 2008,
emphasizing lecture over connectivity, but either way, educators across the globe are doing some
amazing things with MOOCs. The hope is that they will eventually strike a balance between
automating the assessment process while delivering personalized, authentic learning opportunities.
5. Open Content
While open content has been available for a long time, the topic has received increased
attention in recent years. The use of open content promotes a skill set that is critical in maintaining
currency in any area of study—the ability to find, evaluate, and put new information to use. The same
cannot be said for many textbooks, which can be cumbersome, slow to update, and particularly costly
for K-12 schools. More educators are tapping into the wealth of content within open repositories and
familiarizing themselves with the Creative Commons protocol.
6. Learning Analytics
While analyzing student data is not a new practice, the field of learning analytics has only
recently gained wide support among data scientists and education professionals. In the coming years,
as learning analytics platforms become increasingly complex and effective, outcomes of learning
analytics will have a significant impact on the evolution and refinement of both K-12 and higher
education, especially in the design of personalized and online learning platforms.
Game play has traversed the realm of recreation and infiltrated commerce, productivity, and
education, proving to be a useful training and motivation tool. Referred to as “Game-Based Learning”
in previous NMC Horizon reports, this field of practice has expanded far beyond integrating digital and
online games into the curriculum. The updated category title reflects the perspective that while games
are effective tools for scaffolding concepts and simulating real world experiences, it should also
include the larger canvas of gamer culture and game design.
8. 3D Printing
While 3D printing is four to five years away from widespread adoption in schools, it is easy to
pinpoint the practical applications that will take hold. Geology and anthropology students, for
instance, can make and interact with models of fossils and other artifacts, and organic chemistry
students can print out models of complex proteins and other molecules through rapid prototyping
and production tools. Even more compelling are institutions that are using 3D technology to develop
brand new tools.
Virtual and remote laboratories reflect the current trend in K-12 education toward
more authentic online education. Though technology is four to five years away from mainstream use
in schools, the benefits of implementation are already clear. Virtual and remote labs offer flexibility, as
students can run experiments as many times as they like, both in and out of school. Because these labs
are designed to allow for easy repetition of experiments, students feel less pressure to execute
perfectly the first time. In the controlled environments of these labs, students are safe, even if they
make an error.
Below are some common examples of the ways technology can help your company
communicate more effectively.
Videoconferences
You can use a videoconferencing tool to hold weekly meetings with your employees, even if
they cannot be physically present. Whether you use Zoom, Google Meet, or another videoconferencing
tool, the result will be consistent workflows that are not easily disrupted when someone from your
team works remotely. It’s also especially useful for teams that are spread out geographically.
Text Messaging
You can also use text messaging on a smartphone or tablet to assign tasks to employees and
monitor their progress. For example, the manager of a plumbing business might text plumbers in the
field to see how an emergency call is going and whether any assistance is needed. Tablets have
become incredibly commonplace in business, especially for field service techs.
Web Portal
You can utilize a communication management portal to hold all of your communication data for
optimized workflows. Communication management portals allow you to engage with your customers
across multiple channels in whatever manner they prefer. This enables more timely customer service
responses and resolutions to problems.
Scheduling Systems
You can better coordinate service calls or appointments using a common scheduling system
such as ServiceTitan. Using a scheduling system can introduce efficiencies across every department
and boost your revenue by allowing you to book more jobs and do more business. For example, an
HVAC technician can use a scheduling system to see relevant customer details such as service history,
call records, and appointment locations.
Technology alone can be beneficial, but it’s even more advantageous when it’s used in tandem.
System integration allows companies to enjoy the full benefits technology has to offer. Many of the
technologies listed—and many more that are available on the market—can integrate with one
another via an application programming interface (API). When solutions are integrated, they
communicate with one another seamlessly. In other words, data is synced between systems in real
time, ensuring your team is always on the same page and up to date with the most accurate
information.
Technology can be incredibly beneficial in the workplace, but the right amount of consideration must
be given to ensuring ease of use, user acceptance and adoption, and proper user training. Training
should be designed to accommodate users with varying degrees of technical ability, with some being
more tech-savvy than others. This will prevent barriers to tech adoption, which sometimes arise when
employees don’t feel adequately trained for a new system.
