START HERE!An introduction to ENG 3903: Business and Professional Writing

Welcome to English 3903!

In this video (Power Point), we will do all of the following:• Learn how to begin and navigate through

the course.• Learn where to find your assignments.• Learn where to find information if you

need help using Blackboard and completing assignments.

Let’s get started!

Weekly AssignmentsThe most important link in the left-hand menu on Blackboard is the “Weekly Assignments” link.All of your assignments for each week are located here.

Weekly FoldersWhen you click on “Weekly Assignments,” you get a list of folders for each week.Each week’s folder contains the assignments you need to work on for that week.Each weekly folder will open the Friday before the week begins and remain open through the end of the semester.

Week 1 AssignmentsAt the top of the page for each week’s folder is a list of assignments for the week. Underneath are the assignments themselves. You will have to scroll down to view all the assignments for each week.The folder for week one includes extra information you will need in order to complete your assignments. Be sure to read it and/or view the videos. This information is also included in the FAQ’s link in the left-hand menu.

Discussion BoardsSome weeks you will be required to post a comment on the discussion board. To do so, you will have to leave the weekly assignments folders and click on the “Discussion Boards” link in the left-hand menu.

Posting to the Discussion Board

Discussion board questions will appear throughout the semester during the week when they are assigned.

Posting to the Discussion Board

To post to the discussion board, first click on the forum name.

Then, click “Create Thread.”

Give your post a subject, type your response, and be sure to click “Submit” at the bottom of the page.

Other Notes on the Discussion Board

To respond to other students’ posts, click on the name of the thread. Click “Reply,” type your response, and click “Submit” at the bottom of the page.

Be sure to pay attention to the discussion board rubric, which will be used to evaluate your responses. The rubric is included with every graded discussion board question.

FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)The FAQ’s link in the menu includes information on areas that generally confuse students. Before emailing me with questions, look in the FAQ’s link for the answer.

Notes on FAQ’s (Frequently Asked

Questions)Be sure to read and/or view the items on the FAQ’s page during the first and second weeks of classes.Check out the information on the FAQ’s page before emailing me questions. If you ask me a question that is explained on the FAQ’s page, I will direct you to the FAQ’s page.Not everything you do in Blackboard is intuitive (i.e. easy to understand how to do), so you will need to read the FAQ’s information to find out how to complete certain assignments.

FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)

These are the questions answered on the FAQ’s page:• What program or software should I use to do my

assignments?• How do I save my work as a rich text file (.rtf)?• Why are there three deadlines for our assignments?• How do I do the peer assessments?• How do I submit assignments?• I can’t submit my work in Blackboard. What do I do?• How do I get bonus points from tutoring?• How do I check my grades?• What if I see a mistake in the course or come across

a problem?• How do I get an A in the class?

Questions?• Take advantage of the resources available to you.• If you have a question about how to do an

assignment or what an assignment is asking you to do, please email me at cclark@se.edu.

• If you have problems navigating or using Blackboard, look over the FAQ’s page or contact the Center for Instructional Development and Technology at 580-745-3185.

I am going to tell you the secret to passing this class, knowing that some of you will ignore my advice and must learn it the hard way—Don’t wait until the end of the week or the last minute to do or submit your assignments. Waiting until the last minute is an excellent way to get a terrible grade and become stressed about the class.

Good luck!Have a great semester!