PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MASTER SYLLABUS
BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS II
  OST 2360

 
Class Hours:  3.0   Credit Hours:  3.0  
Laboratory Hours:  0.0   Date Revised:  Fall 1998  
 This college-level course is structured as a lecture-format class.  You will be expected to do lab work in addition to class time to complete assignments.  Some time will be allowed to complete assignments in class; however, outside lab time will also be required.  Check open lab hours posted outside Room 145 and Library.
       
Catalog Course Description:    
   Transcription of business communications from voice dictation using computers and transcribers.   Students build on   skills learned in keyboarding and word processing courses.  A review of the language arts skills of punctuation, spelling,  editing, proofreading, and vocabulary is stressed. 
Entry Level Standards:  None    
Prerequisites:    
   OST 1105, OST 2006 and OST 2350
Textbook(s) and Other Reference Materials Basic to the Course:  
   Machine Transcription, Third Edition, Carol A. Mitchell, Glencoe/McGraw Hill Publishing Company, 1995.
The Gregg Reference Manual, Seventh Edition by William A. Sabin, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Gregg Division.
Formats for Business Documents, Gail Burris, 1993, available in bookstore.
OPTIONAL:  Word Division Manual, Third Edition, by Silverthorn and Perry, South-Western Publishing Co.
Two 3.5" 1.44 Mb high-density diskettes.
Two 2-pocket notebooks for submission of transcripts.
NOTE:  Students must have a valid PSTCC ID to be presented on demand to gain access to PSTCC facilities.
I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis:    
  Week  Topic
  1 Orientation to Course and Demonstration of Machines; Review of format of Business Documents; Pre- transcription Training; Read pages 2-55 in Machine Transcription
  2 Orientation to Course Continued ; Spelling Test -  Section 1; Read pages 12-16 in Gregg Reference Manual; Begin transcription of Section 1 - Machine Transcription by Mitchell
  3 Spelling Test - Section 2; Finish Transcribing Section 1; begin transcribing Section 2; Objective Test 1 covering pages 2-55 in Machine Transcription
  4 Continue transcribing Section 2; Transcripts for Section 1 due
  5 Transcribe Section 3 (Items 3, 4, and 5 only) and Section 4 (Items 3, 4, and 5 only); NOTE:  Key envelopes for both Sections 3 and 4; Transcripts for Section 2 due
  6 Transcribe Section 5 (No keys beginning with this section); Word Study Test 1 covering Sections 1-4;  Transcripts for items assigned in Sections 3 and 4 due
  7 Spelling Test - Section 6 (Change the word Re: to Subject in item 5); Transcribe Section 6; Transcripts for Section 5 due
  8 Transcribe Section 7; Word Study Test 2 covering Sections 5-7; MIDTERM; Transcripts for Section 6 due
  9 Transcribe Section 8 (Items 3,  4, and 5 only) and Section 9 (Items 3 and 4 only); Timed Transcription Test 1; Transcripts for items assigned in Section 7 due
  10 Transcribe Section 10; Transcripts for items assigned in Section 8 and Section 9 due
  11 Transcribe Section 11 (Items 1, 2, and 3) and Section 12 (Items 3, 4, and 5); Timed Transcription Test 2; Transcripts for items assigned in Section 10 due
  12 Transcribe Section 13 (Items 1, 2, and 3) and Section 14 (Items 5, 6, and 7); Word Study Test 3 covering Sections 8-11
  13 Transcribe Section 17 (Items 1, 2, and 3); Timed Transcription Test 3; Transcripts for items assigned in Sections 11 and 12 due
  14 Read and Discuss "Dictation," Machine Transcription, 57-61; Compose and dictate a letter; Word Study Test 4  covering Sections 12-14; Transcripts for items assigned in Sections 13 and 14 due.
  15 Transcription of class dictation; Final Word Study Test covers Sections 1-14; Transcripts for items assigned in Sections 17  due
  16 Review Day; Transcripts of class dictation due; Exam Period - FINAL TRANSCRIPTION TEST
II. Course Objectives*:    
  A. Demonstrate proper utilization of dictation/transcription audio technology. VII
  B. Employ proper techniques of dictation/transcription to produce accurate mailable correspondence. I, II, III, VI, VII, X, XI
  C. Proofread accurately for grammatical and contextual errors.  X
*Roman numerals after course objectives reference goals of the OST program.
III. Expectations for Student Performance*: 
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Identify and use properly the different parts of machine transcription equipment.  A
2. Describe the difference between a centralized and decentralized system of dictation equipment.  A
3. Identify and use properly the different parts of machine dictation equipment.  A
4. Identify optional features on machine dictation and transcription equipment.  A
5. Display the proper listening techniques for both transcription and dictation.  B
6. Operate machine transcription equipment properly by keying continuous while listening in thought units.  B
7. Understand and use the dictation techniques of order, voice, identification, visualization, and simple-talk language.  B
8. Produce first-time mailable copy of letters, memorandums, and reports in proper format.  B
9. Organize work properly for the dictation/ transcription process by displaying the proper desk arrangement, machine setup, and time schedule. B
10. Identify and use properly reference materials that are available to dictators and transcribers.  C
11. Identify and use proofreaders marks.  C
12. Refer to reference texts, if necessary, to use correct punctuation marks and capitalization rules in both dictation and transcription.  C
13. Refer to reference texts, if necessary, to construct sentences properly using complete sentences, subject-verb agreement, and proper tense. C
14. Identify and spell properly the vocabulary used in different business organizations. C
15. Identify and use correctly the rules of word division. C
*Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above.
IV. Evaluation:
A. Testing Procedures:  50% of grade
 One objective test will be given over the concepts of machine transcription.  Additional quizzes over concepts in machine  transcription may be given.  Four transcription tests will be given including a transcription test on the final.  Because productivity in the business office is based on two criteria, quantity of work and quality of work, the student will be graded for both speed and accuracy of transcripts on the transcription tests.  A progressive speed scale for the transcription tests will be used; speed will count as one-third of the test grade and accuracy will count as two-thirds of the test grade.
B. Laboratory Expectations:  50% of grade
 Dictation/Transcription and Language Arts Homework and Quizzes:  Assigned corrected transcripts must be in my office (B263) by  1 p.m. on Friday of the week they are due as shown on this syllabus.  Selected transcripts will be graded using the following scale.  (Some transcripts may be graded in class.)  Perfect transcripts are worth 15 points.  Students will be allowed to use the key for the transcripts after transcribing dictated documents through Section 4.  No keys shown after Section 4.