Once your employees and clients are given access to more consistent, effective, efficient, and
optimized communication channels—as long as they’re managed properly—it is inevitable that your
workflows will improve. In turn, so will your productivity and the experience you provide for your
customers.
After your instructor discussed the different communication aids and tools in education and
business. This time, it’s your turn to make one. Choose either a poster or infographics describing or
promoting the university or your course to a varied audiences. You can use Canva or any online
applications for this activity.
A quick
stop before going
through the pages of
this module. Write
your impression of
the audio-visual
presentation of It’s
More Fun in the
Philippines 2019 –
DOT Official AVP –
Tourism (Source:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
Communication is made for numerous purposes. The way messages are crafted depends highly
on the intention of the sender.
In the supermarket, a sales agent makes sure that the way a product is promoted gets
consumers buying. A news anchor delivers information in such a way that all the facts are clearly
stated doing away with words that may cause confusion. On the other hand, a criminal lawyer must
design his arguments supported by facts to convince the judge and the jury.
Informative Communication involves giving than asking. As an informative communicator, you want
your receivers to pay attention and understand. But not to change their behaviour. By sharing
information, ignorance is reduced or better yet, eliminated. The informative value of a message is
measured by how novel and relevant the information is or the kind of understanding it provides the
receivers.
Osborn (2009) purports that informative communication arises out of three deep impulses:
When preparing for an information exchange, ask yourself the following questions:
Persuasive Communication is an art of gaining fair and favorable considerations for our point of
view.
g. Appeals to feelings
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence can help you achieve your “call to action” goal in your
persuasive communication. Consider these 5 steps:
Step 1: Attention- Get your audience to listen. Hook the audience by making the topic relevant
to them. Their ideal response to you is “I want to hear what you have to say.”
Step 2: Need- Get your audience to feel a need or want. Cite evidence by making the topic
relevant to them. Their ideal response to you is “I agree. I have that need/want.”
Step 3: Satisfaction- Tell you audience how to fill their need or want. Offer a solution and
persuade the audience that it is feasible and well thought out. Their ideal response is “I see your
solution will work.”
Step 4: Visualization- Get your audience to see benefits of solution. Take the audience beyond
your solution and help them visualize the positive results of implementing it or the negative
consequences of not. Their ideal response is “This is a great idea.”
Step 5: Action- Get your audience to take action. Call your audience to action by giving them
concrete steps to follow to engage in a particular action or to change a thought or behavior. Their ideal
response is “I want it.”
Argumentative Communication relies heavily on sound proof and reasoning. The nature of proof
has been studied since the Golden Age of Greece and has been improved through time. According to
Aristotle, logos, ethos and pathos are the three primary forms of proof. In our time, whoever, many
scholars have confirmed the presence of a fourth dimension of proof, mythos, which suggests that we
respond to appeals to the traditions and values of our culture and to the legends and folktales that
embody them.
Lucas (2007) claims that to avoid defective argumentation, the following must be avoided:
1. Defective evidence
Misuse of facts
Statistical fallacies
Defective Testimonies
Inappropriate evidence
2. Defective Patterns of reasoning
Evidential fallacies
a. Slippery slope
b. Confusing facts with opinion
c. Red herring
d. Myth of the Mean
Flawed proofs
Defective Arguments
Write a persuasive letter to your Barangay Captain on any environmental issues that you
observed in your community or barangay. Apply Monroe’s Motivated Sequence in your letter. (10
points).
Using either Prezi or PowToon, create an informative presentation on Covid 19 and its health
and security challenges.
The rubric below serves as the basis for your grade in this activity.
Module Outcomes:
2. Present ideas persuasively using appropriate language registers, tone, facial expressions and
gestures
4. Write and present academic papers using appropriate tone, style, conventions and reference
styles
5. Convey ideas through oral, audio-visual, and/or web-based presentations for different target
audiences in local and global settings using appropriate registers
Introduction:
Many people intuitively know the proper way to communicate in different settings; for
instance, the way you speak to your friends is usually different than the way you speak to your
parents. Academic communication, also called scholarly communication, refers to methods of
communication that are highly structured and generally only used in pedagogical settings. Academic
communication can include the words and structures used to express ideas, as well as the methods by
which ideas are disseminated.
