Welcome to CMNS 3240: Advanced Professional Writing
This open course contains learning resources and activities.
In this course we explore a variety of advanced, strategically orientated, forms of professional writing, using theories of rhetoric, analysis of communities of interest, and multimodal design. The course is framed as a progressive project in knowledge mobilization. Students are given a selection of topics to choose from, and then are guided to develop a Proposal, a Policy Brief, and finally a Communication Package with unique visual communications materials, as tools to produce and share knowledge of the topic. You will be supported through this progression by the unit content, journal tasks, and the assignments.
Calendar Description
Students develop best practice skills in advanced professional writing with an emphasis on the design and production of strategic and planning-level communication documents, including a formal report, with added emphasis on online communication contexts, including multimedia production and social media. In addition, students consider and develop multi-phased communication strategies, learn advanced research skills and consider techniques for effective collaboration.
Course Content
Unit topics here
Navigating the Course
Practice your skills
This course encourages students to be active learners. In each Unit, you will learn new concepts and develop practical communication skills, supported by a variety of examples and learning activities. In professional communication, practice matters; you can read all day about how to communicate, but you won’t really get good at it until you develop you own skills. You are encouraged to engage with the activities and project journal tasks throughout the course.
In each unit you will find:
- Topic content. Each topic covers a key concept or skill, with supporting learning material.
- Practice activities. These informal activities help with understanding and developing applied skills. Complete these to develop your skills.
- Project Journal tasks. These more structured writing tasks are designed to help you prepare for the larger Unit Project. For students registered in CMNS 3241, these project journal tasks are graded; see the course Moodle site for submission instructions.
- Unit Project. Each unit has a final project; once you’ve worked through the unit material, you will be ready to finish the project. For students registered in CMNS 3241, these Unit projects are graded; see the course Moodle site for submission instructions.
Work Progressively
CMNS 3240 is a progressive course; you will develop a single project in stages as you complete the Units in the course. Each Unit is a guided process to develop a specific communication project.
- Unit 1 guides you to develop a formal Proposal, with strong persuasive writing skills.
- Unit 2 guides you to develop a Policy Brief, with strong research and synthesis skills.
- Unit 3 guides you to develop a package of Communication material to disseminate the findings of your Policy Brief.
Suggested schedule
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of CMNS 3241, students will be able to:
- Produce industry-standard communication documents with professional quality writing and design.
- Compare strategies for effective collaboration techniques across a variety of face to face and online contexts.
- Conduct accurate and effective research of suitable quality and scope for industry-level projects and document that research appropriately.
- Explain the unique challenges associated with using social media for professional purposes and apply social media effectively in a communication strategy.
- Explain the unique potential of multimedia approaches to information and apply this potential in a communication strategy.
- Explain the purpose of and produce a formal written industry-quality professional communications report such as a white paper.
- Evaluate a complex communication challenge and organize and execute a communication strategy that involves multiple phases and multiple media.