   0 Errors        = 15 points
   1 Error          = 13 points
   2-3 Error       = 11-9 points
   4 Errors        = 7 points
   5+ Errors      = 5 points       

  Homework, quizzes, and survey tests will be given over grammar, punctuation, style, spelling, word division, and other language arts skills.  Selected homework, quizzes, and survey tests will be graded.  LATE WORK ACCEPTED ONE WEEK AFTER DUE DATE AND WILL BE GIVEN HALF CREDIT ONLY.  ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THEY ARE ONE WEEK LATE.  (You may have ONE grace period when transcripts will be accepted up to one week late with no penalty.  Use this grace period carefully--remember you may need it for sickness or other emergencies.)

C. Grading Scale:
 Accumulated points will be converted to grades on a percentage basis (50 percent tests and 50 percent transcripts/homework) according to the following grading scale:

   A       93 - 100
   B+      90 -  92
   B       85 -  89
   C+      80 -  84
   C       75 -  79
   D       70 -  74
   F       Below 70

Late Assignments:  In order for grades to be calculated, all assigned work must be submitted in a timely fashion.  Assigned work must be turned in by date designated.  Late work will be charged with a late penalty as indicated above.

V. Policies:
A. Attendance Policy:
 Pellissippi State Technical Community College expects students to attend all scheduled instructional activities.  As a minimum, students in all courses must be present for at least 75 percent of their scheduled class and laboratory meetings in order to receive credit for the course.  Individual departments/programs/disciplines may have requirements that are more stringent.
B. Academic Dishonesty:
 Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.  Students guilty of    academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are immediately responsible to the    instructor of the class.  In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions which may be imposed through the regular    Pellissippi State procedures as a result of academic misconduct, the instructor has the authority to assign an F or a zero for  the exercise or examination or to assign an F in the course.
C. Proficiency Credit by Examination:
 A student with a minimum GPA of 2.5 may apply for credit by examination for any college-level course at Pellissippi State on the basis of past experience or training.  The student's application for credit by examination must be approved by the department head and vice president of Academic Affairs.  [NOTE:  The OST Department will administer ALL credit-by-examination tests on the third Saturday of the semester.]