Academic success depends on solid communication skills, beginning with clear oral
communication. Students are often called upon in class to answer questions. These questions may
range from those with simple factual answers to questions that involve putting thoughts together and
making arguments. Answers to questions need to be communicated effectively so teachers can assess
a student’s knowledge. Students with oral challenges may also become embarrassed if they are unable
to communicate on par with their peers. If a student stutters or mumbles they may become fearful of
speaking up in class, and this in turn can lead to lowered grades and diminished self-esteem.
For this module, we will discuss the different workplace communication documents and
communication for academic purposes.
Word play. Have a quick stop! All words below are related to the topic in this lesson. Find them!
N R C O M P A N Y L
F D L P E W S O M I
M E M O R A N D U M
R C T I T C H A I E
M A T L E T T E R S
A S M E S S A G E W
L A R E F L S E E R
Letters are written from a person or group called sender to a person or group called recipient.
Business to Business
Business to Consumer
Job Applicant to Company
Citizen to Government Official
Employer to Employee
Staff Member to Staff Member
1. The Heading
The heading contains the return address with the date on the last line. Sometimes it is necessary to
include a line before the date with a phone number, fax number, or e-mail address. Often there is a
line skipped between the address and the date. It is not necessary to type a return address if you are
using stationery with the return address already imprinted, but you should always use a date. Make
sure the heading is on the left margin.
a. Mandatory elements:
Organization’s Name
Address (including the zip code and area code)
Telephone Number
Email Address
Website (if any)
b. Optional Elements
Organization’s logo
The executive’s name and title
A list of officials or other governing bodies
The same notation should be put in the envelope. Must be written between the date line and
the inside address. Ex. Private and Confidential
3. Inside Address
Always on the left and single spaced
The recipient’s name (if stated) is followed by the company’s name, department or
division, street address, city postal code and country.
If there is a line that is too long, encode half of it on the next line with two or three
spaces indention.
Example:
6. The Salutation
The salutation (or greeting) in a business letter is always formal. It often begins with “Dear
{Person’s name}.” Once again, be sure to include the person’s title if you know it (such as Ms.,
Mrs., Mr., or Dr). If you’re unsure about the person’s title or gender then just use their first
name. For example, you would use only the person’s first name if the person you are writing to
is “Jordan” and you do not know whether they identify as male, female, or non-binary.
The salutation always ends with a colon.
7. The Body
The body is the meat of your letter. For block and modified block letter formats, single space
and left justify each paragraph. Be sure to leave a blank line between each paragraph, however,
no matter the format. Be sure to also skip a line between the salutation and the body, as well as
the body and the close.
10. Enclosures
If you have any enclosed documents, such as a resume, you can indicate this by typing
“Enclosures” one line below the listing. You also may include the name of each document.
1. Cover letters
A cover letter is a business letter typically sent with your resume when applying to a job. While not all
employers require a cover letter, it is a great opportunity to explain your professional experience,
qualifications and interest in the company and job.
2. Letters of recommendation
You can send a follow-up letter after interviewing for an open position to thank the interviewer
for their time and to demonstrate your interest in the job further. The follow-up letter is a good
time to reiterate the skills you offer as they relate to the open position. You can also use the
follow-up letter to thank the hiring manager for taking the time to meet with you. This step
shows professional courtesy that can leave a good impression on your prospective employer.
4. Sales letters
The purpose of a sales letter is to introduce a service or product to a client or customer. Sales
professionals often use these letters when making new contacts with prospective buyers or
strengthening relationships with longtime clients.
5. Letters of resignation
A letter of resignation informs your employer of your intent to resign. While you may verbally
notify your coworkers and employer of your plans to leave, many organizations prefer to have
an official letter for documentation purposes.
6. Complaint letters
Complaint letters are usually sent by consumers to businesses when they're unhappy with a
service or product. Businesses may also occasionally need to write a complaint letter. For example,
an employee may be asked to write a complaint letter on behalf of a company who is dissatisfied
with a product.
7. Announcement letters
A business announcement letter is a letter sent out to employees, vendors, customers or the
press to declare something of note for the company, such as a change of policy, an employee or
management change, a merger, a takeover, a product release or an event. The letter is typically
short and written in a formal note.
8. Welcome letters
A welcome letter is a formal way of introducing a company or employee and provides basic
information to the recipient. For example, while a new employee welcome letter provides
employees with the information to help them better prepare for their first day of work, a new
customer welcome letter thanks the customer for their business and provides them with an
overview of the company. Overall, these letters use a welcoming tone to help establish a
greater working relationship.
9. Apology letters
An apology letter is an important tool in the workplace that acknowledges a mistake, expresses
regret and asks for the letter recipient's forgiveness or patience. Apology letters create a
formal record of your admitting to and attempting to rectify a mistake or failure.
For a detailed copy and good read on business Emails, browse this site
https://www.instructionalsolutions.com/blog/business-email
Sample Formal and less formal Emails can be browsed through this site
http://www.blairenglish.com/exercises/emails/exercises/business-email-examples/business-email-
examples.html
B. WRITING MEMORANDUMS
The word memo is derived from the Latin “memorare” changed to “memorandus”, and means “to
state” or “to tell”. In an organization, it takes the form of a short official note that one writes to a
person or to several individuals such as members, faculty, head of offices and the like.
It is typically informal (but business-like) in structure and has the following elements:
An addressee: Flush left, in capital letters, near the top of the page.
The sender: Flush left, in capital letters, immediately below the addressee.
Date: Flush left, in capital letters, immediately below the sender’s name.
Subject: Flush left, in capital letters, immediately below the date, contains the essence of the
memo.
It has reached my attention that there were some employees who are inappropriately
using their time browsing their social media account during office hours. This memo serves to
remind you to utilize your work hours for office tasks.
While I encourage a happy and healthy working environment, I advise that you use
company time for what it is actually intended. Should you have questions regarding this issue,
please read the employee’s manual to be reminded of the company rules.
Thank you!
Regardless of the specific goal, memos are most effective when they connect the
purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader. Memos most frequently contain
routine information.
Joe LoCiero (2007) offers a good example of when to use memos. He claims that memos
may inform the readers of:
Though memos are less formal than business letter, they must be crafted in an effective way.
Adelheid Thieme in her presentation for Arizona State University claims that effective memos must
be:
a. Civilized
b. Concise
c. Coherent
d. Compelling
e. Correct
Memo Tip: # 1: Before sending it out, make sure that it is 100% necessary.
“This memo will surely take up employee’s time… can’t this be put aside?”
If these questions lead to negative reply, maybe you need to think over again if it is
necessary to write and send out the memo.
Memo Tip # 2: Your memo should convey all the information in brief but substantial text. Make sure
that only the most important message is included in the memo because not necessary to lengthen the
memo, add pointless explanations, or use pompous words to appear intelligent. In short, just be
straight forward.
Memo Tip # 3: In a single sentence, end your memo forcefully by repeating the action employees
should carry out.
Make sure you restate exactly what you need from employees at the end of the memo.
However, use the “No action required” when recipients will not do anything further after reading the
memo.
C. WRITING MINUTES
Official written records of a meeting’s proceedings are called minutes. They serve as an official
record, aids in refreshing memories of participants, supplies information to individuals who were not
present, and help prepare members for upcoming meetings. Unless law or policy mandate that
verbatim records be kept, minutes should be reported in a summary form.
Minutes should succinctly and truthfully account all pertinent information that transpired in a
meeting. All motions and resolutions should be recorded word-for-word as presented. Individuals
presenting motions and resolutions should be identified by name in the minutes. It is important to
indicate that a motion was seconded, but the name of the individual who seconds a motion need not
be recorded. The outcome – approval or defeat – should be included also.
Henry Martyn Robert worked in the Army. One day, he was tasked to be a presiding officer for
an important meeting in his community. Because he realized he had no knowledge of presiding over a
meeting, he knew he would be embarrassed. Yet, despite his inability, he did his best to preside over
the meeting.
Due to the nature of his job, he was exposed to different parliamentary chaos across the United
States. These experiences inspired him to study parliamentary books and eventually create a rule
book for parliamentary procedure. He then decided to name the book Robert’s Rule of Order.
Part of a Minutes
Robert’s Rule of Order (2005) recommends that minutes contain the following items:
2. Kind of meeting (regular board meeting, an annual meeting, or any special meeting)
8. Motions raised. Motions must be written as stated, including the member or individual who
raised the motion, and the vote’s outcome.
9. Reports. Record the name of the report, the name of the member presenting it, and any
action taken on the report. If the report was in writing, attach it or tell where it may be
found. An oral report. If the report may be summarized briefly.
11. The signature of the secretary upon the approval of the minutes.
These parts may vary depending on the purpose and formality of the meeting. Style will also
vary based on the parliamentary authority of the group or organization.
The minutes are a factual record of business. Robert’s Rule of Order (2005) recommends that the
following be excluded from a minutes:
1. Condemnation or honors: Criticism of members should not be recorded unless it takes the
form of an official motion. Expressions of gratitude should only be included with the
permission of the participants.
2. Discussion: Whatever statement was given by the members must be recorded objectively.
3. Extended repeating of reports: Just hit the highpoints or key facts, mostly if there is an
attachment of a written report.
The person who takes the meeting minutes is usually a member of the organization or
institution and takes note of the meeting proceedings while taking part in the conference, assembly,
session or discussion.
In government or legal meetings, an outsider must be the note taker or recorder to avoid
biases and maintain impartiality. He or she, however, must gave full knowledge of the adapted
parliamentary process to be able to effectively carry out the role.
In some cases, the same person takes the minutes at each meeting. In other’s the role of minute
taker passes from member to member or participant to participant. The role of the recorder builds
effective leadership skills, effective communication, and full involvement of members.
1. Supposed you are a fresh graduate, compose an application letter to the department, office
or business you intend to apply. Follow the necessary parts and guidelines.
2. Assume you are an office manager at Golden Opportunity, Inc. Write a memo about a topic
or situation of your choice. Tell recipients the purpose of the memo, your reason(s) for
sending it and what action (if any) you want taken, provide suggestions in your memo if
appropriate. Examples of situations are:
(a) CLAYGO ( Clean As you Go) after taking snacks or meals
(b) An upcoming computer training seminar
(c) Tardiness and absenteeism
(d) Playing computer games during office hours
(e) Capability/team building
Reminders:
(a) Use the 1st paragraph to state the purpose of the memo.
(b) Use the 2nd paragraph to provide major details of a proposal or major reasons for a
decision/ suggestion, or to indicate why you agree or disagree with a proposal or idea.
(c) Use the 3rd paragraph for minor details.
(d) In a long memo, you may want to end by again stating your position on the subject.
Use the following words into meaningful sentences. Your sentence should show a connection
with oral presentation or written presentation.
1. Eye contact
2. Gesture
3. Eloquence
4. Credibility
5. Presentation
6. Audience
7. Delivery
8. Content
9. Enunciation
10. Collaboration
Organize your thoughts. Start with an outline and develop good transitions between sections.
Emphasize the real-world significance of your research.
Have a strong opening. Why should the audience listen to you? One good way to get their attention is
to start with a question, whether or not you expect an answer.
Define terms early. If you are using terms that may be new to the audience, introduce them early in
your presentation. Once an audience gets lost in unfamiliar terminology, it is extremely difficult to get
them back on track.
Finish with a bang. Find one or two sentences that sum up the importance of your research. How is
the world better off as a result of what you have done?
Time yourself. Do not wait until the last minute to time your presentation. You only have 15 minutes
to speak, so you want to know, as soon as possible, if you are close to that limit.
Create effective notes for yourself. Have notes that you can read. Do not write out your entire talk;
use an outline or other brief reminders of what you want to say. Make sure the text is large enough
that you can read it from a distance.
Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice your presentation, the more comfortable you will
be in front of an audience. Practice in front of a friend or two and ask for their feedback. Record
yourself and listen to it critically. Make it better and do it again.
Presenting Effectively
When you start your presentation, the audience will be interested in what you say. Use these
tips to help keep them interested throughout your presentation:
Be excited. You are talking about something exciting. If you remember to be excited, your
audience will feel it and automatically become more interested.
Speak with confidence. When you are speaking, you are the authority on your topic, but do
not pretend that you know everything. If you do not know the answer to a question, admit it.
Consider deferring the question to your mentor or offer to look into the matter further.
Make eye contact with the audience. Your purpose is to communicate with your audience,
and people listen more if they feel you are talking directly to them. As you speak, let your
eyes settle on one person for several seconds before moving on to somebody else. You do
not have to make eye contact with everybody, but make sure you connect with all areas of
the audience equally.
Avoid reading from the screen. First, if you are reading from the screen, you are not making
eye contact with your audience. Second, if you put it on your slide, it is because you wanted
them to read it, not you.
Blank the screen when a slide is unnecessary. A slide that is not related to what you are
speaking about can distract the audience. Pressing the letter B or the period key displays a
black screen, which lets the audience concentrate solely on your words. Press the same key
to restore the display.
Use a pointer only when necessary. If you are using a laser pointer, remember to keep it off
unless you need to highlight something on the screen.
Explain your equations and graphs. When you display equations, explain them fully. Point
out all constants and dependent and independent variables. With graphs, tell how they
support your point. Explain the x- and y-axes and show how the graph progresses from left
to right.
Pause. Pauses bring audible structure to your presentation. They emphasize important
information, make transitions obvious, and give the audience time to catch up between
points
and to read new slides. Pauses always feel much longer to speakers than to listeners.
Practice counting silently to three (slowly) between points.
Avoid filler words. Um, like, you know, and many others. To an audience, these are
indications that you do not know what to say; you sound uncomfortable, so they start to feel
uncomfortable as well. Speak slowly enough that you can collect your thoughts before
moving ahead. If you really do not know what to say, pause silently until you do.
Relax. It is hard to relax when you are nervous, but your audience will be much more
comfortable if you are too.
Breathe. It is fine to be nervous. In fact, you should be all good presenters are nervous every
time they are in front of an audience. The most effective way to keep your nerves in check
aside from a lot of practice before hand is to remember to breathe deeply throughout your
presentation.
Acknowledge the people who supported your research. Be sure to thank the people who made
your research possible, including your mentor, research team, collaborators, and other
sources of funding and support.
Listening is a skill that everybody uses the most on a daily basis. Understanding what one
listens to whether for gist, particular information or detailed understanding is the foundation for
speaking, writing and reading skills in school, students are largely involved in academic listening
which utilizes a lexis and structure of language that are complex and scholarly.
Academic listening is an educational activity that requires reception and comprehension of live
or recorded spoken material. Although the most common academic listening activity takes place in the
classrooms primarily in the form of lectures, students also listen to report presentations, debates,
seminars and conferences among others.
To develop your listening skills, Paul Anovick (2014), Executive Coach and Leadership
Development Professional, suggested six helpful tips:
1. Be attentive. When you speak, you wanted to be listened to and when it’s turn for you to listen,
you should give undivided attention to the speaker and the discussion. Focus neither on
unwanted sounds and sights in the room nor on speaker’s verbal and nonverbal idiosyncrasies
such as accent, redundant words and phrases or vocal fillers. Lastly, don’t let your own
thoughts, feelings or biases obstruct your attention.
2. Ask questions. Asking questions should be for clarifications or for detailed understanding of an
idea in the lecture. It should not lead to challenging the speaker and showing how better you
are than him or her. Do not ask questions with the intention to cause the lecturer to lose
direction of discussion. If this happen the speaker might lose confidence and experience
difficulty to get
back on track. Raise clarifications to show you want to understand while emphasizing you are
all-ears to the speaker.
3. Don’t interrupt unnecessarily. When listening, your first duty is to receive the message being
conveyed by the lecturer and not to argue with him or her. The classroom is not a place for
entertainment talk shows where interrupting is acceptable and even encouraged. If you want
to raise a point of clarification, do not disrupt the lecture until the speaker pauses.
4. Use body language. In face-to-face communication, you can convey you are listening by
nodding, smiling, and maintaining eye contact. Establishing eye contact with the speaker is a
way toward listening attentively. Give courtesy to speaker by directly facing him or her. Look
at the speaker even if he or she is not looking at you. Listen not only to the speaker’s words but
also to his or her nonverbal cues.
5. Empathize. To put yourself in the shoes of the speaker and feel what he or she is feeling is
called empathy. It is the heart and soul of good listening (Shilling, 2012). Aside from your
verbal cues, your facial expression- a long face for sadness, frightened expression for fear and a
smile for joy- and gestures convey your effectiveness as emphatic listener.
6. Take notes. Writing down ideas indicates that you are closely listening to what the speaker is
saying. The notes you take also serves as a permanent record you can use to remember the
content of the lecture. Speakers feel delighted when they see their listeners taking notes as
they eagerly lend ears to the lecture.
Speaking is the act or skill of transmitting information or expressing one’s feelings through
language. Of the four language skills, it is the second that we learn. It can be formal or informal. While
informal speaking occurs among family, friends and people we know well, formal speaking is
commonly employed in business or academic situations.
Presentation
In school, students are given individual or group presentation tasks. A brief report about a
historical event, a demonstrative of a process, and a defense of business plan or thesis are common
examples of academic presentation. To be effective, each presentation should be well designed in
terms of structure, content and execution. The structure of a presentation consists of three man parts:
introduction, body and conclusion. An important part, open forum or Q & A, has been added to
provide the interactive element of the presentation.
Introduction
Body
In the body of your presentation, you will need to present the main and supporting ideas that
will accomplish the objective that you stated in the introduction. Select only the materials that will
clearly and completely explain the thesis of your presentation in order to stick to the time limit set
earlier. Depending on the purpose of your presentation, you can employ various types of topic
development such as definition, comparison, and contrast, cause and effect, process analysis, etc. The
ideas should be logically sequenced and smoothly proceed through the use of appropriate transitional
words and phrases. In addition, the use of visual aids is essential to enhance your verbal message.
Conclusion
The conclusion gives finality to your presentation. In this part, you need to reinforce the
audience’s understanding of your topic by reminding them of the main purpose and summarizing the
main points of your presentation. Emphasize the “take-away” which is the main idea you want your
audience to commit to their memory about your presentation.
This interactive part makes your presentation a two-way communication. Usually, this
component is offered to welcome questions or clarifications about ideas discussed by the speaker.
This Q & A is a challenging part because you do not have any clue as to what questions will be asked or
what points will be raised for clarification. For this, preparation is the key. Therefore, you need to
thoroughly research your topic and anticipate questions from the audience. Vague questions should
be repeated and clarified. This part also welcomes commentaries, suggestions and reactions on the
manner of presentation.
Reading is a purposeful and interactive language skill. You read different types of materials
depending on your purpose. You read newspapers to know the latest news in business, sports,
entertainment, weather, etc. in various locations. You go to the library to read textbooks, journals and
other resources to finish your academic tasks. You also read blogs and website materials on the
Internet. Reading is interactive in that involves a two- way communication between the reader and
the writer. As you read, you try to construct the author’s meaning of the text according to your
background knowledge and experiences. It requires more engagement with the author than just
reading the words he has written.
Reading is a language skill which is done based on various contexts, one of which is academic.
Since academic reading is important in accomplishing academic task, you should adopt strategies for
efficient reading. Scanning for numbers, symbols and phrases in a text, skimming to quickly get the
main idea of a text, and intensive reading which requires a careful and detailed reading with specific
learning objectives are some ways by which you can understand what you read.
Writing is a language skill that needs to be learned for a number of reasons including personal
and academic purposes. Personal writing is done to express a writer’s emotions and personal
experiences while academic writing is largely carried out for college or university requirements- such
as writing assignments and projects- and for academic and for scientific journals and scholarly books
that are presented at conferences. Academic writing observes a defined set of characteristics and rules
and practices.
1. Essays
2. Reports
3. Case Studies
4. Research proposals
5. Book reviews
7. Literature reviews
8. Reflective writing
9. Introductions
For a detailed list and descriptions on the different genres of academic writing, browse and read this
site http://www.uefap.com/writing/genre/genrefram.htm
Evaluate this academic presentation or video from YouTube titled “Undergraduate Students
Unwittingly Subjected to World’s Worst Research Presentation” by answering these questions. The
link to the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSGqp4-bZQY.
You may either choose any of these modes of presentation: Audio-Visual Presentation using
the different applications learned in this class (5-7 minutes maximum), Print Media in a form of
brochure or poster.
Partially POINT
Exemplary Proficient Proficient Incomplete S
Final Score
Organization of Each section in 75% or more 60% of the Less than half of
Information the brochure has sections of the sections of the the sections of
presented a clear beginning, brochure have a brochure have a the brochure
middle, and end. clear beginning, clear beginning, have a clear
middle, and end. middle, and end. beginning,
middle, and
end.
Content-Accuracy All facts in the 99-90% of the 89-90% of the Fewer than
and Information brochure are facts in the facts in the 80% of the facts
validity accurate and brochure are brochure are in the brochure
match cited accurate. accurate. are accurate.
resources.
Spelling & No spelling errors No more than 1 No more than 3 More than 3
mechanics and all sections of spelling and/or spelling and/or spelling and/or
brochure are free writing errors are writing errors are writing errors
of writing errors. present. present. are present.
Attractiveness & The brochure has The brochure has The brochure has The brochure's
Organization exceptionally attractive well organized formatting and
attractive formatting and information or organization of
formatting and well-organized format but not material is
well-organized information. both. confusing to the
information. reader.
Content The text and One or two The text and No original text
graphics used on elements of text graphics are or graphics made
the poster reflect and graphics made by the by the student
an exceptional used on the student, but are are included.
degree of student poster reflect based on the
creativity in their student creativity designs or ideas
creation and/or in their creation of others.
display. and/or display.
Graphics All graphics are All graphics are All graphics Graphics do not
related to the related to the relate to the relate to the topic
topic and make it topic and most topic. Most OR several
easier to make it easier to borrowed borrowed
understand. All understand. All graphics have a graphics do not
borrowed borrowed source citation. have a source
graphics have a graphics have a citation.
source citation. source citation.
Mechanics Capitalization There is one There are two There are more
and punctuation error in errors in than two errors
are correct capitalization or capitalization or in capitalization
throughout the punctuation. punctuation. or punctuation.
poster.
Spelling/ There are no There is one There are two There are more
Grammar spelling or spelling or spelling or than two spelling
grammatical grammatical grammatical to grammatical
mistakes on the mistake on the errors on the mistakes.
poster. poster. poster.
Summary:
While the development of multimodal literacy is strongly associated with the growth of digital
communication technologies, multimodal is not synonymous with digital. The choice of media for
multimodal text creation is therefore always an important consideration. To create multimodal texts
requires strategies and techniques in making and delivering quality and attractive presentations.
A memo (short for memorandum) is a note or a document typically sent from one person to
one or more people within the same company. Writing clear memos in the correct format is essential
to communicating effectively with your boss and coworkers. Good memos can help you plan
effectively, solve problems, support a transparent workplace and boost your career. A memo can
record the details of a staff meeting, a policy change or even an employee’s performance. Although
they can take different forms, memos are always written in a particular format and in a formal style.
One more thing to remember: memos can be sent as emails, but not every email is a memo.
Writing good meeting minutes can save time and money. Succinct minutes that capture the
purpose of the meeting and its agreed outcomes are a record that can be referred back to and be used
for follow up purposes later. Good minutes are concise and to the point, but at the same time, they do
not leave out critical information.
A business letter is a formal document often sent from one company to another or from a
company to its clients, employees, and stakeholders, for example. Business letters are used for
professional correspondence between individuals, as well. Although email has taken over as the most
common form of correspondence, printed-out business letters are still used for many important,
serious types of correspondence, including reference letters, employment verification, job offers, and
more.
Communication is made for numerous purposes. The way messages are crafted depends highly
on the intention of the sender. It can be to inform, persuade or argue. Informative Communication
involves giving than asking. As an informative communicator, you want your receivers to pay
attention and understand. Persuasive Communication is an art of gaining fair and favorable
considerations for our point of view. Argumentative Communication relies heavily on sound proof
and reasoning.
Technology can be incredibly beneficial in the workplace, but the right amount of
consideration must be given to ensuring ease of use, user acceptance and adoption, and proper user
training. Training should be designed to accommodate users with varying degrees of technical ability,
with some being more tech-savvy than others. This will prevent barriers to tech adoption, which
sometimes arise when employees don’t feel adequately trained for a new system.
Multiple Choice
Direction: Choose the word or phrase that will best complete each of the following statement. Write the
letter of your answer.
2. Below are the reasons for writing business letters except one:
A. To persuade B. To inform
C. To request D. To reprimand
4. The word ______ is derived from the Latin “memorare” changed to “memorandus”, and
means “to state” or “to tell”.
A. Memo B. Letter
C. Meme D. Memory
A. Persuasive B. Argumentative
12. It is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide making programs
such as PowerPoint. It makes use of one large canvas that allows user to pan and zoom to various
parts of the canvas and emphasize the ideas presented.
A. Prezi B. Multimedia presentation C. Powtoon D. The Cloud
14. ____________________is an art of gaining fair and favorable considerations for our point of
view.
15. Text messaging is one of the common example of the ways on how to communicate effectively
in a business or company.